| Date | 1879 |
| Author | Neisser |
| Contribution | Extended Hansen's 1874 observations on germs in leprosy. |
| Reference | Foster |
| Notes | He gave "a clear account of the organism based on properly stained material" (Foster). Neisser had visited Hansen, who hoped to learn Koch and Weigert's staining methods from Neisser. On his return to Germany, Neisser applied the methods to 14 leprous materials supplied by Hansen, and found bacilli in all of them. Arguing that Hansen's demonstration of microbes in leprous material had not been convincing, and that Hansen was uncertain whether the microbes he had seen were the causative agent, Neisser claimed priority for discovery of the leprosy bacillus. |
| Category | Causation |
| Pathogen Class | Bacteria |
Copyright © 2007- William C. Campbell. All rights reserved.