[Rudolf Stefan Weigl--scientist and human being].

Rudolf Stefan Weigl died in 1957, 45 years ago. This year we are celebrating 120 anniversary of his birthday. He was a great Polish scientist who led research on Rickettsia prowazeki and epidemic typhus. R. Weigl developed a method of R. prowazeki culture in louse gut and elaborated the technology of epidemic typhus vaccine production. He and his co-workers introduced first vaccination of medical staff, people from endemic area in Poland and missionaries working in Asia. He was an international authority on prophylactics and control of rickettsial epidemic typhus.