Georges Dreyer, 1873-1934

Georges Dreyer was born in Shanghai on June 4, 1873. His father, who was an officer in the Royal Danish Navy, was at that time serving in China. He was educated in Copenhagen and graduated as M.D. in 1900. After taking his degrees, he travelled extensively and visited many laboratories. Amongst these was Oxford, where he worked for a time under Sir John Burdon Sanderson. He was then appointed an assistant to Professor Carl J. Salomonsen, and at the same time demonstrated in bacteriology in the Veterinary School under Carl Olaf Jensen. In addition, he worked in collaboration with Finsen on the action of light on bacteria, protozoa, even a virus, and other substances. With Thorvald Madsen he collaborated at the Staats Serum Institute, Copenhagen, on diphtheria toxin and its derivatives. During this time of intense activity, he published many papers. From the Finsen Institute most of his papers were published in Danish and are therefore but little known in this country, but the work, which was of pioneer character, has stood the test of time and has since been confirmed by other workers, many of whom knew nothing of his results.