Ehrlich, Paul

German bacteriologist and immunologist who was awarded a Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1908 with Ilya Mechnikov for their work on immunity. He produced the first cure for syphilis, developing the arsenic compounds, in particular Salvarsan, that were used in the treatment of syphilis before the discovery of antibiotics.

Ehrlich founded chemotherapy – the use of a chemical substance to destroy disease organisms in the body. He was also one of the earliest workers on immunology, and through his studies on blood samples the discipline of haematology was recognized.