Karl Spiro (24 June 1867 – 21 March 1932) was a German

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

, and

physical chemist Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...

. Spiro was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. In 1889 he received his PhD from the

University of Würzburg The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg, in German ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. The University of Würzburg is one of ...

as a student of

Emil Fischer Hermann Emil Louis Fischer (; 9 October 1852 – 15 July 1919) was a German chemist and 1902 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He discovered the Fischer esterification. He also developed the Fischer projection, a symbolic way of draw ...

, then in 1893 obtained his medical doctorate from the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decemb ...

. He later served as an assistant to

Oswald Schmiedeberg Johann Ernst Oswald Schmiedeberg (10 October 1838 – 12 July 1921) was a Baltic German pharmacologist. In 1866 he earned his medical doctorate from the University of Dorpat with a thesis concerning the measurement of chloroform in blood, before ...

and Franz Hofmeister at the

University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (french: Université de Strasbourg, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. The French university traces its history to the ea ...

, where in 1912 he became an honorary professor. From 1919 to 1921 he worked as a

pharmacologist Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemic ...

in the research laboratories of Sandoz AG (

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

). In 1921 he succeeded Gustav von Bunge as professor of physical chemistry at the

University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universit ...

, where he also served as director of the institute for

physiological chemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology a ...

. He died in Wimmenau, aged 64. In 1897 he invented "

Pyramidon Aminophenazone (or aminopyrine, amidopyrine, Pyramidon) is a non-narcotic analgesic substance. It is a pyrazolone and a derivative of phenazone, which also has anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. While inexpensive and effective, espec ...

", the trade name for

aminopyrine Aminophenazone (or aminopyrine, amidopyrine, Pyramidon) is a non-narcotic analgesic substance. It is a pyrazolone and a derivative of phenazone, which also has anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. While inexpensive and effective, especi ...

. With Arthur Stoll, he is credited with the isolation of

ergotamine Ergotamine, sold under the brand names Cafergot (with caffeine) and Ergomar among others, is an ergopeptine and part of the ergot family of alkaloids; it is structurally and biochemically closely related to ergoline. It possesses structural sim ...

. His name is associated with "Spiro's test"; a test for the determination of ammonia and

urea Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest amide of carbamic acid. Urea serves an important ...

in the urine through the use of

barium oxide Barium oxide, also known as baria, is a white hygroscopic non-flammable compound with the formula BaO. It has a cubic structure and is used in cathode ray tubes, crown glass, and catalysts. It is harmful to human skin and if swallowed in larg ...

and petroleum.

Literary works

* ''Ueber physikalische und physiologische Selektion'', 1897. * ''Medizinische Kolloidlehre; Physiologie, Pathologie und Therapie in kolloidchemischer Betrachtung'' (with

Leopold Lichtwitz Leopold Lichtwitz (9 December 1876 in Ohlau – 16 March 1943 in New Rochelle, New York) was a German-American internist. He studied medicine in several German universities, receiving his doctorate in 1901 from the University of Leipzig. In 1 ...

and

Raphael Eduard Liesegang Raphael Eduard Liesegang () (1 November 1869 – 13 November 1947) was a German chemist, photographer and entrepreneur born in Elberfeld. He is known for his work on Liesegang rings. He also helped develop the methods of capillary analysis, a pr ...

) 1935. * ''Ergebnisse der Physiologie, biologischen Chemie und experimentellen Pharmakologie. Reviews of physiology, biochemistry, and experimental pharmacology'' (for many years edited by Leon Asher and Karl Spiro; Vols. 1-55 have German title only).Ergebnisse der Physiologie, etc.
HathiTrust Digital Library

References

External links

* 1867 births 1932 deaths Scientists from Berlin Academic staff of the University of Strasbourg Academic staff of the University of Basel University of Würzburg alumni German pharmacologists 20th-century German biologists 20th-century German chemists German physical chemists 19th-century German chemists {{Germany-biologist-stub