Who is casimir funk

He died in New York on 19 November Originally published by Cosmos as Casimir Funk introduced us to vitamins. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most.

Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today. More on:. Casimir Funk, aged In , he determined the molecular structure of thiamin, and was the first to isolate niacin, vitamin B3. He discovered that many human diseases are caused by a lack of particular nutrients that are readily available in certain foods. He found cures for such devastating illnesses as beriberi, pellagra, rickets, and scurvy.

Funk later did extensive research on hormones. He was assigned to research beriberi, a common illness in the Far East that causes peripheral nerve damage and heart failure. The study led Funk to realize that there were substances in food essential to good health. He found that diseases such as beriberi, rickets, and scurvy could be cured by introducing into the diet organic compounds that contained certain chemical substances.

Funk also maintained that certain diseases could be prevented by making sure the chemical substances were present in the diet. He called the substances "vitamines," with "vita" meaning vitality and "amines" meaning a chemical compound containing nitrogen.

The "e" was dropped in the s when it was found that amines, or organic compounds derived from ammonia, were not always present. In , Funk published his paper, "Vitamines. He published his first book, Die Vitamine, translated in by Dr. Dubin into English. Dubin collaborated with Funk to produce the first cod liver oil vitamin concentrate, called Oscodal. Upon his arrival, he found to his dismay that the laboratory did not have research funding or equipment.

Anxiety over how he would support his family caused Funk to suffer serious health problems. A year later, in , he started working for the pharmaceutical firm Metz and Company in New York City.

From to , he also held an academic position at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he worked on the synthesis of adrenaline.

Funk became a United States citizen in In , sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation, he returned to Poland and worked as chief of the Department of Biochemistry at the State Institute of Hygiene. While there, he increased the quality of insulin produced in the laboratory. In , because of political unrest in Poland, he accepted a part-time position with Gr, my, a pharmaceutical house in Paris.

There he founded Casa Biochemica, a private laboratory that produced biochemical products. From to , Funk also worked as a biochemist for the Rousell Company. In this publication he called vitamin deficiencies insidious because they occur without warning and can cause irreparable damage.

Vitamin Corporation, a company for which he had previously worked and which owned the copyright to Vitamin and Mineral Therapy.

In , with the support of the U. In , Funk gave up an active role in research when he retired. He died in New York City on November 20, Married in to Alix Denise Schneidesch, Funk had two children. During his lifetime, he published more than articles, including material on gonadotropic hormones, ulcers, and diabetes. Funk advanced humankind's understanding of nutrition and revolutionized the way people looked at their health. He never isolated a pure vitamin, but he did prepare concentrations that contained several vitamins.