Tadeus Reichstein was a distinguished chemist whose pioneering work spanned organic chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmaceutical sciences. Born on July 20, 1897, in Włocławek, Poland (then part of the Russian Empire), he emigrated with his Jewish family to Switzerland at age nine to escape Russian pogroms against Jews. He earned his degree in chemical engineering from the State Technical College in Zürich and completed his Ph.D. in 1922 under Hermann Staudinger, focusing on coffee aromas. Reichstein held academic positions at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich before becoming Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Director of the Pharmaceutical Institute at the University of Basel in 1938, where he remained for the majority of his career. His early research on coffee and chicory aromas, which isolated approximately 50 components, established his reputation as a meticulous analytical chemist.
Reichstein's most significant contributions include the structural determination and practical synthesis of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in 1933, which he developed concurrently with Walter Haworth in England. His seminal work on adrenal cortex hormones, for which he shared the 1950 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Edward C. Kendall and Philip S. Hench, represented a monumental achievement in biochemistry. Through painstaking research involving the processing of 500 kilograms of adrenal cortex glands from approximately 10,000 cattle, Reichstein isolated and characterized 28 steroid compounds, including the biologically active cortisone and hydrocortisone. His isolation of desoxycorticosterone and development of synthesis methods revolutionized the treatment of Addison's disease and provided the foundation for corticosteroid therapy in inflammatory conditions. This systematic approach to isolating complex natural products established new methodologies that transformed pharmaceutical chemistry and endocrinology.
Beyond his Nobel Prize-winning work, Reichstein made substantial contributions to the understanding of plant glycosides, toxic substances in insects, and the genetic and chemical taxonomy of ferns during his later career. His systematic approach to isolating and characterizing complex natural products set new standards for biochemical research and pharmaceutical development. Reichstein's synthesis methods for Vitamin C dramatically reduced production costs, enabling widespread therapeutic use of this essential nutrient. As a recipient of both the Nobel Prize and the Copley Medal, his legacy endures through the continued therapeutic applications of corticosteroids and the foundational methodologies he established for steroid hormone research. These contributions have benefited countless patients worldwide suffering from inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, cementing his place as one of the most influential chemists of the twentieth century.
