Charles Enrique Dent facts for kids

Charles Enrique Dent (born August 25, 1911 – died September 19, 1976) was a British professor. He taught about how the human body uses food and energy (human metabolism) at University College, London. Charles Dent first studied chemistry at Imperial College London. He earned a special degree called a PhD for his work on a blue chemical. Later, he worked for a company called ICI and also learned about secret writing. This skill became very useful during World War II.

In 1944, he finished his medical studies. The next year, a group called the Medical Research Council sent him to a place called Belsen. This was a camp that had just been freed. He went with two other scientists, Janet Vaughan and Rosalind Pitt-Rivers. Their job was to study if people suffering from starvation could be helped with special protein mixtures.

From 1946, Charles Dent focused on studying problems where the body can't properly use certain chemicals (called inborn errors of metabolism). He was given a special award, being named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, in 1976.

Who was Charles Dent?

Charles Dent was born in Burgos, Spain. His father, Frankland Dent, was a chemist from Leeds, England. His mother, Carmen de Mira y Perceval, was Spanish. They met when his father worked in Spain. They got married in 1903. Soon after, his father became a government chemist in Singapore.

Charles's older brother and sister were born in Singapore. But his mother went back to Spain for Charles's birth. When World War I started in 1914, the family left Singapore. They settled in Bedford, England. Charles went to Bedford School there. Later, he attended Wimbledon College.

What did Charles Dent do in his career?

In 1927, Charles left school to work at a bank. But he soon changed jobs. He became a laboratory helper and took evening classes. In 1930, he started studying chemistry at Imperial College London. He earned his first degree (BSc).

In 1934, he got his PhD. His work was on a blue chemical called copper phthalocyanin. A company later sold it as 'Monastral blue'. After this, he worked for ICI in Manchester. Charles believed that a war was coming soon. He wondered how a chemist could help. So, he started studying secret writing. He became an expert even before the war began.

In 1937, he became a medical student at University College. When World War II started in 1939, he went to France. He was part of the British Expeditionary Force. He worked with intelligence and had a small mobile lab. His job was to look for secret writing in army mail. When the army had to retreat towards Dunkirk, he became a dispatch rider. He drove a general to Dunkirk during attacks from German planes. He was one of the last to be evacuated.

At the end of 1940, he was called up again. He was sent to Bermuda. There, he led a group that specialized in secret writing. He met his future wife, Margaret Ruth Coad, in Bermuda. She also worked in intelligence. After two years, he went to the United States. He helped Americans set up their own labs for finding secret writing.

In 1944, Charles finished his medical training. He became a junior doctor at University College. He also became an assistant to Professor Harold Himsworth. That same year, he married Margaret Coad.

In April 1945, the Medical Research Council sent him to Belsen. This was a concentration camp that had just been freed. He went with Janet Vaughan and Rosalind Pitt-Rivers. They studied if starvation could be treated with special protein mixtures.

From 1946 to 1947, he studied in Rochester, New York. He had a special scholarship. He was a pioneer in using a method called partition chromatography. This method helped study body fluids. He also found new diseases related to amino acids. These included different types of Fanconi syndrome, Hartnup disease, argininosuccinic aciduria, and homocystinuria.

He also started research into a kidney disease that runs in families. His student, Oliver Wrong, greatly expanded this research. The disease was later named Dent's disease after him.

In 1949, he earned his MD degree. In 1951, he convinced University College Hospital to create a special ward. This ward had beds, labs, and clinics for patients with metabolism problems. He was made a Reader in medicine. His research grew to include how the body handles calcium and phosphorus. He also studied vitamin D problems and how a gland called the parathyroid works. He focused more on helping patients directly. In 1956, he became a Professor of Human Metabolism at UCH.

Awards and recognition

In 1954, Charles Dent was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. This is a high honor for doctors. In 1962, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very important group for scientists. In 1976, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Later life and impact

Charles Dent passed away in 1976 from a type of cancer called leukemia. He married Margaret Ruth Coad in 1944. They had six children together. One of their children is Emma Dent Coad, who became a Member of Parliament. Charles Dent was a Catholic. He believed his faith helped him in his medical work. He saw no conflict between science and religion.