Sir Charles James MartinCMGFRSFRCS[1] (9 January 1866 – 15 February 1955) was a British scientist who did seminal work on a very wide range of topics including snake toxins, control of body temperature, plague and the way it was spread, dysentery, typhoid and paratyphoid, nutrition and vitamin deficiencies, proteins, and myxomatosis as a means of controlling rabbit populations. He was a director of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, serving from 1903 to 1930.[1][2]
Born in Wilmot House, Dalston,[3]Hackney, North London he was the twelfth[3] child of Josiah (an insurance company actuary) and Elizabeth Mary Martin (née Lewis),[3] Charles James was part of an extended family of children from his parents' previous marriages. Being a delicate child, he was sent off to a private boarding school in Hastings.
At 15 he was employed as a junior clerk at the insurance firm where his father worked. He studied mathematics as a requirement for a future as actuary, but showed no special aptitude. Browsing through the numerous bookshops in the area, he came across a secondhand copy of "A Hundred Experiments in Chemistry for One Shilling." Carrying out these experiments, he was sufficiently inspired to entreat his father to allow him to pursue a career in science. He accordingly took evening classes at King's College, London. He then studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital and spent some time in Leipzig studying physiology under Karl Ludwig.
Careeredit
Sister Florence Elizabeth McMillan, Dr Anderson in the centre and Sir Charles James Martin on the right
Professor of Physiology in the University of Melbourne. Is eminently distinguished as an original investigator in Physiology. His chief original papers deal with the Chemistry and Physiology Action of Snake Venom, and with the action and reaction of Toxins and Antitoxins. Author of: – 'The Chemistry of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake' (Proc Roy Soc, NSW, 1892); 'The Physiology Action of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake' (ibid, 1895); Curative Action of Calmette's Serum against Australian Snakes' (Internat Med Journ, 1897–1898, and Proc Roy Soc, 1898); 'Nature of the Antagonism between Toxins and Antitoxins' (ibid, 1898, joint Author); 'Separation of Colloids and Crystalloids by Filtration' (Journ of Physiology, 1896); 'Observations on the Anatomy of the Muzzel of 'Ornithorhynchus',' with Dr Wilson (Linn Soc, NSW, 1892); 'Observations on the Femoral Gland of 'Ornithorhynchus',' with Dr Tidswell (Linn Soc, NSW, 1894); 'An Investigation into the Effects of the Darling Pea, 'Swainsonia galegifolia' (Agricultural Department of NSW); 'Cerebral Localization in Platypus' (Journ of Physiol, 1899)'[5]
During World War I he served with the Australian Army Medical Corps in Gallipoli, Egypt, and France as a pathologist with the rank of Lieutenant-colonel. He found some cases of enteric fever at Gallipoli were not typhoid, but paratyphoids A and B, and made a vaccine for all three. A memo to his colleagues on the different treatments for amoebic and bacillary dysentery was widely circulated by the army under Martin’s name. In France he organized the integration of decentralized pathology services into the A.A.M.C. After the war he returned to the Lister Institute until his retirement in 1930. He then spent a further two years in Australia as head of the animal nutrition division of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in Adelaide. On his return to the UK he went to live at Roebuck House in Old Chesterton, Cambridge, which he equipped as a laboratory. During WWII it was used to rehouse the experimental animals being used for medical studies by the staff of the Lister Institute. In 1934 he undertook an experimental study of the myxoma virus, at Cambridge and on a rabbit-infested island in Pembrokeshire, to show it was both safe and effective to control plagues of rabbits.
His contributions to the foundation of biological science in Australia were commemorated by the National Health and Medical Research Council, which created the Sir Charles James Martin Overseas Biomedical Fellowships in 1951.[6]
Personal lifeedit
He died in 1955 at Old Chesterton. He had married Edith Cross, born 24 February 1860, died 2 March 1954, daughter of Alfred Cross in 1891.[7] They had one daughter. He is buried in the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge, with his wife.
^Copping, A. M. (1971). "Sir Charles James Martin--A biographical sketch (1866-1955)". The Journal of Nutrition. 101 (1): 3–8. doi:10.1093/jn/101.1.1. PMID 4924885.
^ abcChick: Sir Charles James Martin(1866–1955), rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009, accessed 14 Jan 2013
^Martin, C. J. (2007). "Charles James Martin, Kt, C.M.G., F.R.C.P., DSc., F.R.S". British Journal of Nutrition. 10 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1079/BJN19560003. PMID 13315918.
^"DServe Archive Catalog Show". .royalsociety.org. 15 February 1955. Retrieved 20 June 2012.[permanent dead link]
^The Martin Spirit: Charles Martin and the foundation of Biological Science in Australia, Patricia Morison, published by Halstead Press, 2019.
^"Charles Martin his life and letters", by Martin Gibbs, published in 2011
charles, james, martin, physiologist, charles, james, martin, frcs, january, 1866, february, 1955, british, scientist, seminal, work, very, wide, range, topics, including, snake, toxins, control, body, temperature, plague, spread, dysentery, typhoid, paratypho. Sir Charles James Martin CMG FRS FRCS 1 9 January 1866 15 February 1955 was a British scientist who did seminal work on a very wide range of topics including snake toxins control of body temperature plague and the way it was spread dysentery typhoid and paratyphoid nutrition and vitamin deficiencies proteins and myxomatosis as a means of controlling rabbit populations He was a director of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine serving from 1903 to 1930 1 2 Charles MartinBornCharles James Martin 1866 01 09 9 January 1866Died15 February 1955 1955 02 15 aged 89 AwardsFellow of the Royal Society 1 Royal Medal 1923 Croonian LectureScientific careerInstitutionsLister Institute of Preventive Medicine University of Melbourne Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editBorn in Wilmot House Dalston 3 Hackney North London he was the twelfth 3 child of Josiah an insurance company actuary and Elizabeth Mary Martin nee Lewis 3 Charles James was part of an extended family of children from his parents previous marriages Being a delicate child he was sent off to a private boarding school in Hastings At 15 he was employed as a junior clerk at the insurance firm where his father worked He studied mathematics as a requirement for a future as actuary but showed no special aptitude Browsing through the numerous bookshops in the area he came across a secondhand copy of A Hundred Experiments in Chemistry for One Shilling Carrying out these experiments he was sufficiently inspired to entreat his father to allow him to pursue a career in science He accordingly took evening classes at King s College London He then studied medicine at St Thomas s Hospital and spent some time in Leipzig studying physiology under Karl Ludwig Career edit nbsp Sister Florence Elizabeth McMillan Dr Anderson in the centre and Sir Charles James Martin on the right In 1891 he accepted a post as lecturer at Sydney University before moving to the University of Melbourne as acting Professor of Physiology He remained in Australia for 12 years after which he returned to the UK to become the first Director of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine 4 He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1901 1 His candidacy citation read Professor of Physiology in the University of Melbourne Is eminently distinguished as an original investigator in Physiology His chief original papers deal with the Chemistry and Physiology Action of Snake Venom and with the action and reaction of Toxins and Antitoxins Author of The Chemistry of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake Proc Roy Soc NSW 1892 The Physiology Action of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake ibid 1895 Curative Action of Calmette s Serum against Australian Snakes Internat Med Journ 1897 1898 and Proc Roy Soc 1898 Nature of the Antagonism between Toxins and Antitoxins ibid 1898 joint Author Separation of Colloids and Crystalloids by Filtration Journ of Physiology 1896 Observations on the Anatomy of the Muzzel of Ornithorhynchus with Dr Wilson Linn Soc NSW 1892 Observations on the Femoral Gland of Ornithorhynchus with Dr Tidswell Linn Soc NSW 1894 An Investigation into the Effects of the Darling Pea Swainsonia galegifolia Agricultural Department of NSW Cerebral Localization in Platypus Journ of Physiol 1899 5 During World War I he served with the Australian Army Medical Corps in Gallipoli Egypt and France as a pathologist with the rank of Lieutenant colonel He found some cases of enteric fever at Gallipoli were not typhoid but paratyphoids A and B and made a vaccine for all three A memo to his colleagues on the different treatments for amoebic and bacillary dysentery was widely circulated by the army under Martin s name In France he organized the integration of decentralized pathology services into the A A M C After the war he returned to the Lister Institute until his retirement in 1930 He then spent a further two years in Australia as head of the animal nutrition division of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in Adelaide On his return to the UK he went to live at Roebuck House in Old Chesterton Cambridge which he equipped as a laboratory During WWII it was used to rehouse the experimental animals being used for medical studies by the staff of the Lister Institute In 1934 he undertook an experimental study of the myxoma virus at Cambridge and on a rabbit infested island in Pembrokeshire to show it was both safe and effective to control plagues of rabbits He was awarded the Royal Society s Royal Medal in 1923 and delivered the Royal College of Physicians Croonian Lectures in 1930 He was knighted in 1927 His contributions to the foundation of biological science in Australia were commemorated by the National Health and Medical Research Council which created the Sir Charles James Martin Overseas Biomedical Fellowships in 1951 6 Personal life editHe died in 1955 at Old Chesterton He had married Edith Cross born 24 February 1860 died 2 March 1954 daughter of Alfred Cross in 1891 7 They had one daughter He is buried in the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge with his wife References edit a b c d Chick D H 1956 Charles James Martin 1866 1955 Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 2 172 208 doi 10 1098 rsbm 1956 0013 S2CID 72172825 Copping A M 1971 Sir Charles James Martin A biographical sketch 1866 1955 The Journal of Nutrition 101 1 3 8 doi 10 1093 jn 101 1 1 PMID 4924885 a b c Chick Sir Charles James Martin 1866 1955 rev Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 online edn Oct 2009 accessed 14 Jan 2013 Martin C J 2007 Charles James Martin Kt C M G F R C P DSc F R S British Journal of Nutrition 10 1 1 7 doi 10 1079 BJN19560003 PMID 13315918 DServe Archive Catalog Show royalsociety org 15 February 1955 Retrieved 20 June 2012 permanent dead link The Martin Spirit Charles Martin and the foundation of Biological Science in Australia Patricia Morison published by Halstead Press 2019 Charles Martin his life and letters by Martin Gibbs published in 2011External links editCharles James Martin at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charles James Martin physiologist amp oldid 1188580370, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
