DNA translated: Friedrich Miescher's discovery of nuclein in its original context

2021/02/19 by Kersten Hall, Kersten T. Hall, Neeraja Sankaran · 3 citations
Arts and Humanities · Computer Science · #Medical History and Research #Bioethics and Human Rights Issues

paper · doi:10.1017/s000708742000062x

Abstract

In 1871, the Swiss physiological chemist Friedrich Miescher published the results of a detailed chemical analysis of pus cells, in which he showed that the nuclei of these cells contained a hitherto unknown phosphorus-rich chemical which he named 'nuclein' for its specific localisation. Published in German, 'Ueber Die Chemische Zusammensetzung Der Eiterzellen', [On the Chemical Composition of Pus Cells] Medicinisch-Chemische Untersuchungen (1871) 4: 441-60, was the first publication to describe DNA, and yet remains relatively obscure. We therefore undertook a translation of the paper into English, which, together with the original article, can be accessed via the following link https://doi.org/10.1017/S000708742000062X. In this paper, we offer some intellectual context for its publication and immediate reception.

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