Clemens von Pirquet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clemens von Pirquet
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Clemens von Pirquet (1906)
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| Born | 12 May 1874 Hirschstetten near Vienna
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| Died | 28 February 1929 (aged 54) Vienna
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| Nationality | Austrian |
| Known for | tuberculosis allergy |
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Clemens von Pirquet (born May 12, 1874 – died February 28, 1929) was an Austrian scientist. He was a special kind of doctor called a pediatrician, meaning he focused on children's health. He is famous for his work in understanding tiny germs (which is part of bacteriology) and how our bodies fight off sickness (which is called immunology).
Becoming a Doctor
Clemens von Pirquet was born in Vienna. He first studied theology and philosophy at different universities. Later, he decided to become a doctor. He studied at the University of Graz and became a doctor of medicine in 1900. After that, he started working at the Children's Clinic in Vienna.
Discovering Allergies
In 1906, Dr. Pirquet noticed something interesting. He saw that patients who had received a certain injection once before would react much faster and stronger to a second injection of the same thing. This reaction was different from a normal response.
He needed a new word to describe this unusual reaction. So, he created the word allergy. This word comes from two Greek words: allos, meaning "other," and ergon, meaning "work." An allergy is when your body reacts in an "other" way to something that is usually harmless.
Working with Tuberculosis
Dr. Pirquet's observations about these strong reactions helped him understand more about diseases. He realized that a substance called tuberculin might cause a similar reaction in people. Robert Koch had found tuberculin from the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.
Building on Pirquet's ideas, another scientist named Charles Mantoux developed a test. In 1907, the Mantoux test became a way to check for tuberculosis. This test involves injecting a small amount of tuberculin into the skin to see if there's a reaction.
Later Career
Dr. Pirquet became very well-known for his discoveries. In 1909, he was offered important jobs at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and Johns Hopkins University in the United States. He chose to return to Europe. He took positions in Breslau (which is now Wrocław) and then back in Vienna.
See also
- Guido von Pirquet
