Herbert Dudley Purves
Encyclopedia
Herbert Dudley Purves, CMG
, ChB
, MB, MSc
, HonDSc, Fellow RSNZ
, Fellow RACP (25 September 1908 – 15 April 1993) was a New Zealand
academic, chemist
, mathematician
, medical researcher and scientist.
He was educated at Hastings West Primary School and Napier Boys' High School. Purves' academic strengths showed early for he received prizes for Science in the third form, for Mathematics in the fourth form and for Latin, Mathematics and Science in the lower 6th. He won the Isabella Siteman scholarship which was awarded to the highest ranking Hawkes Bay student who did not make the Scholarship list. The scholarship required Purves to study science or medicine at the University of Otago
. In 1926 he travelled to Dunedin
to study physics
, chemistry
and mathematics
. He majored in chemistry, earning a BSc in 1928 and an MSc with First Class Honours in Chemistry
in 1931.
Dr Purves' working life was spent in full-time medical research at the University of Otago Medical School in Dunedin. He began in 1932, as a research assistant to Sir Charles Hercus, then Professor of Bacteriology and Public Health.
Purves was later supported by funds from a Medical Research Council grant for research into thyroid problems, administered by a committee headed by Sir Charles Hercus. Hercus encouraged Purves to take the Medical course, which he did between 1935 and 1941 when he graduated MB/ChB. In 1941 Purves became Principal Research Officer and Director of the New Zealand Medical Research Council's Thyroid Research Department in Dunedin which later became the Endocrinology
Research
Unit. In 1968 the Unit became the Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology and Metabolism, and in 1971, The Neuroendocrinology Group. Purves played a leading role in the abolition of thyroid enlargement (goitre) which once disfigured nearly 20% of the population.http://www.rsnz.org/directory/yearbooks/ybook95/Purves.html
Purves' merits were recognised by his colleagues in Dunedin who made him President of the University of Otago Medical Research Society in 1955 and on his retirement, a life member of the Society. The endocrinologists of New Zealand elected him President of the New Zealand Society of Endocrinology from 1963-68, and his colleagues abroad conferred on him the title of Distinguished Thyroid Scientist at the seventh International Thyroid Conference in 1975.
In 1974 also he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for his distinguished contribution to medical research. In 1987, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Medical Research Council the then Governor-General, Sir Paul Reeves, presented Dr. Purves with a special silver medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to medical research.
in 1939. She survives him as do their two daughters, Hilary Helen and Elizabeth Celia, and son, Robert Dudley Purves.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, ChB
CHB
CHB may refer to:*Centre for the history of the book University of Edinburgh*Centre half-back in Australian rules football*CHB Bank of South Korea*Champion Homes, NASDAQ symbol CHB*Chang Hwa Bank of Taiwan*Children's Hospital Boston*Chronic Hepatitis B...
, MB, MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
, HonDSc, Fellow RSNZ
Royal Society of New Zealand
The Royal Society of New Zealand , known as the New Zealand Institute before 1933, was established in 1867 to co-ordinate and assist the activities of a number of regional research societies including the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of...
, Fellow RACP (25 September 1908 – 15 April 1993) was a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
academic, 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...
, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, medical researcher and scientist.
He was educated at Hastings West Primary School and Napier Boys' High School. Purves' academic strengths showed early for he received prizes for Science in the third form, for Mathematics in the fourth form and for Latin, Mathematics and Science in the lower 6th. He won the Isabella Siteman scholarship which was awarded to the highest ranking Hawkes Bay student who did not make the Scholarship list. The scholarship required Purves to study science or medicine at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
. In 1926 he travelled to Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
to study physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. He majored in chemistry, earning a BSc in 1928 and an MSc with First Class Honours in Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in 1931.
Dr Purves' working life was spent in full-time medical research at the University of Otago Medical School in Dunedin. He began in 1932, as a research assistant to Sir Charles Hercus, then Professor of Bacteriology and Public Health.
Purves was later supported by funds from a Medical Research Council grant for research into thyroid problems, administered by a committee headed by Sir Charles Hercus. Hercus encouraged Purves to take the Medical course, which he did between 1935 and 1941 when he graduated MB/ChB. In 1941 Purves became Principal Research Officer and Director of the New Zealand Medical Research Council's Thyroid Research Department in Dunedin which later became the Endocrinology
Endocrinology
Endocrinology is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions called hormones, the integration of developmental events such as proliferation, growth, and differentiation and the coordination of...
Research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
Unit. In 1968 the Unit became the Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology and Metabolism, and in 1971, The Neuroendocrinology Group. Purves played a leading role in the abolition of thyroid enlargement (goitre) which once disfigured nearly 20% of the population.http://www.rsnz.org/directory/yearbooks/ybook95/Purves.html
Purves' merits were recognised by his colleagues in Dunedin who made him President of the University of Otago Medical Research Society in 1955 and on his retirement, a life member of the Society. The endocrinologists of New Zealand elected him President of the New Zealand Society of Endocrinology from 1963-68, and his colleagues abroad conferred on him the title of Distinguished Thyroid Scientist at the seventh International Thyroid Conference in 1975.
Honours
- Election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1967
- Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1970
- Honorary DSc from Otago University in 1972
In 1974 also he was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for his distinguished contribution to medical research. In 1987, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Medical Research Council the then Governor-General, Sir Paul Reeves, presented Dr. Purves with a special silver medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to medical research.
Family
Purves married Daphne Helen CowieDaphne Purves
Dame Daphne Helen Purves, DBE was New Zealand's oldest Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the time of her death. Her main area of expertise was education...
in 1939. She survives him as do their two daughters, Hilary Helen and Elizabeth Celia, and son, Robert Dudley Purves.
Additional Links
- http://web.archive.org/web/20040902123814/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/4369/Bookplate/newzealand_4.htm
- http://www.rsnz.org/awards/academy_awards/hector.php