Kazimierz Funk[1] (Polish: [kaˈʑimjɛʂ ˈfuŋk]; February 23, 1884 – November 19, 1967),[2] commonly anglicized as Casimir Funk, was a Polish-American biochemist[3] generally credited with being among the first to formulate (in 1912) the concept of vitamins,[4] which he called "vital amines" or "vitamines".
After reading an article by the Dutchman Christiaan Eijkman that indicated that persons who ate brown rice were less vulnerable to beri-beri than those who ate only the fully milled product, Funk tried to isolate the substance responsible, and he succeeded. Because that substance contained an amine group, he called it "vitamine". It was later to be known as vitamin B3 (niacin), though he thought that it would be thiamine (vitamin B1) and described it as "anti-beri-beri-factor". In 1911 he published his first paper in English, on dihydroxyphenylalanine. Funk was sure that more than one substance like Vitamin B1 existed, and in his 1912 article for the Journal of State Medicine, he proposed the existence of at least four vitamins: one preventing beriberi (“antiberiberi”); one preventing scurvy (“antiscorbutic”); one preventing pellagra (“antipellagric”); and one preventing rickets (“antirachitic”). From there, Funk published a book, The Vitamines, in 1912, and later that year received a Beit Fellowship to continue his research.[5]
Funk proposed the hypothesis that other diseases, such as rickets, pellagra, coeliac disease, and scurvy could also be cured by vitamins.[6]
Funk was an early investigator of the problem of pellagra. He suggested that a change in the method of milling corn was responsible for the outbreak of pellagra,[7] but no attention was paid to his article on this subject.[8]
The "e" at the end of "vitamine" was later removed, when it was realized that vitamins need not be nitrogen-containing amines.
He postulated the existence of other essential nutrients, which became known as vitamins B1, B2, C, and D.
In 1936 he determined the molecular structure of thiamine, though he was not the first to isolate it.
After returning to the United States, in 1940 he became president of the Funk Foundation for Medical Research. He spent his last years studying the causes of neoplasms ("cancers").
^Rosen, George, A History of Public Health, JHU Press (2015), p. 240
^Just The Facts-Inventions & Discoveries, School Specialty Publishing, 2005
^Funk, Casimir (1914). Die Vitamine, ihre Bedeutung für die Physiologie und Pathologie: mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Avitaminosen: (Beriberi, Skorbut, Pellagra, Rachitis); Anhang: Die Wachstumsubstanz und das Krebsproblem. Wiesbaden: J. F. Bergmann. Retrieved 23 October 2018 – via Internet Archive.. See also Funk, Casimir (1922). The Vitamines. Translated by Dubin, Harry E. from the Second German Edition. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via Internet Archive.
^Funk, Casimir (1912). "The etiology of the deficiency diseases. Beri-beri, polyneuritis in birds, epidemic dropsy, scurvy, experimental scurvy in animals, infantile scurvy, ship beri-beri, pellagra". Journal of State Medicine. 20: 341–68.
^Funk, C (1913). "Studies on pellagra. The influence of the milling of maize on the chemical composition and nutritive value of the meal". J Physiol. 47 (4–5): 389–392. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1913.sp001631. PMC1420484. PMID 16993244.
^Alfred, JAY Bollet (1992). "Politics and Pellagra: The Epidemic of Pellagra in the U.S. in the Early Twentieth Century" (PDF). The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 65 (3): 211–221. PMC2589605. PMID 1285449.
Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Casimir Funk.
Harow, Benjamin CASIMIR FUNK-Pioneer in Vitamins and Hormones. Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, N. Y., 1955. 209 pages.
Review of Harow's biography at pubmedcentral, pdf
Biography at FAQs, nutrition accessed Dec 2006.
Piro, Anna; Tagarelli, Giuseppe; Lagonia, Paolo; Tagarelli, Antonio; Quattrone, Aldo (1 January 2010). "Casimir Funk: His Discovery of the Vitamins and Their Deficiency Disorders". Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 57 (2): 85–88. doi:10.1159/000319165. PMID 20805686. S2CID 9619130.
Griminger, Paul (September 1972). "Casimir Funk--a biographical sketch (1884-1967)". Journal of Nutrition. 102 (9): 1105–1113. doi:10.1093/jn/102.9.1105. PMID 4560436.
"Funk, Casimir", Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography, vol. 5, Detroit, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008 pp. 208–9. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 19 July 2012.
casimir, funk, kazimierz, funk, polish, kaˈʑimjɛʂ, ˈfuŋk, february, 1884, november, 1967, commonly, anglicized, polish, american, biochemist, generally, credited, with, being, among, first, formulate, 1912, concept, vitamins, which, called, vital, amines, vita. Kazimierz Funk 1 Polish kaˈʑimjɛʂ ˈfuŋk February 23 1884 November 19 1967 2 commonly anglicized as Casimir Funk was a Polish American biochemist 3 generally credited with being among the first to formulate in 1912 the concept of vitamins 4 which he called vital amines or vitamines Casimir FunkBornKazimierz Funk 1884 02 23 February 23 1884Warsaw PolandDiedNovember 19 1967 1967 11 19 aged 83 Albany New York U S CitizenshipPoland United StatesAlma materUniversity of Bern SwitzerlandKnown forNutritional research formulation of the concept of vitaminsScientific careerFieldsBiochemistInstitutionsPasteur InstituteLister InstituteFunk Foundation for Medical Research Contents 1 Achievements 2 Funk Award 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksAchievements EditAfter reading an article by the Dutchman Christiaan Eijkman that indicated that persons who ate brown rice were less vulnerable to beri beri than those who ate only the fully milled product Funk tried to isolate the substance responsible and he succeeded Because that substance contained an amine group he called it vitamine It was later to be known as vitamin B3 niacin though he thought that it would be thiamine vitamin B1 and described it as anti beri beri factor In 1911 he published his first paper in English on dihydroxyphenylalanine Funk was sure that more than one substance like Vitamin B1 existed and in his 1912 article for the Journal of State Medicine he proposed the existence of at least four vitamins one preventing beriberi antiberiberi one preventing scurvy antiscorbutic one preventing pellagra antipellagric and one preventing rickets antirachitic From there Funk published a book The Vitamines in 1912 and later that year received a Beit Fellowship to continue his research 5 Funk proposed the hypothesis that other diseases such as rickets pellagra coeliac disease and scurvy could also be cured by vitamins 6 Funk was an early investigator of the problem of pellagra He suggested that a change in the method of milling corn was responsible for the outbreak of pellagra 7 but no attention was paid to his article on this subject 8 The e at the end of vitamine was later removed when it was realized that vitamins need not be nitrogen containing amines He postulated the existence of other essential nutrients which became known as vitamins B1 B2 C and D In 1936 he determined the molecular structure of thiamine though he was not the first to isolate it Funk also conducted research into hormones diabetes peptic ulcers and the biochemistry of cancer After returning to the United States in 1940 he became president of the Funk Foundation for Medical Research He spent his last years studying the causes of neoplasms cancers Funk Award EditThe Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America PIASA annually honors Polish American scientists with the Casimir Funk Natural Sciences Award Past winners have included Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffmann Aleksander Wolszczan Hilary Koprowski Peter T Wolczanski Waclaw Szybalski Zbyszek Darzynkiewicz and Benoit Mandelbrot References Edit Ilowiecki Maciej 1981 Dzieje nauki polskiej History of Polish Science Warszawa Wydawnictwo Interpress p 177 ISBN 978 83 223 1876 8 in English Griminger P 1972 Casimir Funk a biographical sketch 1884 1967 J Nutr 102 9 1105 13 doi 10 1093 jn 102 9 1105 PMID 4560436 Rosen George A History of Public Health JHU Press 2015 p 240 Just The Facts Inventions amp Discoveries School Specialty Publishing 2005 Funk Casimir 1914 Die Vitamine ihre Bedeutung fur die Physiologie und Pathologie mit besonderer Berucksichtigung der Avitaminosen Beriberi Skorbut Pellagra Rachitis Anhang Die Wachstumsubstanz und das Krebsproblem Wiesbaden J F Bergmann Retrieved 23 October 2018 via Internet Archive See also Funk Casimir 1922 The Vitamines Translated by Dubin Harry E from the Second German Edition Baltimore Williams amp Wilkins Retrieved 26 October 2018 via Internet Archive Funk Casimir 1912 The etiology of the deficiency diseases Beri beri polyneuritis in birds epidemic dropsy scurvy experimental scurvy in animals infantile scurvy ship beri beri pellagra Journal of State Medicine 20 341 68 Funk C 1913 Studies on pellagra The influence of the milling of maize on the chemical composition and nutritive value of the meal J Physiol 47 4 5 389 392 doi 10 1113 jphysiol 1913 sp001631 PMC 1420484 PMID 16993244 Alfred JAY Bollet 1992 Politics and Pellagra The Epidemic of Pellagra in the U S in the Early Twentieth Century PDF The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 65 3 211 221 PMC 2589605 PMID 1285449 Further reading Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Casimir Funk Harow Benjamin CASIMIR FUNK Pioneer in Vitamins and Hormones Dodd Mead amp Company New York N Y 1955 209 pages Biography Review of Harow s biography at pubmedcentral pdf Biography at FAQs nutrition accessed Dec 2006 Piro Anna Tagarelli Giuseppe Lagonia Paolo Tagarelli Antonio Quattrone Aldo 1 January 2010 Casimir Funk His Discovery of the Vitamins and Their Deficiency Disorders Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 57 2 85 88 doi 10 1159 000319165 PMID 20805686 S2CID 9619130 Griminger Paul September 1972 Casimir Funk a biographical sketch 1884 1967 Journal of Nutrition 102 9 1105 1113 doi 10 1093 jn 102 9 1105 PMID 4560436 Funk Casimir Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography vol 5 Detroit Charles Scribner s Sons 2008 pp 208 9 Gale Virtual Reference Library Web 19 July 2012 Works by or about Casimir Funk at Internet ArchiveExternal links Edit Vitamins Jewish Discoverer 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Casimir Funk amp oldid 1125225177, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
