Johann Joseph Scherer

Johann Joseph Scherer (* March 14, 1814 in Aschaffenburg, † February 17, 1869 in Würzburg ) was a German physicist and chemist.

Johann Joseph Scherer studied at the University of Würzburg medicine and natural sciences, particularly chemistry, geology and mineralogy. After he received his doctorate on June 28, 1836 as a doctor of medicine and surgery, he practiced for two years in the seaside resort Wipfeld, where he met Ernst von Bibra. This prompted him to devote himself to the natural sciences, and he studied in 1839 in Munich inorganic chemistry at Vogel sen., Johann Nepomuk Fuchs and Franz von Hess Peter. To learn organic chemistry, he went Easter 1840 in Giessen Justus Liebig. Here he dealt with animal chemistry and tests of blood and protein bodies. His doctoral work were experiments on the effect of some poisons on different classes of animals.

Subsequently, he was first a teacher of science at the Royal Industrial School in Würzburg. He later received an associate professor at the medical school, and in 1847 he was appointed professor of organic chemistry.

He married Franziska Klinger, daughter of Würzburg court physician, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.

With the demise of the other professors of general, inorganic and pharmaceutical chemistry, he took over their subjects and the new curriculum subject hygiene. He was also the director of the newly established chemical institute.

In 1843 he published his book Chemical and Microscopic Studies on the pathology employed at the clinics of the Julius- Hospitales to Würzburg. In 1843 and 1851 he demonstrated the occurrence of lactic acid in human blood under pathological conditions, such as hemorrhagic or septic shock. In 1859 he published the first volume of his unfinished textbook of chemistry with special emphasis on the medical and pharmaceutical needs. With Gottfried Eisenmann and Rudolf Virchow in 1853 he gave the annual reports on the performance and progress throughout the medicine out. He discovered hypoxanthine ( an inositol - (muscle sugar) or purine derivative).

In 1858 he became a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences in 1866 awarded him the Bavarian king the title along the Knight's Cross.