Scientific creativity in biomedical research: some case histories

It is for me a pleasure, and a great honor, to be able to present the official lecture honoring the retirement of Professor Johannes Büttner. I first came to know Professor Büttner more than fifteen years ago, when he came to Yale University to give a lecture in 1980. I value highly his many stimulating works in the field of the history of clinical chemistry. I would draw attention particularly to his elegant studies of the origin of clinical chemistry as a discipline, and of the first chemical laboratories established in clinics (1, 2). I hope very much that, after his retirement, he will have many years to pursue these important themes further.