PLAUT, HUGO CARL

PLAUT, HUGO CARL (1858–1928), German bacteriologist. Born in Leipzig, Plaut settled in Hamburg in 1913 and became director of the Institute for Fungus Research. In 1918 he was appointed titular professor. He made his greatest contribution to medicine in 1896, when he described the etiology of trench   mouth. Two years later H. Vincent of the Pasteur Institute described the same condition and it became known as the Plaut-Vincent disease or angina ulcero membranosa caused by fusiform spirochaeta. Of significance also were Plaut's works on streptococcus mocosus, streptothrix, and actinomyces. His publications include Die Hyphenpilze oder Eumyceten (1903, 19132), Dermatomykosen (1909), and Mykosen (1919). He also carried out fundamental work in veterinary medicine. (Suessmann Muntner)