Hoppe-Seyler

HOPPE-SEYLER, Ernst Felix (1825-95), German chemist and physiologist. In 1852, H.-S. began working as a practicing physician in Berlin, but soon moved to Greifswald as prosector of anatomy. In 1856, at the suggestion of Virchow, H.-S. took the position of assistant chemist at the pathological institute in Berlin. From the laboratory under H.-S.'s direction soon emerged a whole series of scientific works. In 1860, H.-S. received the title of extraordinary professor at the medical faculty in Berlin, in 1861 he accepted an invitation to the chair of applied chemistry in Tübingen, and in 1872 he moved to the University of Strasbourg. Here H.-S. taught courses in physiological and pathological chemistry, toxicology, forensic chemistry, metabolism, nutrition, and hygiene. H.-S.'s laboratory soon became one of the most important centers for the development of biological chemistry. Among H.-S.'s numerous students were many famous Russian scientists (Zakhar'in, Botkin, Dyakonov, Manassein, Paschutin, Luk'yanov, Tarkhanov, and others). H.-S. was one of the founders of the new science of biochemistry. He introduced a number of new methods of biochemical analysis, laid the foundation for the chemistry of blood pigments, worked on proteins, chlorophyll, the chemical composition of physiological fluids (blood, bile, milk, urine) and tissues (especially bone), devoted much attention to the study of gas exchange in the body, metabolism, fermentation and oxidation processes in the body, the chemistry of protoplasm, and more. Main works: "Handbuch der physiologisch- und pathologisch-chemischen Analyse" (Berlin, 1858; 9th ed. published by H. Thierfelder in 1924)—an essential handbook for biochemical laboratories; "Medizinisch-chemische Untersuchungen" (Parts 1-4, Berlin, 1866-71); "Physiologische Chemie" (Parts 1-4, Berlin, 1877-1881). Of great importance for the development of biochemistry was and is the journal "Zeitschrift für physiologische Chemistry" founded by H.-S. in Strasbourg in 1877, now bearing the name of H.-S. (published in Berlin); the first 20 volumes appeared under the editorship of Hoppe-Seyler.