| Citation | Hieger, Izrael (London). Assistant in Biochemistry, The Chester Beatty Research Institute, The Royal Cancer Hospital (Free) London.
His work, begun in collaboration with W V Mayneord, on the fluorescence spectrum of carcinogenic mixtures such as coal-tar, led to the discovery that 1 : 2 : 5 : 6-dibenzanthracene induced cancer. This was the first known organic carcinogenic compound: withour the clue afforded by the fluorescence spectrum there woudl have been nothing to direct any attention to it. By this method of investigation he achieved the separation from the very complex mixture coal-tar of strongly carcinogenic fractions, from which finally a compound was isoloted and identified as 3 : 4-benzpyrene (by J W Cook and C L Hewett). These researches, followed in many other countries, led to knowledge ofg many cancer-producing compounds. |