THE DISCOVERY OF VITAMIN K

DAM, H.

Cholesterinstoffwechsel in Hühnereiern und Hühnchen. [In: Biochemische Zeitschrift: 215].

Berlin, 1929. 8vo. Entire volumes 215 and 216 of Biochemische Zeitschrift, bound in one half cloth binding with gilt lettering to spine.Library stamp to first 4 leaves. Traces after paper label to upper part of front board. Hindges a bit weak. Internally fine and clean. Pp. (475)-492. [Entire volumes: V,(1), 500 pp. + IV, 500 pp].

First printing of the documentation of the discovery of the dietary anti-haemorrhiagic factor, Vitamin K.

The Danish biochemist and physiologist Henrik Dam (1895-1976) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1943 for joint work with Edward Doisy work in discovering vitamin K and its role in human physiology.

Dam's key experiment involved feeding a cholesterol-free diet to chickens. It was thus that he in 1929 investigated the role of cholesterol, by feeding the chickens a cholesterol-depleted diet. After several weeks, the animals developed hemorrhages and started bleeding uncontrollably. The bleeding could not be stopped with purified cholesterol alone - a second compound had to be added to the food. Dam isolated this dietary substance needed for blood clotting, namely that which is now known as the coagulation vitamin or vitamin K. The new vitamin received the letter K because the initial discoveries were reported (here) in the German journal Biochemische Zeitschrift, in which it was designated as Koagulationsvitamin (Vitamin of Coagulation).

G&M: 1062.

Order-nr.: 51661