Henry Bence Jones
Encyclopedia
Henry Bence Jones was an English
physician
and chemist
.
, the son of Lieutenant Colonel William Jones, an officer in the 5th Dragoon Guards
, and Matilda Bence. He went to school at Hingham, Norfolk and a private school in Putney.
He entered Harrow
in 1827 and then went up to Trinity College, Cambridge
in 1832, obtaining his degree in 1836. He initially worked for an apothecary but subsequently (1838) enrolled to study medicine at St George's Hospital
, and in 1839 chemistry at University College, London. In 1841 he went to Giessen
in Germany to work at chemistry with Liebig
.
On his return he took a post at St George's hospital and after being promoted to assistant physician was elected in 1846 to full physician, resigning on health grounds in 1862.
In 1847, he described the Bence Jones protein
, a globulin protein found in blood and urine, suggestive of multiple myeloma
or Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.
Besides becoming a fellow, and afterwards senior censor, of the Royal College of Physicians
, and a fellow of the Royal Society
, he held the post of secretary to the Royal Institution
for many years. He delivered the Croonian Lecture to the Royal College of Physicians on Matter and Force in 1868.
He wrote, in addition to several scientific books and a number of papers in scientific periodicals, The Life and Letters of Faraday (1870).
He died in London on 20 April 1873 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
. He had married his second cousin, Lady Millicent Acheson, daughter of the Earl of Gosford, in May 1842. They had seven children.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and 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...
.
Biography
He was born at Thorington Hall, Yoxley, SuffolkSuffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, the son of Lieutenant Colonel William Jones, an officer in the 5th Dragoon Guards
5th Dragoon Guards
The 5th Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in 1922....
, and Matilda Bence. He went to school at Hingham, Norfolk and a private school in Putney.
He entered Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
in 1827 and then went up to Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
in 1832, obtaining his degree in 1836. He initially worked for an apothecary but subsequently (1838) enrolled to study medicine at St George's Hospital
St George's Hospital
Founded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
, and in 1839 chemistry at University College, London. In 1841 he went to Giessen
University of Giessen
The University of Giessen is officially called the Justus Liebig University Giessen after its most famous faculty member, Justus von Liebig, the founder of modern agricultural chemistry and inventor of artificial fertiliser.-History:The University of Gießen is among the oldest institutions of...
in Germany to work at chemistry with Liebig
Justus von Liebig
Justus von Liebig was a German chemist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and worked on the organization of organic chemistry. As a professor, he devised the modern laboratory-oriented teaching method, and for such innovations, he is regarded as one of the...
.
On his return he took a post at St George's hospital and after being promoted to assistant physician was elected in 1846 to full physician, resigning on health grounds in 1862.
In 1847, he described the Bence Jones protein
Bence Jones protein
A Bence Jones protein is a monoclonal globulin protein found in the blood or urine, with a molecular weight of 22-24 kDa.Finding this protein is often suggestive of multiple myeloma or Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia....
, a globulin protein found in blood and urine, suggestive of multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
or Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.
Besides becoming a fellow, and afterwards senior censor, 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 a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, he held the post of secretary to the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
for many years. He delivered the Croonian Lecture to the Royal College of Physicians on Matter and Force in 1868.
He wrote, in addition to several scientific books and a number of papers in scientific periodicals, The Life and Letters of Faraday (1870).
He died in London on 20 April 1873 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
. He had married his second cousin, Lady Millicent Acheson, daughter of the Earl of Gosford, in May 1842. They had seven children.