Christiaan Eijkman Rank
About Christiaan Eijkman
Christiaan Eijkman was a Nobel prize winner and a famous Dutch physician and professor of pathology. He is famously remembered for the discovery that beriberi is caused by poor nutrition and diets, and his findings led to the discovery of thiamine.
Background & Education
He was born in Nijkerk, Netherlands, and was raised in Zaandam. In 1875, he was admitted into the University of Amsterdam's Military Medical School. His thesis, "Polarization of the Nerves," earned him his doctorate in July 1883.
Research on Beriberi
Eijkman had been assigned to the Dutch East Indies to research beriberi, a peripheral nerve disease.
He discovered that his chickens in the laboratory developed beriberi when they were fed polished rice and recovered when they consumed unpolished rice. After analyzing the polished and unpolished rice, he concluded that the polished rice was deficient in a dietary component present in unpolished rice. As a result, he found that beriberi is caused when there is a lack of this component in the body. He called the component "the anti-beriberi factor."
His friend Adolphe Vorderman later conducted further research and eventually discovered that the missing component was thiamine, Vitamin B1.
Eijkman was honored with the 1929 Nobel Prize for Medicine as an award for his contributions to discovering antineurotic vitamins.
Death
He died at age 72, on November 5, 1930, after battling tuberculosis and alcoholism.
Christiaan Eijkman Rank
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F.A.Q. about Christiaan Eijkman
When is his birthday?
Christiaan Eijkman's birthday is on August 11, 1858.
In how many days is his birthday?
Christiaan's birthday is in 107 days
How old was Christiaan when he died?
He was 72 years old.
When did he die?
He died in November 5, 1930.
How old would he be today?
Christiaan Eijkman would be 165 years old if he was alive today.
Where was Christiaan from?
He was born in Nijkerk, Netherlands.