Charles James Martin
Encyclopedia
Charles James Martin, FRS, FRCS (9 January 1866 - 15 February 1955) was a British scientist who did seminal work on protein denaturation, nutrition
, snake
toxin
s and other medical topics. He was the first director of The Lister Institute for Preventative Medicine
, serving from 1903 to 1930.
Born in Hackney, North London to Josiah (an insurance company actuary) and Elizabeth Mary Martin, Charles James was part of an extended family of children from his parents' previous marriages. Being a delicate child, he was sent off to a private boarding school in Hastings
. At 15 he was employed as a junior clerk at the insurance firm where his father worked. He studied mathematics as a requirement for a future as actuary, but showed no special aptitude. Browsing through the numerous bookshops in the area, he came across a secondhand copy of "A Hundred Experiments in Chemistry for One Shilling." Carrying out these experiments, he was sufficiently inspired to entreat his father to allow him to pursue a career in science. He accordingly went up to study physiology at King's College, London. He then studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital and spent some time in Leipzig studying physiology under Karl Ludwig.
In 1887 he was appointed demonstrator in biology and physiology at King's College. In 1891 he accepted a post as lecturer at Sydney University, before moving to the University of Melbourne
as Professor of Physiology. He remained in Australia for fourteen years, after which he returned to the UK to become the first Director of the Lister Institute for Preventive Medicine.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1901. His candidacy citation read: "Professor of Physiology in the University of Melbourne
. Is eminently distinguished as an original investigator in Physiology. His chief original papers deal with the Chemistry and Physiology Action of Snake Venom, and with the action and reaction of Toxins and Antitoxins. Author of: - 'The Chemistry of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake' (Proc Roy Soc, NSW, 1892); 'The Physiology Action of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake' (ibid, 1895); Curative Action of Calmette's Serum against Australian Snakes' (Internat Med Journ, 1897–1898, and Proc Roy Soc, 1898); 'Nature of the Antagonism between Toxins and Antitoxins' (ibid, 1898, joint Author); 'Separation of Colloids and Crystalloids by Filtration' (Journ of Physiology, 1896); 'Observations on the Anatomy of the Muzzel of 'Ornithorhynchus',' with Dr Wilson (Linn Soc, NSW, 1892); 'Observations on the Femoral Gland of 'Ornithorhynchus',' with Dr Tidswell (Linn Soc, NSW, 1894); 'An Investigation into the Effects of the Darling Pea, 'Swainsonia galegifolia' (Agricultural Department of NSW); 'Cerebral Localization in Platypus' (Journ of Physiol, 1899)
During WWI he served with the Australian Army Medical Corps in the Middle-East and France as a pathologist with the rank of Lieutenant-colonel. After the war he returned to the Lister Institute and concentrated on vitamin deficiency studies until his retirement in 1931. He then spent a further two years in Australia as Professor of Biochemistry and General Physiology at the University of Adelaide
. On his return to the UK he went to live at Roebuck House in Old Chesterton, Cambridgeshire which he equipped as a laboratory. During WWII it was used to rehouse the experimental animals being used for medical studies in London.
He was awarded the Royal Society's Royal Medal in 1923 and delivered the Royal College of Physicians
Croonian Lecture
in 1930. He was knighted in 1927.
He died in 1955 at Old Chesterton. He had married Edythe Cross, daughter of Alfred Cross circa 1900. They had one daughter.
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
toxin
Toxin
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...
s and other medical topics. He was the first director of The Lister Institute for Preventative Medicine
The Lister Institute for Preventative Medicine
The Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, informally known as the Lister Institute was established as a research institute in 1891, with bacteriologist Marc Armand Ruffer as its first director, using a grant from the Guinness family. It had premises in Sudbury, Chelsea and Elstree, England. It...
, serving from 1903 to 1930.
Born in Hackney, North London to Josiah (an insurance company actuary) and Elizabeth Mary Martin, Charles James was part of an extended family of children from his parents' previous marriages. Being a delicate child, he was sent off to a private boarding school in Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
. At 15 he was employed as a junior clerk at the insurance firm where his father worked. He studied mathematics as a requirement for a future as actuary, but showed no special aptitude. Browsing through the numerous bookshops in the area, he came across a secondhand copy of "A Hundred Experiments in Chemistry for One Shilling." Carrying out these experiments, he was sufficiently inspired to entreat his father to allow him to pursue a career in science. He accordingly went up to study physiology at King's College, London. He then studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital and spent some time in Leipzig studying physiology under Karl Ludwig.
In 1887 he was appointed demonstrator in biology and physiology at King's College. In 1891 he accepted a post as lecturer at Sydney University, before moving to the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
as Professor of Physiology. He remained in Australia for fourteen years, after which he returned to the UK to become the first Director of the Lister Institute for Preventive Medicine.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1901. His candidacy citation read: "Professor of Physiology in the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. Is eminently distinguished as an original investigator in Physiology. His chief original papers deal with the Chemistry and Physiology Action of Snake Venom, and with the action and reaction of Toxins and Antitoxins. Author of: - 'The Chemistry of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake' (Proc Roy Soc, NSW, 1892); 'The Physiology Action of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake' (ibid, 1895); Curative Action of Calmette's Serum against Australian Snakes' (Internat Med Journ, 1897–1898, and Proc Roy Soc, 1898); 'Nature of the Antagonism between Toxins and Antitoxins' (ibid, 1898, joint Author); 'Separation of Colloids and Crystalloids by Filtration' (Journ of Physiology, 1896); 'Observations on the Anatomy of the Muzzel of 'Ornithorhynchus',' with Dr Wilson (Linn Soc, NSW, 1892); 'Observations on the Femoral Gland of 'Ornithorhynchus',' with Dr Tidswell (Linn Soc, NSW, 1894); 'An Investigation into the Effects of the Darling Pea, 'Swainsonia galegifolia' (Agricultural Department of NSW); 'Cerebral Localization in Platypus' (Journ of Physiol, 1899)
During WWI he served with the Australian Army Medical Corps in the Middle-East and France as a pathologist with the rank of Lieutenant-colonel. After the war he returned to the Lister Institute and concentrated on vitamin deficiency studies until his retirement in 1931. He then spent a further two years in Australia as Professor of Biochemistry and General Physiology at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
. On his return to the UK he went to live at Roebuck House in Old Chesterton, Cambridgeshire which he equipped as a laboratory. During WWII it was used to rehouse the experimental animals being used for medical studies in London.
He was awarded the Royal Society's Royal Medal in 1923 and delivered 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...
Croonian Lecture
Croonian Lecture
The Croonian Lectures are prestigious lectureships given at the invitation of the Royal Society and the Royal College of Physicians.Among the papers of William Croone at his death in 1684, was a plan to endow one lectureship at both the Royal Society and the Royal College of Physicians...
in 1930. He was knighted in 1927.
He died in 1955 at Old Chesterton. He had married Edythe Cross, daughter of Alfred Cross circa 1900. They had one daughter.