1866-1925

German physician who made major contributions to immunology and in 1906 developed the test for syphilis that bears his name. The "Wassermann reaction" is a specific and sensitive test for infection by the microbe that causes syphilis. Wassermann also investigated tetanus, diphtheria, tuberculosis, and cerebrospinal fever. He immunized horses to meningococcus and used the resulting immune serum to treat patients with cerebrospinal fever. He served as editor of an important multi-volume work called Handbook of Pathogenic Microorganisms (1903-1909).