Rudolf Boehm

Rudolf Albert Martin Boehm (Böhm) (19 May 1844, in Nördlingen – 19 August 1926, in Bad Kohlgrub) was a German pharmacologist, known for his work in the field of experimental pharmacology.

He studied medicine at the universities of Munich and Würzburg, and in 1868–70 served as an assistant to Franz von Rinecker at the Juliusspital in Würzburg. In 1871 he obtained his habilitation under Adolf Fick, then during the following year was named a professor of pharmacology, dietetics and history of medicine at the University of Dorpat. Later on, he worked as professor of pharmacology at the universities of Marburg (from 1881) and Leipzig (from 1884), where on four separate occasions he was named dean to the medical faculty.[1] During his tenure at Leipzig, he oversaw the construction of its pharmacological institute (1886–88).[2] Today the institute at Leipzig is known as the Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie.[3]

Gravesite of Boehm at the Südfriedhof in Leipzig.

His main research dealt with the pharmacological and toxicological properties of substances of plant origin and their effect(s) on the animal organism. He conducted extensive studies on the actions of digitalis, muscarine (a product of certain mushrooms), choline and curare.[1][2] In 1895 he classified curare into three groups; "calabash curares" (usually taken from the family Loganiaceae, Strychnos species), "tubo curares" (derived from the family Menispermaceae) and "pot curares" (mixed Menispermaceae and Loganiaceae substances).[4] He also performed significant research of carbohydrate metabolism.[1]