Ian Whimster
Ian Whimster MRCPath | |
|---|---|
Pathologist | |
| Medical career | |
| Institutions | St Thomas' Hospital |
| Sub-specialties | Dermatology histopathology |
Ian Wesley Whimster
Early life
Ian Whimster was born in 1923. He was educated at Lancing College, followed by Clare College, Cambridge, before gaining admission to St Thomas' Hospital medical school and then completing his MB in 1946. His early appointments were at St Thomas's where he also developed his interest in dermatology.[2][3][4]
Career
During his junior years, Whimster was part of the medical student team that went into Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, after it was liberated by British troops.[2] With the encouragement and support from Geoffrey Dowling, he developed an interest in the skin and Whimster soon became closely associated with Arthur Rook,[3] working on the histopathology of keratoacanthoma[3] and the distinction between the bullous diseases pemphigoid and pemphigus.[3][5]
Whimster gained international recognition for his work on comparative anatomy and experiments with reptiles, particularly observing their colour patterns in relation to their nerve supply.[5] His observations on humans and reptiles formed the basis of his classic papers on spottiness.[5] He became adept at breeding small reptiles for his experiments and devoted to their care.[2]
His statement that "some invisible intersegmental boundaries, whose existence we have been taught to expect by comparative anatomy and embryology, are only revealed by disease"[6] stemmed from Whimster's interest in the causes of linear or sharply demarcated rashes unexplained by external stimuli.[6]
Whimster's observations in the 1950s, of increased
Whimster was also a leading authority on the
Whimster often suffered from severe depression which caused his research to stall. One of his obituary writers commented on the lasting impression that his experience at Belsen had left on him.[2]
Death and legacy
Whimster died in a road traffic accident on 18 January 1979 at the age of 55.[2][5]
Since 1984, the British Association of Dermatologists has awarded the Whimster prize,[8] which is presented every three years.[9]
Selected publications
- Whimster, IW (1963). "Comparative Study of the Mosaic-Like Structure of the Skin and ITS Relation to Cutaneous Innervation". Arch Belg Dermatol Syphiligr. 19: 353–60. PMID 14176953.
- Whimster, IW (1976). "Proceedings: Nerve supply as a stimulator of the growth of tissues, including skin". Br J Dermatol. 95 Suppl 14: 9. S2CID 27676924.
- Whimster, IW (1978). "Nerve supply as a stimulator of the growth of tissues including skin: I. Human evidence". Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. 3 (3): 221–40. S2CID 12286207.
- Whimster, IW (1978). "Nerve supply as a stimulator of the growth of tissues including skin. II. Animal evidence". Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. 3 (4): 389–410. S2CID 43354455.
- Rook, A; Whimster, I (1979). "Keratoacanthoma--a thirty year retrospect". Br J Dermatol. 100 (1): 41–7. S2CID 27373097.
References
- ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007
- ^ S2CID 220145975.
- ^ a b c d e "British Association of Dermatologists - WW2 and its Aftermath". bad.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ "British Association of Dermatologists – Maturation of the BAD". bad.org.uk. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ The American Journal of Dermatopathology, 1985, Vol. 7, pp. A7-A8.
- ^ ISBN 9780191065132.
- ISBN 9781447115298.
- S2CID 221490894.
- ^ "British Association of Dermatologists - Fellowships and Awards". bad.org.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
Further reading
- "Genetic mosaicism, Whimster's proposals- views on skin patterns", Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Vol. 86, April 1993, p. 216.
- "Belsen: Medical Aspects of a World War 11 Concentration Camp". Col E. E. Vella Journal 0/ the RoyaL Army Medical Corps (1984)