Charles Enrique Dent
Encyclopedia
Charles Enrique Dent was a British biochemist.
He was born in Burgos, Spain, son of Leeds-born Frankland Dent and his Spanish wife Carmen de Mira y Perceval. His father was the government Chemist in Singapore but his wife went home to Spain for the birth. The family later moved back to England and Charles was educated at Bedford School
and Wimbledon College
. In 1927 he left school to work in a bank but moved to work as a laboratory technician and study at evening classes at Regent Street Polytechnic. In 1930 he entered Imperial College London
to study chemistry and graduated BSc. In 1934 he was awarded a PhD for his work on copper phthalocyanin (later marketed by ICI
as 'Monastral blue') and went to work for ICI
Dyestuffs Group in Manchester.
In 1937 he entered University College, London as a medical student. During WWII he saw war service in France and as a consultant in chemistry in the scientific department of British censorship (as a specialist in secret writing), including two years service in Bermuda and the USA. In 1944 he qualified in medicine and became house physician to Sir Thomas Lewis at University College. In 1945 he was appointed Assistant to the Medical Unit at University College Hospital
Medical School under Sir Harold Himsworth and was sent to the recently liberated concentration camp at Belsen as part of the Medical Research Council
study group to study the treatment of starvation by amino-acid mixtures.
In 1946-47 he studied in Rochester, New York on a Rockefeller scholarship, initially in the field of amino-acid metabolism. He was a pioneer in the field of partition chromatography for the study of biological fluids and developed methods of random testing for metobolic disorders. He also defined new amino-acid diseases such as various forms of Fanconi syndrome, Hartnup disease, argininosuccinic aciduria and homocystinuria.
In 1949 he awarded MD and in 1951 persuaded University College Hospital to establish a metabolic ward with beds, laboratories and outpatient clinics. He was appointed Reader in medicine. His research interests broadened to include the study of clinical disorders of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, vitamin D deficiency and the action of parathyroid, increasing the emphasis on the clinical side of his work, rather than laboratory science. In 1956 he was appointed Professor of Human Metabolism at UCH.
In 1954 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
and in 1962 elected a Fellow of the Royal Society In 1956 he was made CBE
.
He died of leukaemia in 1976. He had married Margaret Ruth Coad in 1944; they had six children.
He was born in Burgos, Spain, son of Leeds-born Frankland Dent and his Spanish wife Carmen de Mira y Perceval. His father was the government Chemist in Singapore but his wife went home to Spain for the birth. The family later moved back to England and Charles was educated at Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
and Wimbledon College
Wimbledon College
Wimbledon College is a government-maintained voluntary-aided Jesuit Roman Catholic high school for boys aged 11 to 19. The school is based at Edge Hill, Wimbledon, London. It was founded in 1892 "for improvement in living and learning to the greater glory of God and the common good"...
. In 1927 he left school to work in a bank but moved to work as a laboratory technician and study at evening classes at Regent Street Polytechnic. In 1930 he entered Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
to study chemistry and graduated BSc. In 1934 he was awarded a PhD for his work on copper phthalocyanin (later marketed by ICI
ICI
ICI or Ici may mean:* ICI programming language, a computer programming language developed in 1992* Ici , an alternative weekly newspaper in Montreal, CanadaICI is also an abbreviation which may mean:...
as 'Monastral blue') and went to work for ICI
ICI
ICI or Ici may mean:* ICI programming language, a computer programming language developed in 1992* Ici , an alternative weekly newspaper in Montreal, CanadaICI is also an abbreviation which may mean:...
Dyestuffs Group in Manchester.
In 1937 he entered University College, London as a medical student. During WWII he saw war service in France and as a consultant in chemistry in the scientific department of British censorship (as a specialist in secret writing), including two years service in Bermuda and the USA. In 1944 he qualified in medicine and became house physician to Sir Thomas Lewis at University College. In 1945 he was appointed Assistant to the Medical Unit at University College Hospital
University College Hospital
University College Hospital is a teaching hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is closely associated with University College London ....
Medical School under Sir Harold Himsworth and was sent to the recently liberated concentration camp at Belsen as part of the Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council may refer to:* Medical Research Council , a UK organisation* National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia's peak funding body for medical research...
study group to study the treatment of starvation by amino-acid mixtures.
In 1946-47 he studied in Rochester, New York on a Rockefeller scholarship, initially in the field of amino-acid metabolism. He was a pioneer in the field of partition chromatography for the study of biological fluids and developed methods of random testing for metobolic disorders. He also defined new amino-acid diseases such as various forms of Fanconi syndrome, Hartnup disease, argininosuccinic aciduria and homocystinuria.
In 1949 he awarded MD and in 1951 persuaded University College Hospital to establish a metabolic ward with beds, laboratories and outpatient clinics. He was appointed Reader in medicine. His research interests broadened to include the study of clinical disorders of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, vitamin D deficiency and the action of parathyroid, increasing the emphasis on the clinical side of his work, rather than laboratory science. In 1956 he was appointed Professor of Human Metabolism at UCH.
In 1954 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
and in 1962 elected a Fellow of the Royal Society In 1956 he was made CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
.
He died of leukaemia in 1976. He had married Margaret Ruth Coad in 1944; they had six children.