Campbell De Morgan facts for kids
Campbell Greig De Morgan (born November 22, 1811 – died April 12, 1876) was an important British surgeon. He was one of the first to suggest how cancer might spread in the body. He thought it started in one place, then moved to lymph nodes (small glands that are part of your immune system), and then to other parts of the body. You might also hear his name for something called a Campbell de Morgan spot. These are small, bright red spots that can appear on the skin as people get older. He was the first doctor to write about them.
Early Life and Family
Campbell Greig De Morgan was born in 1811 in Clovelly, a village near Bideford in Devon, England. He was the youngest of three sons. His father, Colonel John de Morgan, was in the Indian Army. His family, the de Morgans, were of Huguenot origin and had a long history with the British East India Company. His older brother was the famous mathematician Augustus De Morgan.
Medical Career and Discoveries
De Morgan studied medicine at University College Hospital in London. After finishing his training, he became a house surgeon at the Middlesex Hospital. He stayed at this hospital for his entire career. He was very involved with the Middlesex Hospital Medical School from when it started in 1835. He worked closely with its founder, Sir Charles Bell.
In 1841, he became a lecturer in forensic medicine, which is about using medical knowledge in legal cases. By 1845, he was a professor of anatomy, studying the structure of the human body. In 1861, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. He earned this recognition for his work on how bones are built and how they grow.
Other Interests
Besides his medical work, Campbell De Morgan also loved the arts. He was a talented musician and studied the science of music. He was also a very good caricaturist, which means he could draw funny pictures of people.
Later Life and Legacy
Campbell De Morgan passed away in 1876. His death was linked to his dedication to a close friend, the artist John Graham Lough. De Morgan stayed up all night on April 6, caring for Lough, who was very ill with pneumonia. Lough died the next morning. Sadly, De Morgan then caught pneumonia and pleurisy himself, and he died on April 12.
He was married to Kate Hudson, and they had two sons, Walter and John. Today, a sculpture of Campbell De Morgan, made by his friend John Graham Lough, can be seen at the Middlesex Hospital in London.
