Watch List notes:

JAPAN. Austria - Japan. Sahachiro Hata & Paul Ehrlich/Treatment of Syphilis Gilt Bronze Medal, ND (ca. 1912). GEM UNCIRCULATED.
Brettauer-Unlisted; Wurzbach-1823. Diameter: 65mm; Weight: 117.90 gms. By F. Kounitzky. Commemorating their breakthrough research on the treatment of syphilis. Obverse: Half length busts of Ehrlich, holding test tube, and Hata, reading through their notes; =EHRLICH-HATA= in exergue; Reverse: PER ASPERA AD ASTRA (through the hardships to the stars), nude male fighting back serpentine anthropomorphic monster (representing syphilis) clutching two human skulls; other men in background wracked with madness. Edge: Plain. A very interesting medical type, this specimen lustrous and brilliant, with great relief and gilt surfaces that have not otherwise been seen. Compare to a similar (non-gilt) example in our September Hong Kong auction (lot # 29563), which realized a total of $1320.

Paul Ehrlich was an important German physician and scientist who contributed greatly to the field of immunology. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine in 1908 for the standardization of manufacturing anti-diphtheria serum, he actually garnered even more fame through a discovery with fellow researcher, Sahachiro Hata from Japan. This breakthrough involved arsphenamine (also known as Salvarsan or compound 606) and was the first effective treatment for syphilis. This incredibly important treatment further led to Ehrlich's concept of the "magic bullet" (i.e., the idea that it would be possible to kill a bacteria or disease within one's body by using a targeted treatment without harming the body itself), and also served as the foundation to the concept of chemotherapy. The contributions of Ehrlich and Hata cannot be understated, especially when considering the importance of public health and the medical researchers tasked with maintaining it.

Estimate: $200 - $400