Rudolf Böhm

Rudolf Albert Martin Boehm (Böhm) (19 May 1844, in Nördlingen – 19 August 1926, in Bad Kohlgrub) was a German pharmacologist, known for his work in the field of experimental pharmacology.

He studied medicine at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and the University of Würzburg, and from 1868 until 1870 served as an assistant to Franz von Rinecker at the Juliusspital in Würzburg. In 1871, he obtained his habilitation under Adolf Fick, then during the following year was named a professor of pharmacology, dietetics and history of medicine at the Imperial University of Dorpat. Later on, he worked as professor of pharmacology at Marburg University (from 1881) and Leipzig University (from 1884), where on four separate occasions he was named dean to the medical faculty. During his tenure at Leipzig University, he oversaw the construction of its pharmacological institute (1886–88). Today the institute at Leipzig University is known as the Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie.

His main research dealt with the pharmacological and toxicological properties of substances of plant origin and their effect(s) on the animal organism. He conducted extensive studies on the actions of digitalis, muscarine (a product of certain mushrooms), choline and curare. He also performed significant research of carbohydrate metabolism. He was also an editor of the journal Archivs für experimentelle Pathologie und Pharmakologie.