Paul Ehrlich
1854–1915 · Germany · Founder of chemotherapy / “magic bullet” concept.
Contribution
In 1909, developed Salvarsan (arsphenamine), the first effective medicinal treatment for syphilis (spirochetes). Introduced selective toxicity — drugs that hit the pathogen harder than the host.
Why It Still Matters
Every antimicrobial and many targeted therapies inherit the “magic bullet” idea. Bridges microscopy/staining chemistry to drug discovery.
Key Links
- Hub: Medical Microbiology History
- Domains: MOC - Antimicrobials · MOC - Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
- Peers: Alexander Fleming
- MOC: MOC - Fundamentals of Microbiology
Active Recall
- What disease did Salvarsan treat?
- What is meant by “magic bullet”?