Christiaan Eijkman (1858–1930) won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his discovery of the antineuritic vitamin, now known as B1 or thiamine. Investigating the disease beriberi in Java, his observations of dietary deficiency led to the discovery of vitamins. He shared the 1929 Nobel Prize with Gowland Hopkins {see planet  (9677)}. (M 41568) _ _.