Rolla Neil Harger (January 14, 1890 – August 8, 1983) invented an early

breathalyzer A breathalyzer or breathalyser (a portmanteau of ''breath'' and ''analyzer/analyser'') is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC), or to detect viruses or diseases from a breath sample. The name is a genericized trademark of the Br ...

, called the Drunkometer, to test for

driving under the influence Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...

in 1931; he was awarded the patent in 1936. He was biochemistry and pharmacology department chairman of the

Indiana University School of Medicine The Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) is a major multi-campus medical school in the state of Indiana. There are nine campuses throughout the state; the principal research and medical center is located on the Indiana University–Purdu ...

from 1933 to 1956 and worked as a professor in the department of biochemistry and toxicology from 1922 to 1960. Harger was born on January 14, 1890, in Sherman Township, Decatur County, Nebraska. He used Nebraska on his World War I draft registration and Decatur County, Kansas on his World War II draft registration He graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1922. Harger was an

assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree and general ...

in the newly formed department of biochemistry and pharmacology. In 1931, he invented the Drunkometer to test for

. In 1938 he was one of the five people chosen to be on the subcommittee of the

National Safety Council The National Safety Council (NSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the United States. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressi ...

that drafted the model legislation that set the

blood alcohol content Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes; it is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume or mass of blood. For exampl ...

for

Personal life

Dr. Harger died on August 8, 1983 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harger, Rolla Neil 1890 births 1983 deaths Indiana University faculty Indiana University School of Medicine faculty Breathalyzer Yale University alumni