Harold Percival Himsworth facts for kids
Sir Harold Percival Himsworth (born May 19, 1905 – died November 1, 1993) was an important British scientist. He is best known for his amazing medical research, especially his work on diabetes.
Growing Up and School
Harold Himsworth was born in a town called Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. His parents were Joseph Arnold Himsworth and Amy Eliza Barraclough. He went to school at Spring Grove School and then King James's Grammar School, Almondbury. In 1932, he married Charlotte Gray, and they had two sons.
His Important Medical Work
Sir Harold studied medicine at the University of London. He trained to be a doctor at University College Hospital (UCH). Early in his career, he started doing medical research. He focused on diabetes and later on liver disease.
In 1936, he wrote a very important paper for a medical journal called The Lancet. This paper helped doctors tell the difference between the two main types of diabetes. In 1939, he gave a special talk called the Goulstonian Lecture about how diabetes works.
He became a Professor of Medicine at the University of London. From 1949 to 1968, he was also the Secretary of the Medical Research Council (MRC). This is a big organization that helps fund medical research in the UK.
In 1952, he received a special honor and was made a Knight. This meant he could be called "Sir Harold." The next year, in 1953, he became an Honorary Physician to the Queen. He was also chosen to be a fellow of the Royal Society in 1955. Later, he became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.
Helping People with Diet
Sir Harold Himsworth also had ideas about how diet could help people with diabetes. He suggested that a diet with lots of carbohydrates could be good for treating diabetes.
Professor Edwin Gale explained Sir Harold's findings:
He showed that when people on a high-carbohydrate diet were given insulin, their blood sugar dropped more. This proved that what you eat can change how your body uses its own insulin. The high-carbohydrate diet worked because it helped glucose (sugar) get to the body's tissues more easily, making people more sensitive to their own insulin.
