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Microanalysis device. Faculty of Education University of Ljubljana.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić, STA.
In the past, questions were raised as regards Pregl’s attitude to Slovenian
identity and culture. But it is indisputable that he expressed gratitude to the
university in his native Ljubljana when he donated a replica of his microanalysis
device to the University of Ljubljana in 1925. One part of the device has been
preserved by the Faculty of Education, while a second part has unfortunately
been lost.
PREGL'S METHOD
IN PRACTICE
In the subsequent years, Pregl’s method
would lead to numerous new discoveries and
influenced the development of chemistry,
physics, biology, and medicine. For example,
SECOND ATTEMPT
The Berlin publisher Springer published
using his method, researchers of male sex Pregl’s book on quantitative organic microa-
were present in urine. They succeeded in iso- nated for the Nobel Prize. The nomination did
hormones proved that some of the hormones
lating 15 mg of chemically pure hormone from
15,000 litres of urine; without Pregl’s method
they would have needed at least 100 times
more “raw material”.
nalysis in 1917, the same year he was first nomi-
not succeed because the prevailing opinion was
that his contribution was too narrow and too
insignificant. He was nevertheless nominated
once again in 1923, this time successfully.
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