| German
physician and bacteriologist. In Berlin he was director of the department
of experimental therapy and serum research (1906-13) at Koch Institute and
director of experimental therapy (from 1913) at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute.
In addition to developing inoculations against cholera, typhoid, and tetanus,
he devised the Wassermann test (1906), used in the diagnosis
of syphilis. A positive reaction when the blood or spinal fluid of the patient
is tested indicates the presence of antibodies formed as a result of infection
with syphilis (even though symptoms of the disease may not be observable
at the time). A few other diseases, however (such as leprosy), also sometimes
produce a positive Wassermann reaction. |