Robert McCarrison
Robert McCarrison | |
---|---|
Born | 15 March 1878 |
Died | 18 May 1960 |
Occupation(s) | Physician, nutritionist |
McCarrison was born in
Pioneer in nutrition research
McCarrison carried out the very first experiments to demonstrate the effect of nutrition on the epidemiology of disease.[citation needed]
McCarrison is credited with being the first to experimentally demonstrate the effect of deficient dietaries upon animal tissues and organs.
At age 23, McCarrison went to India, where he spent 30 years on nutritional problems.[15] He attained the rank of major-general in the Indian Medical Service,[9] and founded the Nutritional Research Laboratories in Coonoor.[15] After retiring from the Indian Medical Service in 1935,[10] he gave a series of Cantor lectures at the Royal Society of Arts, about the influence of diet on health.[15] This comprised three lectures delivered on successive Mondays at the Society. The first lecture focused on the processes of nutrition; the second, on food essentials and their relationship to bodily structure and function; the third on disease prevention and physique improvement by attention to diet.[16] The lectures were subsequently published in book form under the title Nutrition and Health, and at the time of the third edition in 1962, were still not seen as "dated", with the advances of the preceding 25 years largely filling the details of the principles previously recognised by McCarrison.[17]
"McCarrison's work on goitre,
In 1918, McCarrison founded the Beri-Beri Enquiry Unit in a single room laboratory at the
Retirement from India
After
Personal life
In 1906 he married Helen Stella Johnston, to whom he was still married at the time of his death.[1]
Legacy
- The National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad, India, continues to pay tribute to is origins in 1928 under McCarrison.[19]
- McCarrison is grouped, along with Sir Albert Howard and Richard St. Barbe Baker, as one of three progenitors of the organic agriculture movement.[23][24]
McCarrison Society
In 1966, a group of doctors, dentists and veterinarians, interested in the promotion of nutrition and health, founded the McCarrison Society in honour of his efforts,[25][26] with a Scottish group established in 1981 due to both travel logistics and differing needs in the Scottish population.[26]
The Society aims "to assemble scientific knowledge on nutrition and health that is free from economic and political pressures with the object of securing the physical and mental health of future generations".[26] The society meetings sometimes raise questions with elusive answers, with speakers presenting material based on scanty, often anectdotal data, inviting criticism that it is "a gathering of cranks". However, "one answer to that criticism is that speakers at MCarrison meetings tend to be rather well qualified. But the main point is that the society has a way of asking questions about the environment - what are we doing to it and what it is doing to us - that are of profound importance".[27] The journal "Nutrition and Health" is the official journal of the McCarrison Society and is listed in PUBMED. The journal was started by members in 1978 with the objective of publishing peer reviewed scientific work and reviews on nutrition and health from academic research workers who were independent of the food and agricultural industries or those with a conflict of interest.
The society's website summarises McCarrison's work thus:
His researches were extensive; they included work on the newly discovered
vitamins and on the contrasting disease patterns in the Indian subcontinent. He demonstrated how many common diseases increasingly prevalent in industrial societies were caused simply by diets made defective by extensive food processing, often with the use of chemical additives. He deplored the universal consumption in Britain and America of refined white flour, instead of halite flour, and the substitution of canned, preserved and artificially sweetened products for fresh natural food.
McCarrison's work was widely published in the medical press. He was honoured for his discoveries, but completely ignored by government and the medical profession at a time when medical thought was absorbed in the study of disease rather than on prevention and the promotion of health.[28]
Publications
The following is a selection of works published by McCarrison.[a] To avoid duplication, this does not include works cited, which are to be found in the References section.
- McCarrison, Robert (1906), "Observations on Endemic Goitre in the Chitral and Gilgit Valleys", PMID 20897060
- McCarrison, R.; Berry, James (1909), "Observations on Endemic Cretinism in the Chitral and Gilgit Valleys", PMID 19973738
- McCarrison, R. (13 March 1909), "A Summary of Further Researches on the Etiology of Endemic Goitre", JSTOR 80344
- "Further Researches on the Etiology of Endemic Goitre", QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 2 (3): 279–288, April 1909, archived from the originalon 15 April 2013, retrieved 10 August 2010
- McCarrison, Robert (1 July 1909), "Observations on the Amoebae in the Intestines of Persons Suffering from Goitre in Gilgit",
- McCarrison, R. (28 February 1911), "A Summary of Further Experimental Researches on the Etiology of Endemic Goitre. (Second series.)",
- McCarrison, R. (23 January 1912), "The Vaccine Treatment of Simple Goitre", Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 5 (Medical Section): 37–52, PMID 19976042
- McCarrison, R. (1914), "Nervous Cretinism", Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 7 (Section for the Study of Disease in Children): 157–164, PMID 19978295. Retrieved 12 August 2010
- McCarrison, R. (1 August 1916), "On the Experimental Production of Congenital Goitre", JSTOR 80845
- McCarrison, Robert (1917), "The Thyroid Gland in Health and Disease", Nature, 100 (2507), London: Bailliere, Tindall & Cox: 202–203, PMC 5057548, retrieved 10 August 2010 (Full text at Internet Archive).
- McCarrison, R. (15 February 1919), "The Pathogenesis of Deficiency Disease", PMID 20769368(Online registration to view articles is free).
- McCarrison, R. (12 July 1919), "The Influence of Deficiency of Accessory Food Factors on the Intesting", British Medical Journal, 2 (3054): 36–39, PMID 20769544
- McCarrison, R. (16 August 1919), "The Effects of a Scorbutic Diet on the Adrenal Glands", BMJ, 2 (3059): 200, PMID 20769580
- McCarrison, R. (1 January 1920), "The Genesis of Oedema in Beriberi", JSTOR 80789
- McCarrison, R. (21 February 1920), "The Effects of Deficient Dietaries on Monkeys", British Medical Journal, 1 (3086): 249–253, PMID 20769796
- McCarrison, R. (19 June 1920), "Deficiency Disease: With Special Reference to Gastro-intestinal Disorders", British Medical Journal, A British Medical Association Lecture Delivered to the South Wales and Monmouthshire Branch, 1 (3103): 822, 822–2–826, PMC 2338035
- McCarrison, Robert (14 August 1920), "Dietetic Deficiency And Endocrine Activity, With Special Reference To Deficiency Oedemas", British Medical Journal, 2 (3111): 236–239, JSTOR 20341532
- Studies in Deficiency Disease, London: Henry Frowde and Hodder & Stoughton, 1921 (1945 photo-lithographic reproduction by Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research. Full text at Internet Archive).
- "Book advertisement", The Canadian Medical Association Journal: i, PMC 1524351
- "Book advertisement", The Canadian Medical Association Journal: i,
- McCarrison, R. (1 November 1921), "Observations on the Effects of Fat Excess on the Growth and Metamorphosis of Tadpoles", JSTOR 81036
- "Faulty Food in Relation to Gastro-intestinal Disorder", (Pay-per-view access).
- McCarrison, R. (4 February 1922), "Fats in Relation to the Genesis of Goitre", British Medical Journal, 1 (3188): 178–181, PMID 20770581
- McCarrison, R. (22 April 1922), "Simple Goitre", British Medical Journal, 1 (3199): 636–637, PMID 20770690
- McCarrison, R. (20 January 1923), "The Function of the Adrenal Glands and its Relation to Concentration of Hydrogen Ions", British Medical Journal, 1 (3238): 101–102, PMID 20770975
- McCarrison, R. (4 August 1923), "The Relation of Faulty Nutrition to the Development of the Epithelioma Contagion of Fowls", British Medical Journal, 2 (3266): 172–172–1, 173–174, PMID 20771246
- McCarrison, R. (1924), "Rice in Relation to Beri-beri in India", Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 17 (Section of Tropical Diseases and Parasitology): 65–82, PMID 19984111
- McCarrison, R. (8 March 1924), "Rice in Relation to Beri-beri in India", British Medical Journal, 1 (3297): 414–420, PMID 19984111
- McCarrison, R. (29 March 1924), "The Relation of Manure to the Nutritive and Vitamin Value of Certain Grain", British Medical Journal, 1 (3300): 567–569, PMID 20771526
- McCarrison, R. (1925), "Discussion on Non-specific Disturbances of Health Due to Vitamin Deficiency", Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 18 (General Reports Section): 3–6, PMID 19984363. Retrieved 12 August 2010
- McCarrison, R. (13 June 1925), "A British Medical Association Lecture On Some Problems Of Thyroid Disease: Delivered before the Ulster Branch on April 30th", British Medical Journal, 1 (3363): 1065–1069, PMID 20772078 JUSTOR link
- McCarrison, R. (23 October 1926), "A Good Diet and a Bad One: An Experimental Contrast", British Medical Journal, 2 (3433): 724–2, 730–732, PMID 20772829
- McCarrison, R. (15 January 1927), "An Experiment in Goitre Prevention: Being the Further History of Goitre at the Lawrence Royal Military School, Sanawar, Punjab, India", British Medical Journal, 1 (3445): 94–95, PMC 2453840
- McCarrison, R. (16 April 1927), "The Experimental Production of Stone in the Bladder", British Medical Journal, 1 (3458): 717–718, PMID 20773132
- McCarrison, R. (31 May 1930), "A Goitre Survey in Albino Rats", British Medical Journal, 1 (3621): 989–992, PMID 20775488
- McCarrison, R. (6 June 1931), "A Lecture on Some Surgical Aspects of Faulty Nutrition", British Medical Journal, 1 (3674): 966–971, PMID 20776211
- McCarrison, R. (13 June 1931), "A Lecture on The Causation of Stone in India", British Medical Journal, 1 (3675): 1009–1015, PMC 2314725
- McCarrison, R. (14 October 1933), "A Paper on Food and Goitre", British Medical Journal, 2 (3797): 671–675, PMID 20777816
- McCarrison, R. (26 September 1936), "Nutrition in Health and Disease", British Medical Journal, 2 (3951): 611–615, PMID 20780124
- McCarrison, R. (2 January 1937), "The Problem of Endemic Goitre", British Medical Journal, 1 (3965): 29–31, PMID 20780395
- McCarrison, R. (7 August 1937), "Nutritional Needs in Pregnancy", British Medical Journal, 2 (3996): 256–257, PMID 20780822
- McCarrison, Major-General Sir Robert (15 June 1940), "Medical Aspects of the Use of Food", British Medical Journal, 1 (4145): 984–987, PMID 20783158}
- McCarrison, R (11 July 1942), "Social Medicine (letter to editor)", British Medical Journal, 2 (4253): 51, PMC 2163459
- McCarrison, Sir Robert (1947), "Introductory Remarks on Nutrition To-day",
- Nutrition and Health: Being the Cantor Lectures to the Royal Society of Arts in 1936, together with two earlier Essays, London: Faber and Faber, 1953[d]
Explanatory notes
a.
b. ^ This letter is by the "nominal overseer" of McCarrison's last salaried post. It contains particularly insightful commentary on the contribution of McCarrison at a time of significant change in the existing university and medical institutions of the UK.
c. ^ The author of this obituary letter on McCarrison is identified only as "N.C.P.", which are also the initials of N.C. Penrose, author of a 1951 letter defending the legacy of McCarrison's earlier works.
d.
Citations
- ^ PMID 13856887
- Supplement to the London Gazette(32830): 3947, 2 June 1923, retrieved 10 August 2010 (See p.3946 for list heading)
- ^ "Knighthood conferred July 1933", The London Gazette (33960): 4716, 14 July 1933, retrieved 10 August 2010
- ^ "McCarrison appointment as Honourable Physician to the King", The London Gazette (34226): 7671, 3 December 1935, retrieved 10 August 2010
- ^ "Robert McCarrison: Lieutenant to Captain on 29 January 1904", The London Gazette (27679): 3356, 24 May 1904, retrieved 10 August 2010
- ^ "Indian Medical Service: Robert McCarrison, MD: Captain to Major on 29 July 1912", The London Gazette (28639): 6377, 27 August 1912, retrieved 10 August 2010
- ^ "Maj. R. McCarrison listed for Lieutenant-Colonel", Supplement to the London Gazette (30450): 11, 1 January 1918, retrieved 10 August 2010 (List heading: "To be Brevet Lieutenant-Colonerl" is on p.10)
- ^ "Indian R. McCarrison to be Colonel from 5th November 1929", The London Gazette (33723): 3657, 5 June 1931, retrieved 10 August 2010
- ^ a b Indian Medical Service: Col. Sir R. McCarrison, Kt., C.I.E., M.D., F.R.C.P., K.H.P., to be Maj.-Gen., 19th July 1933, 16 February 1934, p. 1079, retrieved 10 August 2010
- ^ a b Indian Medical Service: Maj.-Gen. Sir R. McCarrison retires, 19th Aug. 1935, 30 August 1935, p. 5536, retrieved 10 August 2010
- PMC 2314713
- PMC 2318200
- PMC 2415481
- PMC 2523693
- ^ PMC 2016372. Retrieved 12 August 2010
- PMC 2457947
- PMC 1038277
- ^ PMID 9536623
- ^ a b c d Down the memory lane, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India, retrieved 12 August 2010
- ^ ISBN 0-521-56319-4, retrieved 12 August 2010
- ^ McCarrison, Lieut.-Colonel R (1928), "Memorandum on Malnutrition as a cause of physical inefficiency and ill-health among the masses in India (pp.96-98); Oral evidence (pp.99-116)", Royal Commission on Agriculture in India. Volume I, Part II, Evidence of Officers serving under the Government of India, Calcutta: Government of India, Central Publication Branch, pp. 95–116 (n118–n139 in electronic page fields), retrieved 12 August 2010 (Full text at Internet Archive
- ^ McCarrison, Lieut.-Colonel R (1928), p.95
- ^ Mantle, Paul, "Two Reviews (see review of Origins of the Organic Movement)", Tributes, The Man of the Trees: Richard St. Barbe Baker, p. 7, archived from the original on 8 January 2010, retrieved 14 August 2010
- ^ Sayre, Laura (4 March 2004), Review: The Origins of the Organic Movement, Rodale Institute, retrieved 14 August 2010
- ^ Ferry, Georgina (6 October 1983), "Eat your way to mental health", New Scientist, 100 (1378): 46, retrieved 13 August 2010
- ^ a b c The McCarrison Society (Scottish Group) (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011, retrieved 13 August 2010
- ^ Editorial (6 October 1983), "Big questions with elusive answers", New Scientist, 100 (1378): 2, retrieved 13 August 2010
- ^ Sir Robert McCarrison, McCarrison Society for Nutrition and Health, retrieved 13 August 2010
General and cited references
The following works discuss aspects of the life and work of Robert McCarrison.
- Hardy, Anne (January 1995), "Beriberi, Vitamin B1, and World Food Policy, 1925-1970", Medical History, 39 (1): 61–77, PMID 7877405
- William Lockeretz, ed. (2007), Organic Farming: An International History, Oxfordshire, UK & Cambridge, Massachusetts: CAB International (CABI), ISBN 978-1-84593-289-3
- Gardner, Professor A.D (11 June 1960), "Obituary: Sir Robert McCarrison (letter)", British Medical Journal, 1 (5188): 1818–1819,
- "Medical News", British Medical Journal, (Notification of pending lecture at Middlesex Hospital on Tuesday 27 June), 1 (4093): 1266, 17 June 1939, PMC 2209865
- Akhtar, Rais; Learmonth, A.T.A, eds. (1986), Geographical Aspects of Health and Disease in India, New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, retrieved 12 August 2010
- N.C.P (4 June 1960), "Obituary: Sir Robert McCarrison (letter)", British Medical Journal, 1 (5187): 1743–1744,
- Penrose, N.C (3 February 1951), "Health, Diet, Soil", British Medical Journal, 1( (4700): 250–251,
- Ramalingaswami, V (1953), "The problem of goitre prevention in India", PMID 13094515
- Sinclair, H.M, ed. (1953), The work of Sir Robert McCarrison, London: Faber and Faber
- Passmore, R (1953), "The work of Sir Robert McCarrison (book review)", Experimental Physiology, The Physiological Society, retrieved 10 August 2010
- "Ulster Medical Society", British Medical Journal, (Comment on McCarrison's visit and lecture of 30 April), 1 (3359): 944, 16 May 1925, PMC 2226736
- Vernon, James (June 2005), "The Ethics of Hunger and the Assembly of Society: The Techno-Politics of the School Meal in Modern Britain", PMID 16189931, archived from the originalon 9 November 2009, retrieved 13 August 2010
- Wrench, Dr Guy T (1938), The Wheel of Health: A Study of the Hunza People and the Keys to Health, 2009 reprint, Review Press, ISBN 978-0-9802976-6-9, retrieved 12 August 2010
External links
- British Medical Journal online archive Access to articles is free, but requires a simple registration.
- RSM journal archives back to 1809 at PubMed Central Contains archives of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, access to which is free
- McCarrison Society for Nutrition and Health - homepage