The causative agent of gonorrhea, a strain of bacteria now named Neisseria gonorrhoeae in his honour, was first identified by Albert Ludwig Sigesmund Neisser. A prominent figure in nineteenth-century German medicine, he contributed significantly to the understanding of sexually transmitted diseases and leprosy through rigorous bacteriological study at the University of Wrocław and during various international research expeditions.
Early Education and Career
Born in 1855 in the Silesian town of Świdnica, Neisser attended the St. Maria Magdalena School in Breslau, where he was a classmate of Paul Ehrlich. He began his medical training at the University of Wrocław before completing his studies at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg in 1877. Initially seeking a position in internal medicine, he instead became an assistant to the dermatologist Oskar Simon, which shifted his professional focus toward dermatology and infectious diseases.
Bacteriological Discoveries
Neisser gained international attention for his work on the pathogens of gonorrhea and leprosy. In 1879, he visited the Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen to examine patients suffering from leprosy. Using tissue samples provided by Hansen, Neisser succeeded in staining the causative agent, announcing his findings in 1880. This created a professional conflict with Hansen, who had observed the bacterium earlier but had not successfully demonstrated its link to the disease through cultivation.
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In 1882, Neisser was appointed professor extraordinarius at the University of Wrocław, eventually becoming the head of the dermatology hospital. Throughout his career, he prioritized public health, founding the German Dermatological Society in 1888 and the German Society for the Fight Against Venereal Diseases in 1902. He advocated for rigorous sanitary controls to combat the spread of venereal infections.
Syphilis Trials and Later Life
Neisser faced legal scrutiny in 1898 for conducting serum therapy trials on hospitalized patients, mostly prostitutes, without their informed consent. Following a fine imposed by the Prussian public prosecutor, he continued his research, including travels to Java in 1905 to study syphilis transmission. He later collaborated with August Paul von Wassermann on diagnostic tests and tested the chemotherapeutic agent Salvarsan. Neisser died of sepsis in Wrocław on 30 July 1916.
Fast facts
- Born: 1855, Świdnica
- Died: 1916, Wrocław
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Prussia
- University of Wrocław professor since 1882
- Member of German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
- Co-developer of Wassermann test
- Spouse: Toni Neisser
Questions readers ask
What specific bacterium did Albert Neisser discover?
He identified the causative agent of gonorrhea, which was subsequently named Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Where did Neisser complete his medical education?
He studied at the University of Wrocław and the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg.
What was the result of Neisser's 1898 clinical trials?
He was investigated by the Prussian public prosecutor and fined for performing experiments on patients without obtaining their consent.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Wrocław and Leipzig University
- Fields: bacteriology