Dr. Hans Christian Jaochim Gram

Abstract

Hans Christian Joachim Gram, who pioneered the method of the Gram stain, was born on September 13, 1853, in Copenhagen, Denmark. His early interests involved plants, pharmacology, and microscopes. He obtained his M.D. from the University of Copenhagen and ultimately became a resident physician at the Municipal Hospital of Copenhagen. Gram's early work concerned the study of red corpuscles in humans. Gram traveled throughout Europe studying pharmacology and bacteriology and worked in the Berlin laboratory of the well-respected microbiologist, Karl Friedländer. It was here that Gram developed and perfected his new method for staining and identifying bacteria. Throughout his career he showed a keen interest in the clinical education of students. In 1923, Gram retired from his medical practice position and lived inconspicuously, resuming his former interest in the history of medicine. He died in 1938 at the age of 85.