Nobel Prize in Medicine: history and statistics – BBC Russian

Ian Litvinov BBC Russian Service, London

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“… and one part will go to the person who made the most important discovery in physiology or medicine …”

From wills Alfred Nobel’s

Alfred Nobel has been actively interested in medical research. “Physiology or Medicine” was the third branch of science, marked by Nobel in his will.

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Image caption Bust of Alfred Nobel, the Royal Karolinska Institute in Stockholm

• 38 premiums received one person

• 11 women became laureates

• 32 , it was the youngest winner

• 87 s been very elderly winner

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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded the Nobel Assembly of the Royal Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. It consists of 50 people, who is a professor in the medical disciplines. The working body of the Assembly is the Organising Committee, whose members are elected for three years.

What are the areas most commonly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Alfred Nobel emphasized that award shall be awarded for scientific works that bring maximum benefit to mankind.

It is obtained, for example, Alexander Fleming for his discovery of penicillin and Emil von Behring for the creation of diphtheria serum.

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Image caption The developers of computer imaging, ECG and MMP won the Nobel Prize for Medicine

Nobel laureates were the inventors of electrocardiography, MMP, and computed tomography.

The most common medicine Nobel received the award of geneticists – 48 times. In particular, it was awarded to James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for the discovery of the DNA structure.

14 times it was awarded to physicians who have studied the transmission of pathogens: malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis, yellow fever and HIV.

26 times it was obtained neurologists, and 23 times immunologists.

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Image caption Nobel Prize in the field of genetics awarded 48 times. In particular, it received for deciphering the structure of DNA

If you count the number of awards in each field of medicine or physiology, they get so much more than, in fact, the awards. This is due to the fact that some discoveries are in several categories.

Coincidence?

According to unexplained by science because of the seven Nobel Prize winners in medicine, born May 21, and Seven – February 28th. Between birthdays of others there is no correlation.

Freudian slip

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Image caption A Nobel Prize Freud never received, although he was nominated 32 times …

The Austrian neurologist and father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 32 times, but it never got

In 1929, Nobel Committee for Medicine has invited an expert who studied in detail the work of Freud and came to the conclusion that “further study of Freud’s work does not make sense, because they have no proven scientific value”.

No one else is nothing like can not say, because that information about nominees are kept secret 50 years.

“thirst-quenching”

The medal of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine depicts an allegorical the figure of “Medicine”, which holds the book open on her lap. In the other hand – a bowl into which water flows from the rock. Nearby is a very thirsty girl.

An inscription in Latin says: “Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes”. Etian line taken from a poem by Virgil’s “Aeneid” and roughly translated goes something like this: “And those who have improved the lives of the world its newfound prowess”.

The medal was created by the Swedish sculptor Erik Lindberg.