Domagk, Gerhard, << DOH mahk, GEHR hahrt >> (1895-1964), a German physician, identified the therapeutic ability of the chemical prontosil rubrum, the first of the sulfa drugs. He showed that this drug–commonly known by the trade name Prontosil–effectively destroyed streptococcic bacteria. These bacteria cause a wide variety of infections, including strep throat, scarlet fever, and impetigo. Domagk won the 1939 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his discovery. Domagk’s later work dealt chiefly with the search for a cancer cure.
Domagk was born on Oct. 30, 1895, in Lagow, Germany. He died on April 24, 1964.
