William Boog Leishman
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir William Boog Leishman FRS (6 November 1865 - 2 June 1926) was a Scottish
pathologist and British Army
medical officer. He was Director-General of Army Medical Services from 1923 to 1926.
He was born in Glasgow
and attended Westminster School
and the University of Glasgow
and entered the Royal Army Medical Corps
. He served in India
, where he studied enteric fever and kala azar. He returned to the United Kingdom and was stationed at the Victoria Hospital in Netley
in 1897. In 1900 he was made Assistant Professor of Pathology in the Army Medical School, and described a method of staining blood for malaria
and other parasites — a modification and simplification of the existing Romanowsky method
using a compound of Methylene Blue
and eosin
, which became known as Leishman's stain.
In 1901, while examining pathologic specimens of a spleen
from a patient who had died of kala azar he observed oval bodies and published his account of them in 1903. Charles Donovan
of the Indian Medical Service independently found such bodies in other kala azar patients, and they are now known as Leishman-Donovan bodies, and recognized as the protozoa
n which causes kala azar, Leishmania donovani. Synonyms for kala azar now include leishmaniasis. Leishman's name was engraved into the history of parasitology by Sir Ronald Ross
, who was impressed by Leishman's work and classified the etiologic agent of kala azar in to separate genus Leishmania. The parasitic organisms from this genus were earlier described by Peter Borovsky
in 1892.
Leishman also helped elucidate the life cycle of Spirochaeta duttoni, which causes African tick fever, and, with Almroth Wright
, helped develop an effective anti-typhoid inoculation.
He was president of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
in 1911–1912.
He is buried in Highgate Cemetery
in London
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
pathologist and British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
medical officer. He was Director-General of Army Medical Services from 1923 to 1926.
He was born in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and attended Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and entered 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...
. He served in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he studied enteric fever and kala azar. He returned to the United Kingdom and was stationed at the Victoria Hospital in Netley
Netley
Netley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
in 1897. In 1900 he was made Assistant Professor of Pathology in the Army Medical School, and described a method of staining blood for malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and other parasites — a modification and simplification of the existing Romanowsky method
Romanowsky stain
Romanowsky staining is a prototypical staining technique that was the forerunner of several distinct but similar methods, including Giemsa, Jenner, Wright, Field, and Leishman stains, which are used to differentiate cells in pathologic specimens....
using a compound of Methylene Blue
Methylene blue
Methylene blue is a heterocyclic aromatic chemical compound with the molecular formula C16H18N3SCl. It has many uses in a range of different fields, such as biology and chemistry. At room temperature it appears as a solid, odorless, dark green powder, that yields a blue solution when dissolved in...
and eosin
Eosin
Eosin is a fluorescent red dye resulting from the action of bromine on fluorescein. It can be used to stain cytoplasm, collagen and muscle fibers for examination under the microscope. Structures that stain readily with eosin are termed eosinophilic....
, which became known as Leishman's stain.
In 1901, while examining pathologic specimens of a spleen
Spleen
The spleen is an organ found in virtually all vertebrate animals with important roles in regard to red blood cells and the immune system. In humans, it is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood in case of hemorrhagic shock...
from a patient who had died of kala azar he observed oval bodies and published his account of them in 1903. Charles Donovan
Charles Donovan
Colonel Charles Donovan MD was born in Calcutta. At the age of thirteen he was sent to Cork City to live with his grandfather to advance his secondary and university education. He studied at Queen's College, Cork and Trinity College, Dublin Colonel Charles Donovan MD (1863–1951) was born in...
of the Indian Medical Service independently found such bodies in other kala azar patients, and they are now known as Leishman-Donovan bodies, and recognized as the protozoa
Protozoa
Protozoa are a diverse group of single-cells eukaryotic organisms, many of which are motile. Throughout history, protozoa have been defined as single-cell protists with animal-like behavior, e.g., movement...
n which causes kala azar, Leishmania donovani. Synonyms for kala azar now include leishmaniasis. Leishman's name was engraved into the history of parasitology by Sir Ronald Ross
Ronald Ross
Sir Ronald Ross KCB FRS was a British doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria. He was the first Indian-born person to win a Nobel Prize...
, who was impressed by Leishman's work and classified the etiologic agent of kala azar in to separate genus Leishmania. The parasitic organisms from this genus were earlier described by Peter Borovsky
Peter Borovsky
Piotr Fokich Borovsky was Russian and Soviet surgeon and public health administrator who worked in Tashkent, professor of surgery in Tashkent Medical Institute.Borovsky is credited for the first correct description of the causative agent of Oriental sore....
in 1892.
Leishman also helped elucidate the life cycle of Spirochaeta duttoni, which causes African tick fever, and, with Almroth Wright
Almroth Wright
Sir Almroth Edward Wright, KBE, CB was a British bacteriologist and immunologist.He is notable for developing a system of anti-typhoid fever inoculation, recognizing early on that antibiotics would create resistant bacteria and being a strong advocate for preventive medicine.-Biography:Wright was...
, helped develop an effective anti-typhoid inoculation.
He was president of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene was founded in 1907 by Sir James Cantlie and George Carmichael Low. Sir Patrick Manson, the Society's first President is generally acknowledged as the father of tropical medicine. He passed the presidency on to the Nobel laureate Sir Ronald Ross ,...
in 1911–1912.
He is buried in Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a cemetery located in north London, England. It is designated Grade I on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is divided into two parts, named the East and West cemetery....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.