PETTENKOFER, pet!ten-ko'fer, MAX VON (181S-1901). A celebrated German chemist and hygienist. born in Bavaria. Ile studied medicine and chemistry at :Munich, and later under Liebig at Giessen. In 1847 he became professor of medi cal chemistry at Munich. His famous researches formed the foundation of the science of experi mental hygiene. At his instance chairs of hygiene were founded at the Bavarian universities, and he himself accepted the professorship at Munich in 1863. He became co-editor of the Zcitsehrift fur Biologie in 1864, and was for years one of the editors of the Archir fur Hygiene, which he founded in 1SS3. In recognition of his services to science, many honors were bestowed upon him, and in 1889 he was chosen president of the Ba varian Academy of Sciences. Pettenkofer carried out a number of interesting and useful investiga tions in chemistry. He is best known, however, for his experimental researches on the ventila tion of dwellings, on respiration and the meta bolic assimilation of food, and on cholera. The researches on metabolism were carried out, joint ly with Karl Voit. by the use of an apparatus of
Pettenkofer 's invention, which permits the deter mination with great precision of the amount of atmospheric oxygen used up by the body and the amount of carbonic acid and water-vapor given of). As to cholera Pettenkofer was the first to show: that the symptoms of that disease are caused by the activity of a specific germ, which may be disseminated through ground-water; that the spread of the disease is dependent to a great extent on local climatic and sanitary conditions; and that infection is due largely to individual predisposition. Most of his contributions appeared in the Zeitgehrift fiir Biologic, mentioned above. He published besides: Untersuchungen iibrr die Verbreitungsart der Cholcra (1835) Ufbrr den Li ftorechscl in Wohngcbauden (185S) ; Zuni ye Stand der Cholerafrayr (1SS1). etc. His Brzirbungen dcr Ltrft zu Klridung, ll'ohnung rout Roden; Wag »tan gegen die Cholera thun kann: Popular(' cortriige, and other works. have passed through several editions.