1887 – 1896 - American Physiological Society

1887 – 1896
1888
1887
■ Twenty-eight charter members, representing the handful of physiology
laboratories that exist in the country at the time, form the American
Physiological Society (APS) at the College of Physicians and Surgeons,
Columbia University in New York City.
■ Svante August Arrhenius showed that gas laws apply to solutions, serving
as the basis of current concepts on electrolyte dissociation and of osmotic
pressure, fundamental for studying the origin of bioelectricity.
■ F irst scientific meeting of the Society held September 18-20 in Washington, DC in conjunction with the Congress of
American Physicians and Surgeons.
1889
■ In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania the first Groundhog Day is observed.
■ First US bacteriology laboratory opens in New York (the start of NIH).
■ Thomas A. Edison patents Kinetoscope.
■ George Eastman patents “Kodak box camera.”
■ F irst annual meeting of APS, attended by 13 members, was held in Philadelphia on December 29-31.
■ Julius Geppert and Nathan Zuntz propose that the blood products of muscle
contraction are responsible for activating the respiratory center within the brain.
■H
ugo de Vries studies the reaction of cells to various electrolyte solutions and coins the word isotonic.
■ Washington Monument opens for public admittance.
■N
ational Geographic Society founded (Washington, DC).
■ The First International Physiological Congress held in Basel, Switzerland, September 10-12.
■ Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer analyzed the motor function of the cerebral cortex, the brain stem and the spinal
cord of primates.
■ Henry Head showed the function of the vagus nerve in regulating respiration.
■ Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering showed that pancreatectomy caused an increase in blood sugar and caused
diabetes in dogs.
■ F. Viault demonstrated that the development of polycythaemia was a feature of
acclimatization to high altitude.
■ Emil
Adolf von Behring discovered anti-toxins important in the theory of immunity and in
the control of infectious disease.
■ The Coca-Cola Company is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia.
■ Eiffel Tower officially opens commemorating the French Revolution.
■ Bayer introduces aspirin in powder form.
■ The Canadian Pacific Railway is completed from coast to coast.
■ Ellis Island designated as an immigration station.
■ US Congress establishes Yosemite National Park.
■ US 7th Cavalry massacre 200+ captive Sioux at Wounded Knee, SD.
■ Nellie Bly beats Phileas Fogg’s time around world by 8 days (72 days).
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■ Ivan Pavlov begins extensive research on “conditional reflexes” involving dogs’
saliva production in relation to various sounds and other visual stimuli.
1891
1890
■ Augustus D. Waller, using a capillary electrometer, becomes the first to
demonstrate that the electrical impulses of the heart could be recorded from
the surface of the body. ■S
ven Gustaf Hedin introduced the hematocrit for blood studies.
■ Eugene Gley showed the importance of the parathyroid glands for the maintenance of
life in mammals.
■ Angelo Mosso developed the first ergograph to record muscular work demonstrating
the existence of peripheral fatigue and that chronic exercise was associated with
increased strength and endurance while delaying the onset of fatigue.
■ First great train robbery by Dalton Gang (Southern Pacific #17).
■ The first gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts.
■ James Naismith invents basketball.
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1893
1892
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■ Giulio Vassale showed disturbances in water and mineral metabolism after the
removal of the pituitary gland.
■ George C. Blickensderfer patents portable typewriter.
■ American Psychological Association organized, Worcester, Massachusetts.
■ First commercial long-distance phone line opens (Chicago-NY).
■W
ilhelm His, Jr. described the function of the auriculoventricular bundle discovered by Albert F. S. Kent.
■ Great stock crash on the NY stock exchange.
■K
arl Huerthle connected the output of a microphone to an inductorium that excited a frog nerve-muscle preparation,
which then marked the heart sounds on a smoked drum, producing a primitive phonocardiogram.
■ Daniel Hale Williams performs 1st successful open heart surgery without anesthesia.
■W
orld’s Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago, Illinois.
■ Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky conducted 1st performance of Symphony Number Six in
B minor, “Pathetique.”
■ F irst Ferris wheel premieres at Chicago’s Columbian Exposition.
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1894
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■ Ernest Henry Starling publishes his study of lymph function.
■ Santiago Ramon y Cajal offered his classical account of the vertebrate retina,
making it possible to perform a detailed study of nerve structure and function and
to investigate nerve degeneration and regeneration.
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■ Nicholas II becomes Tsar of Russia.
■ Korea declares independence from China.
■ Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague and
publishes his findings in The Lancet.
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1895
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■ Oskar Langendorff perfuses the mammalian heart, opening the door to investigations of cardiac function.
■ First cartoon comic strip is printed in a newspaper.
■ Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen discovers that X-rays are emitted from the Crooke’s tube.
■ Alfred Nobel establishes the Nobel Prize.
■ George Oliver and Edward Albert Schäfer discover that hypophysial extracts can elevate arterial blood pressure, an
effect subsequently ascribed to vasopressin.
Alfred N
1896
obel
■ Ernest Henry Starling publishes his studies on the osmotic significance of serum proteins.
■ Christiaan Eijkman pioneered in studying the effects of dietary deficiencies.
■ Scipione Riva Rocci invents the sphygmomanometer.
■ Tootsie Roll introduced by Leo Hirshfield.
■ Modern Olympics began in Athens, Greece.
■ Dow Jones begins an index of 12 industrial stocks (closing is 40.94).
■ William Jennings Bryan “cross of gold” speech at Democratic convention.
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