Robert Gwyn Macfarlane
Encyclopedia
Robert Gwyn Macfarlane, CBE. FRS. hematologist, (born 26 June 1907 died 26 March 1987).
Born in Worthing
, Sussex
, Gwyn Macfarlane left Cheltenham College
in 1924 and a year later entered the Medical School
of St Bartholomew's Hospital
, London. In 1936 he married Hilary Carson MD and over the next 11 years, 5 children (an elder girl followed by 4 boys) were born. Hilary, practised as a GP, whilst always offering Gwyn great academic support. She died in 2010 aged 100 years.
During Macfarlane's clinical years he was exposed to the sufferings of hemophiliacs and this subject became the core for his lifelong study into the processes of blood clotting.
He examined the Venom
of many different snakes and isolated the poison of the Russell's Viper to have the strongest blood coagulant
powers. He found that when a compound that included venom at dilutions of 1 in 100,000 was applied to a wound, bleeding
diminished. This medicine was later marketed as Stypven by Burroughs Welcome Ltd.. Stypven Time is now a standard measure for coagulation efficiency. This research was the basis for his London M.D. thesis for which he was awarded the University Gold Medal, in 1938.
In 1940 Macfarlane took the position of Clinical Pathologist at the Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford
. With a year as a Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps
in 1944, where he was exposed to the complications of Gas gangrene
on the war front, he continued to work in Oxford for the rest of his professional life. He led a team that included Rosemary Biggs and Ethel Bidwell, to investigate congenital coagulation defects, the treatment of bleeding disorders and to develop a managed environment for hemophilics to enjoy an almost normal life. Perhaps his greatest contribution to modern medicine was his deciphering of the Enzyme cascade process of blood coagulation.
In 1956 he was elected to the fellowship of The Royal Society, in 1963 he was elected a Fellow of All Souls College and in 1965 was appointed Professor of Clinical Pathology at Oxford University.
Gwyn Macfarlane was a close associate of Howard Florey during the development of a process to extract Penicillin
from culture grown in the Dunn School of Medicine. Baron Florey went on to be President of the Royal Society and Macfarlane developed an enormous respect for the capabilities of a man, held by many to be one of the greatest scientist of the twentieth century. Macfarlane considered that the role Florey had played in the development of Penicillin had been overshadowed, so when he retired to Scotland in 1967 he commenced his first authoritative biography Howard Florey, The Making of a Great Scientist which was published in 1979. Later Macfarlane's second book Alexander Fleming
, The Man and the Myth examined the life of the other great contributor to the age of anti-bacterial engineering. In later life Macfarlane felt that his close personal exposure to the these developments left him as a conduit to modern science education, and his contributions both written and in BBC TV programs etc. will always be valuable.
1938 The normal haemostatic mechanism and its failure in the heamorrhagic states. Thesis for Doctor of Medicine, University of London.
1953 (with R. Biggs) Human Blood Coagulation and its Disorders. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
1961 (with A.H.T.Robb-Smith) (ed) Functions of the Blood. Academic Press, New York.
1964 An enzyme cascade in the blood clotting mechanism, and its function as a biochemical amplifier. Nature, Lond. 202,221
1979 Howard Florey, The Making of a Great Scientist, Oxford University Press
1984 Alexander Fleming, The Man and the Myth, Chatto and Windus,
Born in Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, Gwyn Macfarlane left Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
in 1924 and a year later entered the Medical School
Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry is the medical school of Queen Mary, University of London. The school was formed in 1995 by the merger of the London Hospital Medical College , the Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital Barts and The London School of Medicine and...
of St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
, London. In 1936 he married Hilary Carson MD and over the next 11 years, 5 children (an elder girl followed by 4 boys) were born. Hilary, practised as a GP, whilst always offering Gwyn great academic support. She died in 2010 aged 100 years.
During Macfarlane's clinical years he was exposed to the sufferings of hemophiliacs and this subject became the core for his lifelong study into the processes of blood clotting.
He examined the Venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
of many different snakes and isolated the poison of the Russell's Viper to have the strongest blood coagulant
Coagulant
Coagulant can refer to:* flocculation* coagulation agent...
powers. He found that when a compound that included venom at dilutions of 1 in 100,000 was applied to a wound, bleeding
Bleeding
Bleeding, technically known as hemorrhaging or haemorrhaging is the loss of blood or blood escape from the circulatory system...
diminished. This medicine was later marketed as Stypven by Burroughs Welcome Ltd.. Stypven Time is now a standard measure for coagulation efficiency. This research was the basis for his London M.D. thesis for which he was awarded the University Gold Medal, in 1938.
In 1940 Macfarlane took the position of Clinical Pathologist at the Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. With a year as a Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
in 1944, where he was exposed to the complications of Gas gangrene
Gas gangrene
Gas gangrene is a bacterial infection that produces gas tissues in gangrene. It is a deadly form of gangrene usually caused by Clostridium perfringens bacteria. It is a medical emergency....
on the war front, he continued to work in Oxford for the rest of his professional life. He led a team that included Rosemary Biggs and Ethel Bidwell, to investigate congenital coagulation defects, the treatment of bleeding disorders and to develop a managed environment for hemophilics to enjoy an almost normal life. Perhaps his greatest contribution to modern medicine was his deciphering of the Enzyme cascade process of blood coagulation.
In 1956 he was elected to the fellowship of The Royal Society, in 1963 he was elected a Fellow of All Souls College and in 1965 was appointed Professor of Clinical Pathology at Oxford University.
Gwyn Macfarlane was a close associate of Howard Florey during the development of a process to extract Penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
from culture grown in the Dunn School of Medicine. Baron Florey went on to be President of the Royal Society and Macfarlane developed an enormous respect for the capabilities of a man, held by many to be one of the greatest scientist of the twentieth century. Macfarlane considered that the role Florey had played in the development of Penicillin had been overshadowed, so when he retired to Scotland in 1967 he commenced his first authoritative biography Howard Florey, The Making of a Great Scientist which was published in 1979. Later Macfarlane's second book Alexander Fleming
Alexander Fleming
Sir Alexander Fleming was a Scottish biologist and pharmacologist. He wrote many articles on bacteriology, immunology, and chemotherapy...
, The Man and the Myth examined the life of the other great contributor to the age of anti-bacterial engineering. In later life Macfarlane felt that his close personal exposure to the these developments left him as a conduit to modern science education, and his contributions both written and in BBC TV programs etc. will always be valuable.
Selected works
1934 (with B. Barnett) The haemostatic possibilities of snake venom. Lancet, ii,9851938 The normal haemostatic mechanism and its failure in the heamorrhagic states. Thesis for Doctor of Medicine, University of London.
1953 (with R. Biggs) Human Blood Coagulation and its Disorders. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
1961 (with A.H.T.Robb-Smith) (ed) Functions of the Blood. Academic Press, New York.
1964 An enzyme cascade in the blood clotting mechanism, and its function as a biochemical amplifier. Nature, Lond. 202,221
1979 Howard Florey, The Making of a Great Scientist, Oxford University Press
1984 Alexander Fleming, The Man and the Myth, Chatto and Windus,