Seale Harris
Encyclopedia
Seale Harris was an American
physician
and researcher born in Cedartown, Georgia
and nicknamed "the Benjamin Franklin
of Medicine
" by contemporaries for his leadership and writing on a wide range of medical and political topics. Dr. Seale Harris' most celebrated accomplishments were his 1924 discovery of Hyperinsulinism
and his recognition of spontaneous hypoglycemia
.
in 1894, and established a medical practice in Union Springs, Alabama
. After the completion of postgraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University
, Dr. Harris accepted the position of Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Medical College of Alabama in Mobile
. During World War I
, Harris was commissioned as a major
in the Medical Corps
of the U.S. Army and served with distinction.
Returning to private practice in Birmingham
, Dr. Harris was instrumental in building the
50-bed "Gorgas Hospital Hotel" which later became Montclair Baptist Medical Center. A prolific author and contributor to medical literature, in 1949 Dr.Harris was awarded the American Medical Association's
Distinguished Service Medal for his research in hyperinsulinism. He was instrumental in establishing a camp near Mobile
for children with diabetes, and in tribute to his life and work, it was later designated Camp Seale Harris.
The life of Seale Harris was one of a rare individual who applied his competence successfully in several fields and enriched all who came in contact with him. He brought to his practice of internal medicine a strong background of training received in this country and abroad. He opened the Seale Harris Clinic in Birmingham
in 1922 and it became a medical landmark during his lifetime. The clinic and name are perpetuated by his successors. Shortly after the discovery of insulin
, Harris visited Canada
to study diabetes cases with the scientists who discovered the hormone. These studies led to his extensive research on the effects in nondiabetic patients of an excessive secretion of insulin
and his
recognition that hyperinsulinism, the condition caused by these excess secretions, results in hypoglycemia, an abnormal deficiency of sugar in the blood. His research on hyperinsulinism and its control brought international recognition to Harris, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest scientific award of the American Medical Association.
While serving in the Army
during World War I
, he edited the journal, War Medicine, published in Paris
, and for 12 years he was the owner and editor of the Southern Medical Journal
. His writings include more than 100 contributions to the medical literature and books in such diverse fields as clinical practice, biography and politics. Widely respected among doctors, Harris served at various times as president of the Southern Medical Association, Medical Association of the State of Alabama, and the American Medical Editors Association. Seale Harris lived as a true physician, ministering to his patients, advancing the science of his profession, and serving his community and fellow man.
It occurs at all ages, in both sexes during the course of a wide variety of diseases and is the presenting sign of many other disturbances, such as functional disorders of the pancreas, hyperplasia of the islands of Langerhans, or insulinoma.
The concept of the syndrome was postulated by Mr.Harris, in 1924, after he observed insulin produced hypoglycemia
. It is observable more frequently in adults but a small number of cases of so-called idiopathic hypoglycaemosis, sometimes familial, have been observed in infants.
See also Hers' disease, or Glycogen storage disease type 6, under Henri-Géry Hers, Belgian physiologist and biochemist
.
†Source: Adapted from whonamedit.com
, and with a commission of major
in the Medical Corps
of the U.S. Army, Dr. Harris was assigned to the staff of general William Crawford Gorgas. While serving overseas he was personally decorated for meritorious service by general John J. Pershing
.
was established by Act of Alabama No. 646 (1951) to recognize "worthy citizens of the state who rendered outstanding service or who won fame on account of their achievements as to make them exceptional in the history of Alabama". Harris was posthumously
elected in 1965 to the Alabama Hall of Fame.
‡Source: Lite For Life
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 researcher born in Cedartown, Georgia
Cedartown, Georgia
Cedartown is a city in Polk County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 9,750. The city is the county seat of Polk County...
and nicknamed "the Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
of Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
" by contemporaries for his leadership and writing on a wide range of medical and political topics. Dr. Seale Harris' most celebrated accomplishments were his 1924 discovery of Hyperinsulinism
Hyperinsulinism
Hyperinsulinism refers to an above normal level of insulin in the blood of a person or animal. Normal insulin secretion and blood levels are closely related to the level of glucose in the blood, so that a given level of insulin can be normal for one blood glucose level but low or high for another...
and his recognition of spontaneous hypoglycemia
Spontaneous hypoglycemia
The term "spontaneous hypoglycemia" was coined by the physician Seale Harris.It is a vague term that is currently considered to be too imprecise to be useful by doctors interested in hypoglycemia, though it may have historical value....
.
Life
Dr. Harris received a medical degree from the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1894, and established a medical practice in Union Springs, Alabama
Union Springs, Alabama
Union Springs is a town in Bullock County, Alabama, United States. The population was 3,670 at the 2000 census.-History:The area that became Union Springs was first settled by white men after the Creek Indian removal of the 1830s. Twenty-seven springs watered the land, giving rise to the name of...
. After the completion of postgraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Dr. Harris accepted the position of Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Medical College of Alabama in Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Harris was commissioned as a major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in the Medical Corps
Medical Corps (United States Army)
The Medical Corps of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an MD or a DO degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.The MC traces its earliest origins...
of the U.S. Army and served with distinction.
Returning to private practice in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Dr. Harris was instrumental in building the
50-bed "Gorgas Hospital Hotel" which later became Montclair Baptist Medical Center. A prolific author and contributor to medical literature, in 1949 Dr.Harris was awarded the American Medical Association's
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
Distinguished Service Medal for his research in hyperinsulinism. He was instrumental in establishing a camp near Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
for children with diabetes, and in tribute to his life and work, it was later designated Camp Seale Harris.
The life of Seale Harris was one of a rare individual who applied his competence successfully in several fields and enriched all who came in contact with him. He brought to his practice of internal medicine a strong background of training received in this country and abroad. He opened the Seale Harris Clinic in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
in 1922 and it became a medical landmark during his lifetime. The clinic and name are perpetuated by his successors. Shortly after the discovery of insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
, Harris visited Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to study diabetes cases with the scientists who discovered the hormone. These studies led to his extensive research on the effects in nondiabetic patients of an excessive secretion of insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
and his
recognition that hyperinsulinism, the condition caused by these excess secretions, results in hypoglycemia, an abnormal deficiency of sugar in the blood. His research on hyperinsulinism and its control brought international recognition to Harris, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest scientific award of the American Medical Association.
While serving in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he edited the journal, War Medicine, published in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and for 12 years he was the owner and editor of the Southern Medical Journal
Southern Medical Journal
The Southern Medical Journal is a peer-reviewed medical journal. It is the official publication of the Southern Medical Association. The journal is indexed and abstracted in Index Medicus, Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and EMBASE....
. His writings include more than 100 contributions to the medical literature and books in such diverse fields as clinical practice, biography and politics. Widely respected among doctors, Harris served at various times as president of the Southern Medical Association, Medical Association of the State of Alabama, and the American Medical Editors Association. Seale Harris lived as a true physician, ministering to his patients, advancing the science of his profession, and serving his community and fellow man.
Harris' syndrome
Harris' Syndrome is a historical term for hyperinsulinismus that may occur in insulin-producing tumours of the pancreas (insulinoma). The syndrome is characterized by low blood sugar, weakness, hunger (epinephrine response), a sense of jitteriness, increasing nervousness, mild mental confusion or even personality alterations with erratic behaviour, and a compensatory hyperadrenalaemia with tachycardia and flushing and sweating. Other features include headache, visual disturbances, twitching, thick speech, transitory hemiplegia, seizures (cerebral response).It occurs at all ages, in both sexes during the course of a wide variety of diseases and is the presenting sign of many other disturbances, such as functional disorders of the pancreas, hyperplasia of the islands of Langerhans, or insulinoma.
The concept of the syndrome was postulated by Mr.Harris, in 1924, after he observed insulin produced hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia or hypoglycæmia is the medical term for a state produced by a lower than normal level of blood glucose. The term literally means "under-sweet blood"...
. It is observable more frequently in adults but a small number of cases of so-called idiopathic hypoglycaemosis, sometimes familial, have been observed in infants.
See also Hers' disease, or Glycogen storage disease type 6, under Henri-Géry Hers, Belgian physiologist and biochemist
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
.
†Source: Adapted from whonamedit.com
Military career
With the advent of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and with a commission of major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in the Medical Corps
Medical Corps (United States Army)
The Medical Corps of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an MD or a DO degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.The MC traces its earliest origins...
of the U.S. Army, Dr. Harris was assigned to the staff of general William Crawford Gorgas. While serving overseas he was personally decorated for meritorious service by general John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
.
Alabama Hall of Fame
The Alabama Hall of FameAlabama Hall of Fame
The Alabama Hall of Fame was established by Act of Alabama No. 646 to recognize "worthy citizens of the state who rendered outstanding service or who won fame on account of their achievements as to make them exceptional in the history of Alabama"...
was established by Act of Alabama No. 646 (1951) to recognize "worthy citizens of the state who rendered outstanding service or who won fame on account of their achievements as to make them exceptional in the history of Alabama". Harris was posthumously
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
elected in 1965 to the Alabama Hall of Fame.
Seale Harris Award
This award, named in honor of Seale Harris and established in 1958 at the Southern Medical Association meeting in New Orleans, is presented annually to a member of the Southern Medical Association in recognition of important research accomplishments in the broad field of metabolism, endocrinology, or nutrition, or for significant accomplishments contributing to a better understanding of the chemical changes occurring in disease.Selected bibliography
- Banting's Miracle: the Story of the Discoverer of Insulin. LippincottJ. B. Lippincott CompanyJ. B. Lippincott & Co. was an American publishing house founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1836 by Joshua Ballinger Lippincott.Formed by descendants of the Religious Society of Friends, Joshua Lippincott's company began selling a line of Bibles, prayer books and other religious works before...
, 1946. - Woman's Surgeon: the Life Story of J. Marion Sims MacMillan, 1950.
- The Nation's Greatest Need: A National Department of Health. American Journal of Public Health, 1920.
- Nutrition, The Most Important Public Health Problem of Today. Southern Medical Journal, 1922.
- Insulin and Diet In The Treatment of Diabetes. Lippincott, 1923.
- Hyperinsulinism and Dysinsulinism. J.A.M.A., 1924.
- The Sugar Fed Child. UAB Press, 1928.
- Nomenclature of Disorders of Insulin Secretion. Annals of Internal Medicine, 1934.
- The Diagnosis and Treatment of Hyperinsulism. Annals of Internal Medicine, 1936.
‡Source: Lite For Life