Marceli Nencki in Sankt-Petersburg (1891-1901)

Abstract

Marceli Nencki (1847-1901), the world-famous chemist, physiologist, microbiologist, co-founder of modern physiological chemistry (biochemistry) and a great patriot. In 1870, he graduated from the University of Berlin in medical studies and then joined the Technical Academy, where he gained a thorough education at the Adolf von Baeyer laboratory in the field of chemistry and organic chemistry. Two years later, he took the position of assistant at the University of Bern, where he soon became a docent and then from 1973 ? a professor. In the Department of Physiological Chemistry that was set up for him, he conducted interesting lectures that attracted scientists from many countries. In the years 1888-1891 he was also a professor in bacteriology. In 1891, at the request of the Russian tsarist authorities, he organized and took over for many years the leadership of the Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry at the Imperial Institute of Experimental Medicine in Saint-Petersburg. He conducted research on the synthesis of urea in animal organisms, described the role of liver in this process and presented (together with Ivan Pavlov) one of the theory of urea formation in mammals. Based on investigations on the blood pigment as well as other pigments (1897-1901), he showed (together with Leon Marchlewski) the similarity of the chemical structure heme and chlorophyll. Conducting (1892-1895) research on cholera and rinderpest in cattle, he developed methods to combat these infectious diseases. He also discovered a therapeutic drug salol, which is still in use.