首屆諾貝爾生理學(xué)獎或醫(yī)學(xué)獎授予德國醫(yī)學(xué)家、細(xì)菌學(xué)家和血清學(xué)家埃米爾·阿道夫·馮·貝林，生于1854年3月15日，逝世于1917年3月31日。他因研究白喉的血清療法而獲得1901年首屆諾貝爾生理學(xué)或醫(yī)學(xué)獎。

白喉是一種稱為白喉棒狀桿菌的細(xì)菌感染造成的疾病，癥狀多變，可輕可重，且一般通常是接觸到致病菌二到五天后開始出現(xiàn)癥狀。剛開始出現(xiàn)的癥狀通常進(jìn)展較和緩，伴隨有喉嚨痛和發(fā)熱。而嚴(yán)重的病人其喉嚨會出現(xiàn)灰色或白色的斑塊，這些斑塊可以阻塞呼吸道并且讓患者在咳嗽時(shí)產(chǎn)生同犬吠一樣的叫聲，因此也稱為義膜性喉炎。頸部會因?yàn)槟[脹的淋巴結(jié)而部分腫大。另外也有一種形式的白喉會感染皮膚、眼睛或者生殖器官。并發(fā)癥包含心肌炎、神經(jīng)發(fā)炎、蛋白尿，如有血小板低下，還會造成流血不止的狀況。心肌炎可能會導(dǎo)致心律不齊，而神經(jīng)炎則可能導(dǎo)致癱瘓。

白喉通常是經(jīng)由直接接觸或飛沫傳染，也可以經(jīng)由受到污染的物品而擴(kuò)散。有些患者可能沒有癥狀，但仍有能力傳播疾病給他人。白喉?xiàng)U菌有三種分型，分別能造成不同嚴(yán)重程度的疾病。感染后的癥狀通常是由細(xì)菌所產(chǎn)生的外毒素所引起。觀察喉嚨的外觀及喉頭取樣培養(yǎng)可以幫助診斷。過去曾被感染過者未來仍舊有感染的機(jī)會。

19世紀(jì)90年代，貝林開發(fā)出一種抗毒素，這種抗毒素并不殺死白喉病箘，而是通過抑制已釋放到患者體內(nèi)的毒素發(fā)揮作用。他也因?yàn)榘l(fā)現(xiàn)和研制出抗白喉血清，獲得第一個(gè)諾貝爾生理學(xué)或醫(yī)學(xué)獎。

貝林出生在當(dāng)時(shí)普魯士王國西普魯士羅森堡縣中的一個(gè)小村，漢斯朵夫（今屬波蘭）。他有12個(gè)兄弟姐妹，他排行第五。父親是一位貧窮的鄉(xiāng)村教師。小時(shí)候就已經(jīng)通過優(yōu)秀的成績顯示出他的天才，因此通過不同的獎學(xué)金，他得以中學(xué)畢業(yè)。由于他無法繼續(xù)獲得獎學(xué)金來讀他想讀的醫(yī)學(xué)，因此他決定從軍，學(xué)習(xí)軍醫(yī)。作為軍醫(yī)學(xué)生，他讀書的同時(shí)是服役期，因此可以獲得薪水。

1874年10月2日他進(jìn)入柏林的威廉皇帝軍醫(yī)學(xué)院，1878年獲得博士學(xué)位。1889年受羅伯特·科赫邀請進(jìn)入柏林傳染病研究所。1890年他在這里奠定了血清療法的基礎(chǔ)，并發(fā)現(xiàn)了破傷風(fēng)抗毒素。從1891年開始，他開始研究白喉抗毒素，在這項(xiàng)工作中他獲得了保羅·埃利赫的幫助。這項(xiàng)成果最終使得這個(gè)當(dāng)時(shí)致命的疾病被征服。

從1892年開始，普魯士文化部試圖為貝林找到一個(gè)大學(xué)教授的職位，這樣他在工作時(shí)有更大的自由，可以為自己找研究經(jīng)費(fèi)。由于貝林與科赫之間有意見分歧，因此此舉更加緊迫。1894年至95年的冬季，貝林被授任為哈雷大學(xué)衛(wèi)生系特聘教授。

1895年貝林獲得了馬爾堡大學(xué)衛(wèi)生研究所教授和領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的職務(wù)。1904年貝林工廠（今天德靈公司的前身之一）在這里建立。1917年他在馬爾堡因肺炎逝世，享年67歲。

由于他在血清療法和被動免疫上的研究，尤其是對白喉治療的貢獻(xiàn)，于1901年被授予首枚諾貝爾生理學(xué)或醫(yī)學(xué)獎，并被封為貴族。

Chinese-English translation：

Emil Adolf von Behring, a German physician, bacteriologist, and serologist, was given the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His work on serum treatment for diphtheria earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901.

The bacterium that causes diphtheria, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, is the source of the disease. In most cases, the symptoms emerge within two to five days of infection with the pathogenic bacteria. A painful throat and a fever are the most common initial symptoms. Gray or white plaques may form in the throat of those who have the condition in its most severe form. These plaques can obstruct the patient's airway, resulting in a barking cough that sounds like a dog. Swollen lymph nodes will cause some swelling in the neck. Diphtheria can also infect the skin, eyes, and reproductive organs, as well as the lungs. Proteinuria, myocarditis, and inflammation of the nerves are all potential side effects, as might bleeding if thrombocytopenia is present. An irregular heartbeat can be caused by myocarditis or by neuritis, which can lead to paralysis.

Aside from direct contact or droplets, diphtheria can spread through contaminated materials. It is possible that even if a patient does not show any signs or symptoms, they can still transmit the disease to others. Each of the diphtheria bacilli kinds causes a distinct degree of illness. It is common for post-infection symptoms to be induced by bacteria-produced exotoxins. Getting a sample of the throat for culture and observing how it looks can help with the diagnosis of tonsillitis. Those who have been exposed to the virus in the past are still at risk of contracting it in the future.

Behring created an antitoxin in the 1890s that did not kill diphtheria but instead inhibited the toxin from entering the patient's system. Anti-diphtheria serum, which he discovered and developed, earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

During the time of the Kingdom of Prussia, Hans Behring was born in Hansdorf (now in Poland), a small village in the Rosenberg county of West Prussia. He is the fifth of twelve children. His father was a teacher in a poor rural town. Through numerous scholarships, he graduated from school with his academic prowess. To acquire a scholarship to study medicine, which he had always aspired to, he enlisted in the military and became a medic. The fact that he was a medical student in the military meant that he could earn money while he studied.

He began his studies at the Kaiser Wilhelm Military Academy in Berlin, Germany, on October 2, 1874, and graduated in 1878 with a PhD in military science. In 1889, Robert Koch invited him to the Berlin Institute of Infectious diseases, where he spent the next year studying infectious disease. In 1890, he laid the groundwork for serum therapy and identified the antitoxin for tetanus. Beginning in 1891, he began working with Paul Erich on a project to discover antitoxins for diphtheria. This triumph led to the eventual abolition of the terrible disease.

A university professorship was sought for Behring by the Prussian Ministry of Culture in 1892, so that he might have more freedom to work and get finance for his own research projects. Because of conflicts between Behring and Koch, the relocation became increasingly essential. Behring was made Distinguished Professor of Health at the University of Halle in the winter of 1894-95.

University of Marburg professor and head of the Institute of Health Research Behring was appointed in 1895. As a precursor of today's Dering Company, Behring was created here in 1904. In 1917, at the age of 67, he succumbed to pneumonia in Marlborough, New Hampshire.

A nobility was bestowed upon him for his work on serum therapy and passive immunity, which he used to cure diphtheria. He was the first recipient of the Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize in 1901.