4. Romanian Microbiologist injected himself with bacteria from rabbits suffering from Syphilis and prayed to be right about his medical theories.
Undoubtedly one of the most significant figures in virology and immunology – especially in the study of poliomyelitis and syphilis – Constantin Levaditi was accepted in 1900 to work in Dr. Metchnikoff’s team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. He eventually became head of the laboratory of the Pasteur Institute for over 20 years, earned several honors and published more than 1,200 notes, articles, and monographs during his decorated career. He dominated the study of syphilis in his time and introduced new techniques in serology, such as using the silver-salt staining method in the livers of newborn congenital syphilitics.
He demonstrated that to supplement the Wassermann-Bordet reaction (an antibody test for syphilis), a normal liver could be used for diagnosis, thus pioneering the study of antigens. With his colleagues he applied bismuth therapy to syphilis, and achieved results with metallotherapy. When his opponents challenged his methods and theories, he didn’t hesitate to inject himself with infected bacteria from rabbits suffering from syphilis only so he could prove them wrong. Fortunately, he did not contract the disease after his bold experiment.