Charles Suckling
Encyclopedia
Charles Walter Suckling, Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) (1920-) is a British
chemist
who first synthesised
halothane
, a volatile inhalational anaesthetic
in 1951, while working at the Imperial Chemical Industries
(ICI) Central Laboratory in Widnes
.
, Wallasey and Liverpool University.
He worked, initially as a research chemist, for ICI
from 1942 to 1982, becoming Deputy Chairman of Mond Division in 1969 and Chairman of Paints Division in 1972, finally being appointed General Manager of Research in 1977 (until retirement in 1982). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1978.
He married Eleanor Margaret Watterson in 1946; they had two sons and a daaughter.
and diethyl ether
, both of which had several serious drawbacks. Ether was highly flammable, which was particularly dangerous in operating theatres as electrical equipment such as diathermy
became more common. Chloroform was toxic to the liver.
The halogenated
alkane
s (alkyl halides, also known as haloalkane
s) in general, and in particular the fluorinated
compounds were promising because they were volatile
but not flammable
. Suckling had worked on such compounds extensively during World War II
, when they were used in the production of high-octane aviation fuel, and in the purification of uranium-235. He proceeded to synthesise a variety of fluorinated hydrocarbons before evaluating them for anaesthetic properties. He liaised closely with clinicians, initially in setting target physicochemical properties for ideal agents and then later in evaluating the developed compounds.
Suckling first investigated halothane's anaesthetic action by experimenting on mealworm
s and houseflies, and then forwarded it to Jaume Raventos
, a pharmacologist, for evaluation of anaesthesia in other animals. After Raventos established its pharmacological properties, it was given to Michael Johnstone, an anaesthetist in Manchester
, England, who recognised its great advantages over the other anaesthetics available and established its first clinical trial in 1956. This process of systematic study of chemical compounds with a set of pre-defined characteristics has been identified as one of the first examples of modern drug design
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) (1920-) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
who first synthesised
Chemical synthesis
In chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of chemical reactions to get a product, or several products. This happens by physical and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions...
halothane
Halothane
Halothane is an inhalational general anesthetic. Its IUPAC name is 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane. It is the only inhalational anesthetic agent containing a bromine atom; there are several other halogenated anesthesia agents which lack the bromine atom and do contain the fluorine and...
, a volatile inhalational anaesthetic
Inhalational anaesthetic
An inhalational anaesthetic is a chemical compound possessing general anaesthetic properties that can be delivered via inhalation. They are administered by anaesthetists through an anaesthesia mask, laryngeal mask airway or tracheal tube connected to some type of anaesthetic vaporiser and an...
in 1951, while working at the Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
(ICI) Central Laboratory in Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
.
Biography
He was born in Teddington, London, the son of Edward Ernest and Barbara (née Thomson) Suckling and educated at Oldershaw Grammar SchoolOldershaw school
Oldershaw Academy is a secondary school located in the Liscard area of Wallasey, England and is a specialist Business and Enterprise College.-Grammar school:...
, Wallasey and Liverpool University.
He worked, initially as a research chemist, 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:...
from 1942 to 1982, becoming Deputy Chairman of Mond Division in 1969 and Chairman of Paints Division in 1972, finally being appointed General Manager of Research in 1977 (until retirement in 1982). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1978.
He married Eleanor Margaret Watterson in 1946; they had two sons and a daaughter.
Halothane research
At the time of Suckling's original research, the main anaesthetic gases in use were chloroformChloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
and diethyl ether
Diethyl ether
Diethyl ether, also known as ethyl ether, simply ether, or ethoxyethane, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula . It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid with a characteristic odor...
, both of which had several serious drawbacks. Ether was highly flammable, which was particularly dangerous in operating theatres as electrical equipment such as diathermy
Dielectric heating
Dielectric heating, also known as electronic heating, RF heating, high-frequency heating and diathermy, is the process in which a high-frequency alternating electric field, or radio wave or microwave electromagnetic radiation heats a dielectric material. At higher frequencies, this heating is...
became more common. Chloroform was toxic to the liver.
The halogenated
Halogenation
Halogenation is a chemical reaction that incorporates a halogen atom into a molecule in substitution of hydrogen atom. Halogenation takes place in the gas phase. There are four types of halogenation: fluorination, chlorination, bromination, and iodination...
alkane
Alkane
Alkanes are chemical compounds that consist only of hydrogen and carbon atoms and are bonded exclusively by single bonds without any cycles...
s (alkyl halides, also known as haloalkane
Haloalkane
The haloalkanes are a group of chemical compounds derived from alkanes containing one or more halogens. They are a subset of the general class of halocarbons, although the distinction is not often made. Haloalkanes are widely used commercially and, consequently, are known under many chemical and...
s) in general, and in particular the fluorinated
Fluorine
Fluorine is the chemical element with atomic number 9, represented by the symbol F. It is the lightest element of the halogen column of the periodic table and has a single stable isotope, fluorine-19. At standard pressure and temperature, fluorine is a pale yellow gas composed of diatomic...
compounds were promising because they were volatile
Volatility (chemistry)
In chemistry and physics, volatility is the tendency of a substance to vaporize. Volatility is directly related to a substance's vapor pressure. At a given temperature, a substance with higher vapor pressure vaporizes more readily than a substance with a lower vapor pressure.The term is primarily...
but not flammable
Flammability
Flammability is defined as how easily something will burn or ignite, causing fire or combustion. The degree of difficulty required to cause the combustion of a substance is quantified through fire testing. Internationally, a variety of test protocols exist to quantify flammability...
. Suckling had worked on such compounds extensively during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when they were used in the production of high-octane aviation fuel, and in the purification of uranium-235. He proceeded to synthesise a variety of fluorinated hydrocarbons before evaluating them for anaesthetic properties. He liaised closely with clinicians, initially in setting target physicochemical properties for ideal agents and then later in evaluating the developed compounds.
Suckling first investigated halothane's anaesthetic action by experimenting on mealworm
Mealworm
Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle. Like all holometabolic insects, they go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult...
s and houseflies, and then forwarded it to Jaume Raventos
Jaume Raventos
Jaume Raventós i Gavaldà Catalan scientist and pharmacologist, who as a refugee from Franco's Spain worked in Edinburgh and Manchester. Intimately involved in the characterisation of Halothane in conjunction with Charles Suckling. Known as James Raventos in the UK...
, a pharmacologist, for evaluation of anaesthesia in other animals. After Raventos established its pharmacological properties, it was given to Michael Johnstone, an anaesthetist in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England, who recognised its great advantages over the other anaesthetics available and established its first clinical trial in 1956. This process of systematic study of chemical compounds with a set of pre-defined characteristics has been identified as one of the first examples of modern drug design
Drug design
Drug design, also sometimes referred to as rational drug design or structure-based drug design, is the inventive process of finding new medications based on the knowledge of the biological target...
.