La chimiotherapie experimentale des spirilloses. by EHRLICH, Paul, and S[ahachiro] HATA - 1911

Paris: Maloine, 1911. First French edition. Octavo (9 1/8 x 6 1/8 inches; 232 x 155 mm). X, 171, [1, blank], [1, Table], [1, blank] pp. With five photographic plates and three folding tables. Original blue, green, and grey printed paper wrappers bound in. Modern full leather binding. Excelent.A fine copy of the first French edition of Ehrlich's account of the development of Salvarsan, the first chemical to be used as part of a chemotherapy treatment.Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915) "made outstanding contributions to bacteriology, immunology, hematology, and chemotherapy. His researches in hematology led to the introduction of the differential white cell count as a diagnostic tool and to the establishment of methods for detecting leukemias and anemias, while his investigations into immunological processes resulted in his 'side-chain' theory that postulated the production of immunologically specific antibodies against invading organisms. Much honored during his lifetime, he shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Elie Metchnikoff in 1908 for his work in immunology, and he was renominated in 1912 and 1913 for his contributions to chemotherapy" (Grolier, Medicine)."The culminating achievement of Ehrlich's life was the discovery of Salvarsan, the 'magic bullet' that marks the beginning of chemotherapy. Early in his career, Ehrlich had performed an intensive series of experiments on the differential staining of bacteria, which would take aniline dyes while the surrounding tissue remained unaffected. It was from the results of these experiments that Ehrlich eventually conceived his idea of a 'magic bullet,' a specific drug to seek out and destroy invading microorganisms without harming healthy tissue. In 1905 Fritz Schaudinn discovered the spirochete of syphilis and H.W. Thomas and A. Breinl discovered that atoxyl, an arsenic derivative, was capable of curing rodents infected with Trypanosoma equinum, a microorganism that caused diseases similar to spirochetal infections in man. Acting upon these discoveries, Ehrlich and his assistants proceeded to synthesize and test hundreds of derivative compounds in the search for one that would kill the maximum number of spirochetes without damaging the organism. In 1909, with his assistant Sahachiro Hata, Ehrlich finally achieved success with his 606th experimental compound, the famous '606' patented under the name Salvarsan and later known as arsphenamine" (Norman Library).First edition: Dibner 136. Garrison and Morton 2403. Grolier, Medicine, 92. Norman Library 686-687. Osler 1697. Printing and the Mind of Man 402. Waller 2707.