Emil Abderhalden (* 9. March 1877 in Oberuzwil (Kt pc. Gallen); "† 5 August 1950 in Zurich) was a Swiss physiologist and "“discoverer"” of the Abderhalden defense enzymes. He is besides the father of the physiologist Rudolf Abderhalden.

Biography

Abderhalden studied medicine at the University of Basel starting from 1895, where he attained a doctorate to 1902 with a work "“over the influence of elevator air on the composition of the blood"” to the Dr. med. Its first publication appeared 1897 (Z. Biol. 1897, 12, 191). Since it over-threw itself with its doctor father Gustav of Bunge, it went 1902 as an assistant to the later Hermann Emil Fischer and habilitierte to 1904 with "“new results in the area of specific protein chemistry"”.

Starting from 1908 he was a professor for physiology in Berlin. In the same year one still entrusted it with the line of the physiological institute of the citizens of Berlin veterinary university. 1911 went the biochemist Abderhalden to the university resound.

By the deputy general command Magdeburg he came to the co-ordination of the transportation of wounded one. But it became with the iron cross 2. Class at the white volume excellently. In this time the German academy for scientist, accepted Leopoldina, it as a member. Occasionally the development first pregnancy test is attributed to him, but was based to this on a scientific fallacy (Van Slyke et al. 1915: "“"… the individual variation of the serums of pregnant women and Nichtschwangeren let the results of both overlap so completely that the reaction runs, even with quantitative techniques completely indiscriminately for a positive or negative pregnancy diagnosis. "”) one rejected and outside of Germany after short time. Starting from 1919 it was for the liberal strip packing member in the constituent Prussian state meeting. 1932 selected the presidency of the Leopoldina but waste dumps to their 20. President. It held this office officially until 1950, however starting from 1945 by his successor Professor Otto was represented.

In the time of the national socialism Abderhalden led the university. Although it did not join the NSDAP, it supported also publicly the new "“public health policy"” of the Nazis. Thus he endorsed the obligation sterilization and sympathized with ideas the eugenics and euthanasia. It provided for admission of the most important race public health specialists in the Leopoldina and 1939 published it its own work over biochemical race characteristics.

Starting from 1936 Abderhalden was occupied with war-important research over substitutes and become for it 1944 with the war Distinguished Service Cross 2. Class excellently. In hurrying ahead obedience it provided for dismissal of all Jewish members, from whom six in concentration camps died. 1938 communicated Abderhalden to the gau leader in resound, "“all members of Jewish descent were eliminated"”.

On 23 June 1945 Abderhalden was deportiert into the American zone of occupation. Extremely misleading this transport firmiert again and again under the name Abderhaden transport. But already short time later it could emigrieren into Switzerland. In the years 1946 to 1947 he taught at the chair for physiological chemistry at the University of Zurich. Since in the meantime its family likewise stayed in Zurich, it leaned a call in October 1947 to the university resounded off. Already in the year before a road had been designated there after it, which carries as far as today its names.

1998 appeared a study in the science journal Nature, which proves that large parts of Abderhaldens work, the "“defense enzymes"” - theory and on it which are based "“realizations"”, provably were scientifically never that however large parts of the scientific establishment in the German Reich did not dare due to Abderhaldens Reputation, these partially by falsifications "“occupied"” theories to criticize or by manipulation from research results to accomplices made themselves. Experiments, which should occupy its theses, were repeated by Abderhalden and its pupils so often, to itself apparently (by anti-bodies and not by the nichtexistenten "“defense enzymes"” - Proteasen - caused positive results showed; the results of the attempts run negatively were rejected. The biochemist Leonor Michaelis had to finally pay for his criticism at Abderhaldens "“pregnancy test"” with the loss of his scientific reputation and left later the country, although the fact that Abderhaldens was not reliable test, was already proven 1915. This very day Abderhalden in the German-speaking countries is often regarded as considerable scientists, although its unethisches and unscientific procedure is clearly proven.

Literature

• Dyke man, Ute & Mueller Hill, Benno (1998): The fraud OF Abderhalden's of enzyme. Nature 393:109 - 111.
• Gabathuler, Jakob (Hrsg.): Emil Abderhalden, its life and work; Ribaux, pc. Gallen 1991; ISBN 3-9520148-0-X
• Van Slyke, Donald D.; Vinograd Villchur, Mariam; and Losee, J.R. (1915): The Abderhalden Reaction. Journal OF Biological Chemistry 23 (1): 377-406. [Pdf full text

Related links

• Works by and over Emil Abderhalden in the catalog of the Swiss federal state library

Articles in category "Emil Abderhalden"

We found here 2 articles.