Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Essay -- Discovery, Faustyn Edmun

Recently, in the Journal of Rheumatology in an interesting discussion concerning the application of ESR and CRP (C-reactive protein) appeared inaccurate information about the history of the discovery of ESR. Crowson, Rahman and Matteson in the article (1) and later in the discussion (2) suggested that the discovery of ESR occurred in the 20s of the last century. However, the discovery was not made in the 20s of the Twentieth Century, but at the end of the Nineteenth Century. For the sake of the highest standards of the discussion, in all its aspects, we would like to remind that the discoverer of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was a Polish physician Faustyn Edmund Biernacki (1866-1911) (3,4,5,6,7). He announced the discovery in 1897 in two articles simultaneously: one written in Polish in Gazeta Lekarska (4) and the second in German in the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift (5). It is also possible to identify, as an important historical fact, the exact day of Biernackiâ€℠¢s discovery. Shortly before the publication of works describing ESR, on the 22nd of June 1897 during a meeting of the Warsaw Medical Society Biernacki presented five most important conclusions from his observations (6,7). These conclusions were as follows: blood sedimentation rate and volume of residue produced is different in different individuals; blood with small amounts of blood cells sediments faster; blood sedimentation rate depends on the level of â€Å"fibrynogens† in the blood plasma; during the course of febrile diseases (rheumatic fever included) with large amounts of plasma fibrinogen the ESR is increased, and in the defibrinated blood the sedimentation process is slower. The findings presented by Biernacki clearly show the clinical significance of th... ...Medica Scandinavica and in the same year 1921. Biernacki on the other hand presented his discovery in German and Polish more than twenty years before. Therefore, is it possible that in the scientists noted only the reports of the discovery presented in English and in one magazine? Or is it just an oversight resulting from an insufficient scientific knowledge about (or of?) historical facts? In order to maintain the highest standards of scientific reliability the â€Å"ESR test† should be named by specifying the method used e.g. Westergren’s ESR test method. The ESR test was discovered by Biernacki, and Westergren’s achievement was the development of a new laboratory technique. We postulate that in the scientific reports in which there is a historical aspect of the introduction of the ESR test (even if only as a reference), Biernacki’s discovery was not overlooked.