Hans Zinsser
Encyclopedia
Hans Zinsser was an American
bacteriologist and a prolific author. The son of German immigrants, Zinsser was born in New York City in 1878. Zinsser received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University
in 1899 and completed both a masters degree and a doctorate in medicine there in 1903. After holding a series of academic medicine positions, Zinsser became an associate professor at Stanford University
in 1910. In 1913, Zinsser moved to a position at his alma mater. Ten years later, he was hired away by Harvard Medical School
, where he stayed-- except for service in the US Army Medical Corps in World War I-- until his death from acute leukemia in 1940. He is interred in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
in Sleepy Hollow, New York
.
Dr. Zinsser taught as an exchange professor or worked with the American Red Cross in France, Russia, Serbia and China, and was noted for his work in typhus and immunology. He became a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army and served overseas during World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
, and was also awarded another military citation for taking exceptional risks to minister to wounded soldiers while under direct enemy fire. He was awarded with the Order of St. Sava
of Serbia and the Legion of Honour in France. He was the author of over 200 books and medical articles, and was a member of a number of scientific and medical organizations. Dr. Zinsser was also a published poet, having some of his verses printed in the Atlantic Monthly, now known as "The Atlantic".
In 1905, Dr. Hans Zinsser married Ruby Handforth Kunz, eldest daughter of the mineralogist, Dr. George Frederick Kunz
, and they had two children, Hans Handforth and Gretel Zinsser, and they all lived in Boston. Gretel Zinsser later married Vernon Monroe, Jr.
Zinsser's scientific work focused on bacteriology and immunology and he is greatly associated with Brill’s disease as well as typhus. He is known for his work in isolating the typhus
bacterium and developing a protective vaccine
. He wrote several book
s about biology
and bacteria
, notably Rats, Lice and History, a "biography
" of typhus fever. Rats, Lice and History was republished in 2007 by Transaction Publishers
. Zinsser had a strong influence on the work of Dr. Albert Coons
, who developed the technique of immunohistochemistry.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bacteriologist and a prolific author. The son of German immigrants, Zinsser was born in New York City in 1878. Zinsser received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1899 and completed both a masters degree and a doctorate in medicine there in 1903. After holding a series of academic medicine positions, Zinsser became an associate professor at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1910. In 1913, Zinsser moved to a position at his alma mater. Ten years later, he was hired away by Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, where he stayed-- except for service in the US Army Medical Corps in World War I-- until his death from acute leukemia in 1940. He is interred in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York is the resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, whose story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set in the adjacent Old Dutch Burying Ground. Incorporated in 1849 as Tarrytown Cemetery, it posthumously honored Irving's...
in Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line.Originally...
.
Dr. Zinsser taught as an exchange professor or worked with the American Red Cross in France, Russia, Serbia and China, and was noted for his work in typhus and immunology. He became a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army and served overseas during World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, and was also awarded another military citation for taking exceptional risks to minister to wounded soldiers while under direct enemy fire. He was awarded with the Order of St. Sava
Order of St. Sava
The Order of St. Sava was a decoration instituted by the order King Milan I of Serbia in 1883. The Order of Saint Sava originally was established to recognize civilians for meritorious achievements in the arts and sciences. In 1914 a change was made permitting military personnel to receive the...
of Serbia and the Legion of Honour in France. He was the author of over 200 books and medical articles, and was a member of a number of scientific and medical organizations. Dr. Zinsser was also a published poet, having some of his verses printed in the Atlantic Monthly, now known as "The Atlantic".
In 1905, Dr. Hans Zinsser married Ruby Handforth Kunz, eldest daughter of the mineralogist, Dr. George Frederick Kunz
George Frederick Kunz
George Frederick Kunz was an American mineralogist and mineral collector.- Overview :Kunz was born in New York City, USA, and began an interest in minerals at a very young age. By his teens, he had amassed a collection of over four thousand items, which he sold for four hundred dollars to the...
, and they had two children, Hans Handforth and Gretel Zinsser, and they all lived in Boston. Gretel Zinsser later married Vernon Monroe, Jr.
Zinsser's scientific work focused on bacteriology and immunology and he is greatly associated with Brill’s disease as well as typhus. He is known for his work in isolating the typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
bacterium and developing a protective vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
. He wrote several book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s about biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
, notably Rats, Lice and History, a "biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
" of typhus fever. Rats, Lice and History was republished in 2007 by Transaction Publishers
Transaction Publishers
Transaction Publishers is a New Jersey-based publishing house that specializes in social sciences books. Some of its books have been published with the imprint "Transactions Publishers".-Overview:...
. Zinsser had a strong influence on the work of Dr. Albert Coons
Albert Coons
Albert Hewett Coons, M.D. was an American physician, pathologist, and immunologist. He was the first person to conceptualize and develop immunofluorescent techniques for labeling antibodies in the early 1940s....
, who developed the technique of immunohistochemistry.
Further reading
- Zinsser, Hans As I Remember Him: The Biography of R.S. Gloucester, Mass. Peter Smith 1970 with an introduction including biographic notes by Edward Weeks.
External links
- Biography of Hans Zinsser
- National Academy of Sciences: Biographical Memoirs for Hans Zinsser
- The Hans Zinsser Papers can be found at The Center for the History of Medicine at the Countway Library, Harvard Medical School.