Paul Henry de Kruif (, rhyming with "life") (March 2, 1890 – February 28, 1971) was an American

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of par ...

and writer. Publishing as Paul de Kruif, he is known for his 1926 book, ''Microbe Hunters''. This book was not only a bestseller for a lengthy period after publication, but has remained high on lists of recommended reading for science and has been an inspiration for many aspiring physicians and scientists.

Biography

Early life

De Kruif was born March 2, 1890, in

Zeeland, Michigan Zeeland ( ) is a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,719 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is located at the western edge of Zeeland Charter Township, Michigan, ...

. In 1912, he graduated from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

with a bachelor's degree, and he remained there to obtain a Ph.D., which was granted in 1916. He immediately entered service as a private in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

on the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, US Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the para ...

and afterwards served as a lieutenant and a captain in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Because of his service in the Sanitary Corps, he had occasional contacts with leading French biologists of the period.

Career

After returning to the University of Michigan as an assistant professor, De Kruif briefly worked for the Rockefeller Institute (for Medical Research). He then became a full-time writer. De Kruif assisted

Sinclair Lewis Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. In 1930 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1930, he became the first author from the United States (and the first from the America ...

with his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ''Arrowsmith'' (1925) by providing the scientific and medical information required by the plot, along with character sketches. Even though Lewis was listed as the sole author, De Kruif's contribution was significant, and he received 25 percent of the royalties. Many believe the characters in the novel represent people known to De Kruif, with Martin Arrowsmith (a physician, unlike de Kruif) possibly representing himself. While working for the Rockefeller Institute, De Kruif submitted an anonymous entry about modern medicine, for a book entitled ''Civilization''. In the article, he decried the state of contemporary medical practice, which, because it lacked scientifically sound practices, he called "medical Ga-Ga-ism". De Kruif decried doctors as providing only a "mélange of religious ritual, more or less accurate folk-lore, and commercial cunning". When it was discovered that De Kruif was the author of the essay, he was fired from the Rockefeller Institute.

Ronald Ross Sir Ronald Ross (13 May 1857 – 16 September 1932) was a British medical doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on the transmission of malaria, becoming the first British Nobel laureate, and the f ...

, one of the scientists featured in ''Microbe Hunters'', took exception to how he was described, so the British edition deleted that chapter to avoid a

libel Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

suit. De Kruif was a staff writer for the ''

Ladies' Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine that ran until 2016 and was last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th centur ...

'', '' Country Gentleman'', and ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

'', contributing articles on science and medicine. He also served on commissions to promote research into infantile paralysis (polio). ''The Sweeping Wind'', De Kruif's last book, is his autobiography. De Kruif died February 28, 1971, in

Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa and Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the West Michigan, western region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula, the city is si ...

Works

* ''Our Medicine Men'' (1922) * ''Microbe Hunters'' (1926
(PDF online)
* ''Hunger Fighters'' (1928) * ''Seven Iron Men'' (1929) * ''Men Against Death'' (1932) * ''Why Keep Them Alive'' (1937) * ''The Fight for Life'' (1938) * ''The Male Hormone'' (1945) * ''Health is Wealth'' (1940) * ''Kaiser Wakes the Doctors'' (1940)Review:''Kaiser Wakes the Doctors''
{1943) via

JAMA Network Open ''JAMA Network Open'' is a monthly open access medical journal published by the American Medical Association covering all aspects of the biomedical sciences. It was established in 2018 and the founding editor-in-chief was Fred Rivara (University ...

* ''Life Among the Doctors'' (1949) * ''A Man Against Insanity'' (1957) * ''The Sweeping Wind'' (1962)

Selected articles

* "How We Can Help Feed Europe", in ''Reader's Digest'', Sept. 1945 (p. 50-52). About the Meals for Millions Foundation and their Multi-Purpose Food.

''Microbe Hunters''

De Kruif's celebrated 1926 book ''Microbe Hunters'' consists of chapters on the following figures of medicine's " Heroic Age": *

Anton van Leeuwenhoek Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek ( ; ; 24 October 1632 – 26 August 1723) was a Dutch microbiologist and microscopist in the Golden Age of Dutch art, science and technology. A largely self-taught man in science, he is commonly known as " ...

(1632–1723) – the invention of a simple

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory equipment, laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic ...

and the discovery of microorganisms. *

Lazzaro Spallanzani Lazzaro Spallanzani (; 12 January 1729 – 11 February 1799) was an Italian Catholic priest (for which he was nicknamed Abbé Spallanzani), biologist and physiologist who made important contributions to the experimental study of bodily function ...

(1729–1799) –

biogenesis Spontaneous generation is a Superseded scientific theories, superseded scientific theory that held that living creatures could arise from abiotic component, non-living matter and that such processes were commonplace and regular. It was Hypoth ...

. *

Robert Koch Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch ( ; ; 11 December 1843 – 27 May 1910) was a German physician and microbiologist. As the discoverer of the specific causative agents of deadly infectious diseases including tuberculosis, cholera and anthrax, he i ...

(1843–1910) – identification of

pathogen In biology, a pathogen (, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of"), in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a Germ theory of d ...

s. *

Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist, pharmacist, and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, Fermentation, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization, the la ...

(1822–1895) –

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

. *

Emile Roux Emile or Émile may refer to: * Émile (novel) (1827), autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life * Emile, Canadian film made in 2003 by Carl Bessai * '' Emile: or, On Education'' (1762) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a treatise o ...

(1853–1933) and

Emil von Behring Emil von Behring (; Emil Adolf von Behring: born Emil Adolf Behring; 15 March 1854 – 31 March 1917), was a German physiologist who received the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the first one awarded in that field, for his discovery ...

(1854–1917) –

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...

. *

Elie Metchnikoff Elie may refer to: People * Elie (given name) * Elie (surname) Places *Elie, Fife, a village in Scotland, now part of the town of Elie and Earlsferry *Elie, Manitoba, Canada **Elie, Manitoba tornado See also *Elie Hall, Grenada *Elie House, cou ...

(1845–1916) –

phagocytes Phagocytes are cell (biology), cells that protect the body by ingesting harmful foreign particles, bacteria, and dead or Apoptosis, dying cells. Their name comes from the Greek language, Greek ', "to eat" or "devour", and "-cyte", the suffix in ...

. *

Theobald Smith Theobald Smith Royal Society of London, FRS(For) HFRSE (July 31, 1859 – December 10, 1934) was a pioneering epidemiology, epidemiologist, bacteriologist, pathology, pathologist and professor. Smith is widely considered to be America's first int ...

(1859–1934) – animal vectors and

tick Ticks are parasitic arachnids of the order Ixodida. They are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, and species, but can become larger when engorged. Ticks a ...

s. * David Bruce (1855–1931) –

tsetse flies Tsetse ( , or ) (sometimes spelled tzetze; also known as tik-tik flies) are large, biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus ''Glossina'', which are placed in their own family, Glos ...

and

sleeping sickness African trypanosomiasis is an insect-borne parasitic infection of humans and other animals. Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as African sleeping sickness or simply sleeping sickness, is caused by the species '' Trypanosoma b ...

. *

(1857–1932) and Battista Grassi (1854–1925) –

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

. *

Walter Reed Walter Reed (September 13, 1851 – November 23, 1902) was a United States Army, U.S. Army physician who in 1901 led the team that confirmed the theory of Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito ...

(1851–1902) – yellow fever. *

Paul Ehrlich Paul Ehrlich (; 14 March 1854 – 20 August 1915) was a Nobel Prize-winning German physician and scientist who worked in the fields of hematology, immunology and antimicrobial chemotherapy. Among his foremost achievements were finding a cure fo ...

(1854–1915) – the magic-bullet concept applied to

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...

(see the 1940 film '' Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet'').

Notes

Works cited

* Summers, William C. (1998) "Microbe Hunters revisited", ''

International Microbiology ''International Microbiology'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Springer Science+Business Media and the official journal of the . It covers all aspects of microbiology. The journal was established in 1947 as ''Microbiolo ...

'' 1: 65–68
online
* Verhave, Jan Peter (Spring 2013) "Paul de Kruif: A Michigan Leader in Public Health", ''

Michigan Historical Review The ''Michigan Historical Review'' is a semiannual peer-reviewed academic journal of American history published by the Historical Society of Michigan. It was established in 1974 as ''The Great Lakes Review'' before obtaining its current name in 19 ...

'' 39: 41–69.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:De Kruif, Paul University of Michigan alumni American microbiologists American people of Dutch descent Writers from Michigan 1890 births 1971 deaths People from Zeeland, Michigan