22 Facts About Alphonse Dochez

Alphonse Raymond Dochez was an American physician and microbiologist.

Alphonse Dochez's research focused on infectious diseases, including scarlet fever, the common cold, and pneumococcal pneumonia.

Alphonse Dochez's work established viruses as the cause of the common cold.

Alphonse Dochez was born in San Francisco to Louis and Josephine Dietrich Alphonse Dochez.

Alphonse Dochez moved to Indianapolis as a young child, then later to Harford County, Maryland.

Alphonse Dochez's parents operated a farm, and he developed a strong interest in hunting and fishing.

In 1910, Alphonse Dochez became an assistant resident and bacteriologist at Rockefeller Hospital, despite lacking prior background in the field.

Alphonse Dochez continued this work at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, where he became faculty in 1921.

Alphonse Dochez's work was the first to demonstrate that scarlet fever was directly related to streptococcal pharyngitis.

Alphonse Dochez demonstrated that most strains of streptococci from scarlet fever patients belonged to a single specific type of bacteria.

Alphonse Dochez developed an antiserum capable of treating scarlet fever, but was forced to terminate production, and all further research on scarlet fever, due to patent infringement.

Alphonse Dochez concluded that the common cold was likely of viral etiology, but techniques of the time period were not sophisticated enough to prove this conclusively.

Alphonse Dochez was chair of the Department of Bacteriology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University from 1940 to 1949.

Alphonse Dochez retired in 1949 and was honored as the John E Borne Professor of Medical and Surgical Research Emeritus.

Until his death Alphonse Dochez continued his scientific research, focusing on carcinogenesis in his later years.

Alphonse Dochez's coworker was Oswald Avery, with whom he shared an apartment for decades.

Alphonse Dochez was a member of the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the National Defense Research Committee.

Alphonse Dochez served on the Board for Coordination of Malarial Studies, the Board for Control of Influenza and Other Epidemic Diseases, and the Hoover Commission on the reorganization of the executive branch of the government.

Alphonse Dochez was awarded the United States Medal of Merit in 1948.

Alphonse Dochez received the Kober Medal of the Association of American Physicians in 1949 and the Medal of the New York Academy of Medicine in 1958.

Alphonse Dochez served as president of the American Association of Immunologists, the Association of American Physicians, and the American Clinical and Climatological Association.

Alphonse Dochez received honorary degrees from New York University, Yale University, and Case Western Reserve University.