Joh. Friedrich Miescher and the Contribution of Basle Physicians to the Biology of the Nineteenth Century *

Let me first of all tell you how glad I am to have spent a few weeks of my time in the United States in the magnificent Historical Library of Yale University. And let me express my deepest thanks to Dr. John F. Fulton for the suggestions he has given me from his wide knowledge and for his advice concerning the books of the Historical Library, which contains such a wealth of precious items of all kinds. Although in Basle we also have an excellent library, I must confess that I envy the students and doctors here the facilities which are always at their disposal in the treasures collected by Doctors Cushing, Klebs, and Fulton himself. The first two scholars-Dr. Cushing and Dr. Klebs-had many contacts with Switzerland, since Harvey Cushing (1869-1939) as a young surgeon worked during the winter of 1900-1901 at the clinic of Theodor Kocher (1841-1917) and enthusiastically reported his observations (in word and in drawings) on his visit in Berne and also in Lausanne and Geneva, and many of you know that Cushing regarded Kocher as one of the teachers whose precepts accompanied him to the Johns Hopkins Hospital and even after. The names of Edwin and Arnold Klebs are also closely connected with the development of medical sciences in our country, for in the field of bacteriology the elder Klebs' (1834-1913) work during the time he spent in Switzerland led to his dramatic discoveries, and his son (1870-1943), the learned doctor of Nyon on Lake Geneva, became one of the founders of our Swiss Association of the History of Medicine almost thirty years ago. It has been very pleasant for me to see from the several invitations I have received how lively the interest in our small country is among different people of your great land, here at Yale and at other places. Hence, it may interest you to hear something of the contribution of Basle physicians to the history of biology in the nineteenth century. Especially worthy of attention is a physiologist whose name is known only to a few in English-American medical literature, despite the fact that he was one of the outstanding investigators in biochemistry in its early days. Before touching upon the life and work of Dr. Fritz Miescher (1844-1895), however, it will be useful to learn something of his historical background, that is, something of the past and present of the town and the University of Basle up to his time.