W. H. Gaskell
Encyclopedia
Walter Holbrook Gaskell FRS (1 November 1847; Naples
- 7 September 1914; Great Shelford
) was a British physiologist.
The son of barrister John Dakin Gaskell, he was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge
, receiving his BA in 1869. He worked in the Physiological Laboratory of the University of Cambridge
, focusing on the physiology of the heart
and the vascular and nervous system
s. His research was central to the understanding of cardiac physiology. Key discoveries included the sequence of cardiac contraction, dual autonomic
control of the heart, introduction of the concept of heart block
and the experimental demonstration of the myogenic origin of the heartbeat. His research also laid the foundations for investigation into cardiac arrhythmias. He also made progress in mapping the sympathetic nervous system
. In 1881, he was the first to describe the effects of extracellular pH on cardiac and vascular tissues.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1882 and gave their Croonian lecture of that year. In 1889 he won their Royal Medal
for his contributions both to cardiac physiology and to the anatomy and physiology of the sympathetic nervous system.
He wrote "The Origin of the Vertebrates", published by Longmans, Green, and Co., London, in 1908.
He died at his home The Uplands, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire on the 7th September 1914. He had married Catherine Sharpe Parker in 1875; they had four daughters and a son.
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
- 7 September 1914; Great Shelford
Great Shelford
Great Shelford is a village located approximately four miles to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England. In 1850 Great Shelford parish contained intersected by the river Cam. The population in 1841 was 803 people...
) was a British physiologist.
The son of barrister John Dakin Gaskell, he was educated at 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...
, receiving his BA in 1869. He worked in the Physiological Laboratory of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, focusing on the physiology of the heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
and the vascular and nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
s. His research was central to the understanding of cardiac physiology. Key discoveries included the sequence of cardiac contraction, dual autonomic
Autonomic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system is the part of the peripheral nervous system that acts as a control system functioning largely below the level of consciousness, and controls visceral functions. The ANS affects heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, salivation, perspiration, diameter of the pupils,...
control of the heart, introduction of the concept of heart block
Heart block
A heart block can be a blockage at any level of the electrical conduction system of the heart .* Blocks that occur within the sinoatrial node are described as SA nodal blocks....
and the experimental demonstration of the myogenic origin of the heartbeat. His research also laid the foundations for investigation into cardiac arrhythmias. He also made progress in mapping the sympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system is one of the three parts of the autonomic nervous system, along with the enteric and parasympathetic systems. Its general action is to mobilize the body's nervous system fight-or-flight response...
. In 1881, he was the first to describe the effects of extracellular pH on cardiac and vascular tissues.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1882 and gave their Croonian lecture of that year. In 1889 he won their Royal Medal
Royal Medal
The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal, is a silver-gilt medal awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge" and one for "distinguished contributions in the applied sciences" made within the Commonwealth of...
for his contributions both to cardiac physiology and to the anatomy and physiology of the sympathetic nervous system.
He wrote "The Origin of the Vertebrates", published by Longmans, Green, and Co., London, in 1908.
He died at his home The Uplands, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire on the 7th September 1914. He had married Catherine Sharpe Parker in 1875; they had four daughters and a son.
