ROBERT KOCII. 827 



In 1885 a new promotion came — to the Chair of Professor of 

 Hvtjiene in the Medical Faculty of the University of Berlin, and 

 Director of the ne^vly established Hygienic Institute. 



In June, 1891, he \vas again transferred — to become the head of the 

 new Institute for Infectious Diseases, with a hospital attached. 

 In this place he became the leader and director of campaigns against 

 epidemics in all parts of the Empire. He was made Surgeon-General 

 of the Health Service, and Professor and Fellow of the Science Senate 

 of the Kaiser Wilhelm's Academy. 



As early as ISSl, he had suggested that other micro-organisms than 

 bacteria might be the cause of some infectious processes, and that 

 blood-sucking insects might easily be the intermediate hosts. This he 

 later demonstrated in his work in India, New Guinea and Africa upon 

 many of the infections there prevalent. 



Koch's characteristics were those necessary for the successful inves- 

 tigator — patience, a strong will and great persistence. The earlier 

 part of his career was marked by such definite and clear-cut results in 

 all his published papers that the scientific world was ready to accept 

 the claims attributed to him as to the eft'ects to be expected from the 

 use of tuberculin. His personality was modest and unassuming, his 

 diction, in conversation, simple, clear and convincing. These qualities 

 seem to have been lessened in later life, for there then appears a tend- 

 ency to general and dogmatic statement, and a greater inclination to 

 controversial methods than had been seen before. Ne^•ertheless, 

 second only to Pasteur, his career stands as one of the first importance 

 in the advance of our knowledge of the infectious diseases and the 

 reUef of human suffering. 



H. C. Ernst. 



