Jerome W. Conn
Encyclopedia
Jerome W. Conn was an American endocrinologist
best known for his description of Conn syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism.
and studied for three years at Rutgers University
before he entered the University of Michigan Medical School at Ann Arbor in 1928. The Great Depression
of 1929 made it hard for his family to support his education, but his sisters managed to pay for it with their salaries.
He graduated with honors in 1932 and started an internship in surgery
before switching to internal medicine
. Conn worked at the Division of Clinical Investigation where he worked under Louis H. Newburgh on the relationship between obesity
and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
. Conn proved that normal carbohydrate tolerance could be reached in twenty of twenty-one subjects when they reached normal weight. He became fellow in 1935 and assistant professor
in 1938.
From 1943 Conn took on the Division of Endocrinology and started an investigation concerning acclimatization of military personnel to warm climates like in the South Pacific
. He discovered that the excretion of sodium
in sweat
, urine
and saliva
was curtailed in these circumstances.
At the Presidential address to the Society of Clinical Research Conn presented a thirty-four year old patient complaining of episodic weakness of the lower legs, almost to paralysis, with periodic muscle spasms and cramps in her hands for a total period of seven years. After extensive research he had found a condition he called primary hyperaldesteronism, later called Conn syndrome. There were elevated levels of aldosterone in her circulation.
Conn wrote a total of 284 articles and book chapters and was recognized as a tutor stimulating others in research. His clinic was leading for years after in research on hyperaldosteronism.
Conn was honored by being named L. H. Newburgh Distinguished University Professor in 1968. There were many other honors during his career; he was member of twelve national professional societies.
His retirement was in 1974. He died in Naples, Florida
.
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...
best known for his description of Conn syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism.
Biography
Conn was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and studied for three years at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
before he entered the University of Michigan Medical School at Ann Arbor in 1928. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of 1929 made it hard for his family to support his education, but his sisters managed to pay for it with their salaries.
He graduated with honors in 1932 and started an internship in surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
before switching to internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
. Conn worked at the Division of Clinical Investigation where he worked under Louis H. Newburgh on the relationship between obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
. Conn proved that normal carbohydrate tolerance could be reached in twenty of twenty-one subjects when they reached normal weight. He became fellow in 1935 and assistant professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in 1938.
From 1943 Conn took on the Division of Endocrinology and started an investigation concerning acclimatization of military personnel to warm climates like in the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. He discovered that the excretion of sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
in sweat
SWEAT
SWEAT is an OLN/TSN show hosted by Julie Zwillich that aired in 2003-2004.Each of the 13 half-hour episodes of SWEAT features a different outdoor sport: kayaking, mountain biking, ice hockey, beach volleyball, soccer, windsurfing, rowing, Ultimate, triathlon, wakeboarding, snowboarding, telemark...
, urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
and saliva
Saliva
Saliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
was curtailed in these circumstances.
At the Presidential address to the Society of Clinical Research Conn presented a thirty-four year old patient complaining of episodic weakness of the lower legs, almost to paralysis, with periodic muscle spasms and cramps in her hands for a total period of seven years. After extensive research he had found a condition he called primary hyperaldesteronism, later called Conn syndrome. There were elevated levels of aldosterone in her circulation.
Conn wrote a total of 284 articles and book chapters and was recognized as a tutor stimulating others in research. His clinic was leading for years after in research on hyperaldosteronism.
Conn was honored by being named L. H. Newburgh Distinguished University Professor in 1968. There were many other honors during his career; he was member of twelve national professional societies.
His retirement was in 1974. He died in Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
.