Clifford Allbutt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clifford Allbutt
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 20 July 1836 |
| Died | 22 February 1925 (aged 88) Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
|
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | clinical thermometer |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | medicine |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt (born July 20, 1836 – died February 22, 1925) was a famous English doctor. He is best known for inventing the small, easy-to-use clinical thermometer. He also led the British Medical Association in 1920. Allbutt helped create the History of Medicine Society.
Thomas Clifford Allbutt was born in Dewsbury, England. His father was a vicar, a type of priest. Thomas went to St Peter's School, York and then to Caius College, Cambridge. He studied natural sciences and graduated in 1860.
After college, he studied medicine in London. He also traveled to Paris to learn from other doctors. In 1880, he became a fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very important group for scientists. He was still working as a doctor in Leeds at this time.
Later, Allbutt became a special advisor for mental health in England. In 1892, he became a top professor of medicine at the University of Cambridge. He was given a special honor, becoming a Knight Commander, in 1907. Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt passed away in Cambridge in 1925.
Contents
A Doctor in Leeds
From 1861 to 1889, Sir Thomas was a very successful doctor in Leeds. He worked at the General Infirmary, a large hospital. He brought new tools to the hospital wards. These included the ophthalmoscope, which helps doctors look into the eye. He also introduced weighing machines and microscopes.
During 1865 and 1866, Leeds faced a serious outbreak of typhus fever. Allbutt treated patients using "open-air methods." This meant letting patients get fresh air. He later suggested this method for treating consumption, which is now called tuberculosis.
Allbutt was also a leader at the Leeds School of Medicine. This school is now part of the University of Leeds. He was a member of its council and served as its president twice. His home in Leeds is now part of a university building. There is a special blue plaque there to remember him.
Inventing the Clinical Thermometer
In 1870, Allbutt wrote an important article called Medical Thermometry. In this article, he talked about the history of measuring body temperature. He also described his own invention.
In 1867, he created a new clinical thermometer. It was about six inches long. This was much smaller than the old ones, which were a foot long. Doctors could easily carry Allbutt's thermometer in their pocket. Patients only needed to hold it for a few minutes. The older thermometers took about twenty minutes to get a reading. Allbutt's invention was quickly adopted by doctors everywhere.
Studying the Eye and Brain
Allbutt also did important work at a nearby hospital for mental health. In 1871, he published a book. It was about using the ophthalmoscope to study diseases of the nervous system and kidneys.
In his book, he included observations from over 200 cases. He used the ophthalmoscope to examine the eyes of patients with mental illness. He found changes in the eyes of many patients. These changes were often linked to older brain diseases. Allbutt believed that using the ophthalmoscope would help doctors understand brain disorders better. He thought it would lead to a more scientific way of studying the brain.
Other Important Contributions
Sir Thomas Allbutt did many other things to improve medicine. He encouraged doctors to talk to each other before legal cases. This helped them agree on medical facts. In 1884, he gave special lectures about nerve problems affecting internal organs.
In 1885, he helped introduce a new surgery. This surgery treated swollen glands in the neck caused by tuberculosis. He also urged doctors to study "comparative medicine." This means learning about diseases in animals. He believed this knowledge could help treat human diseases too. Allbutt also made important studies on tetanus and hydrophobia, which are serious diseases.
The famous writer George Eliot described Allbutt as a "good, clever and graceful man." Many people believe he was the inspiration for Dr. Lydgate in her novel Middlemarch. Leeds has honored him with a Leeds Civic Trust blue plaque. It is on his former home, now Lyddon Hall.
Leading Medical Knowledge
From 1889 to 1892, Allbutt worked as a mental health commissioner in London. In 1892, he moved to Cambridge. There, he became the Regius Professor of Physic. This is a very important teaching position at the university.
In Cambridge, he edited his most famous work, a book series called System of Medicine. This huge work was published in eight volumes between 1896 and 1899. A second, even larger edition came out later. For many years, doctors called this series their "doctor's bible." It was a key resource for medical knowledge.
In 1920, Allbutt became the president of the British Medical Association. This is a major organization for doctors in the UK. In the same year, he became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This is a group of important advisors to the King. In 1922, he was also honored by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Sir Thomas Allbutt continued to teach at Cambridge until he passed away in 1925.
Studying Medical History
Allbutt was also very interested in the history of medicine. He wrote a long article about medicine for the Encyclopædia Britannica in 1911. This article covered the history of medicine from ancient times to modern days. He wrote a special section about "Modern Progress" in medicine.
He also strongly supported Sir William Osler. Together, they helped create the History of Medicine Society. This society was founded at the Royal Society of Medicine in 1912. It helps people learn about how medicine has changed over time.
