Title:

Letter from Michael Heidelberger to Enrique E. Ecker, Western Reserve University

Creator:

Heidelberger, Michael

Recipient:

Western Reserve University. Institute of Pathology and Ecker, Enrique E.

Date:

24 April 1945

Description:

In this letter, Heidelberger rearticulated criticism of laboratory findings and methods reported by Ecker and his coworkers, criticism first advanced in the manuscript of a forthcoming article by Heidelberger and others on the comparison between human and guinea pig complement. The letter illustrates Heidelberger's role as arbitrator, critic, and guardian of a uniform terminology in the new field of complement chemistry, a field Heidelberger helped launch in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He proved that complement was made up of a group of specific chemical substances that could be isolated in the laboratory, and that it had essential functions in activating host defense mechanisms against invading microorganisms.

Location:

Box: 2. Folder: 17

Rights:

Public Domain

Genre:

Letters (correspondence)

Subject:

Complement System Proteins

Format:

Text

Extent:

2 pages

Relation:

Letter from Enrique E. Ecker, Western Reserve University to Michael Heidelberger, 1945

Language:

English

Legacy ID:

DHBBGJ

NLM ID:

101584940X90

Profiles Collection:

The Michael Heidelberger Papers

Shareable Link:

https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/101584940X90

Story Section:

Antigens and Antibodies: Heidelberger and The Rise of Quantitative Immunochemistry, 1928-1954