What is the significance of Von Behring's discoveries?
Diptheria is a highly contagious disease that is spread by direct physical contact, or by breathing in the secretion of those infectd. It was once considered to be fatal, esspecially among children, but Emil Von Behring's discovery af antitoxin provd to be turning point in its treatment.
Tetanus was another leading cause of death in those times- esspecially during wars. It was Von Behring who developed a serum that proved invaluable in preventing tetanus. Behring's carrer began in the early 1890s, when he became an assistant at the institute for Infectious Diseases, headed by Robert Koch. He started his studies with experiment on the development of a therapeutic serum.
In 1890, together with his university friend Erich Wernicke, he had managed to develope the first effective therapeutic serum against diphtheria. At the same time,together with Shibasaburo Kitasato he developed an effective therapeutic serum against tetanus. Behring lived entirely for his idea of revolutionizing medicine through serum therapy. In 1901, Behring received the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine