Jutto Dressel Schalkenbach uber Remagen W e s t Germany Translated by Ralph E. Oesper Universitv of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio
II I
The Discovery of Germanin bv Oskar Dressel and Richard -
I
B o t h the human and the animal inhabitants of thr tropical regions, such as India, South America, and (especially) Africa, are subject to the ravages due t o trypanosomes-one-celled protozoan flagellates, larger than bacteria, which are transmitted through the bite of the hloodsucking tsetse flies. At, first the trypanosomes live in the blood stream, then in the lymph channels, and finally in the cerebrospinal fluid. They produce remittent fever and swollen lymph nodes; lat,er a general physical and mental weakness develops int,o the true "sleeping sickness," an anapathetic condition which advances with severe emaciation into somnia, loss of consciousness, and death. Unless treated early, death is almost certain. These pestilences are so prevalent in many areas that stockraising has become impossible. However, a fundamental change in the treatment came with the introduction of the drug Germanin. Erncst Fourneau (1872-1949), the leading French chemotherapist of his time, wrote in 1924: Toward the close of 1920 there n;zs talk for the first time of a new remedy for trypanosomes under the name Bayer 205, whirh had heen discovered in the laboratories of the dye mnnuiarturep Friedric Bayer B Company. The first publications indicate that this snbstance is far more effective against trypanosomes than all of the other remedies which have previously been u s e d . . . .It is an important discovery, which opens new and in fact unlooked for hori~ons.
From Dyes to Drugs
The drug was discovered by my father, Dr. Oskar Drcsscl, t,ogether wit,h Dr. Richard Kothe. My father (18(i5-1941) had started t,o work in the scientific laboratory a t Elberfrld in 1801. I n his autobiographical notes he wrote: I quickly was immersed in the field to whirh I remained faithful for the entire next decade: the chemistry of naphthalene. I had rome upon this field through a conversation with theeminent szo chemist Dr. Ulrirh, who was complaining to me that many of the important a ~ l f o n i cacids of naphthnlcnr were still unknown. I considered the mettcr and soon searched for a. method. In n short t,ime I was ~ h l to c a t o n i s h Ulriehwit,hr.sampleof naphthalone-1,4-disulfonic acid. We dccided to collahoratc in the dwelopment of tho method, n-hirh we then putentcd, my first patent. M,v friend Rirhard Kothe came into this lnharatory from 1,eipsic srvernl months after me, and i t was not long before w
