Sanford Rosenthal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dr
Sanford Rosenthal
MD
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| Born | May 5, 1897 Albany, Georgia, U.S.
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| Died | May 1, 1989 (aged 91) Potomac, Maryland, U.S.
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| Nationality | United States |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt University |
| Known for | Liver function tests Mercury poisoning antidote Antibiotic cure for pneumonia Burn therapy Histamines |
| Spouse(s) | Lillian Lieberfeld Rosenthal (m. 1930; 3 children) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Pharmacology |
| Institutions | National Institute of Health |
Sanford Morris Rosenthal (born May 5, 1897 – died May 1, 1989) was an important American scientist. He made many discoveries that helped save lives. His work focused on how medicines affect the body, a field called pharmacology. He is known for creating tests for liver health, an antidote for mercury poisoning, and a treatment for pneumonia. He also developed a simple way to treat severe burns.
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Early Life and Career
Sanford Rosenthal was born in Albany, Georgia. He earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University in 1920. After that, he completed his medical training at Boston City Hospital.
Dr. Rosenthal soon became very interested in medical research. He joined a pharmacology lab at Johns Hopkins University in 1922. From 1925 to 1927, he worked at McGill University in Montreal.
In 1928, Dr. Rosenthal joined the United States Public Health Service. This is a group of health professionals who work for the U.S. government. He became the Chief of the Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology. This lab was part of the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases. He worked there for 13 years before retiring in 1961. Even after retiring, Dr. Rosenthal continued his research for almost 20 more years. He wrote over 110 scientific papers during his career.
Major Discoveries in Medicine
Dr. Rosenthal made several big contributions to medicine. His work helped doctors understand and treat many serious health problems.
Liver Health Tests
One of Dr. Rosenthal's first discoveries was a way to check how well the liver works. He found that doctors could use a special dye to do this. By seeing how fast the liver processed this dye, they could tell if it was healthy. His work led to the use of a dye called bromsulphthalein. This method is still used today to test liver function.
Antidote for Mercury Poisoning
Dr. Rosenthal found an antidote for mercury poisoning. An antidote is a medicine that stops the effects of a poison. He discovered that a substance called sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate could help people who had been poisoned by mercury. This antidote was used widely and is considered a major achievement in medical research.
Treating Pneumonia with Antibiotics
Dr. Rosenthal noticed that the mercury antidote also fought against bacteria. This led him to study other sulfur-containing compounds. These compounds are known as sulfa drugs. After ten years of research, he found a treatment for a serious lung infection called pneumococcal pneumonia. He showed that sulfanilamide, a type of sulfa drug, could cure this illness.
New Way to Treat Burns
In the early 1940s, Dr. Rosenthal worked on helping people with severe burns. Many burn victims died from shock because they lost a lot of fluid (plasma) from their burned skin. Dr. Rosenthal discovered that replacing the salts lost in this fluid was key to a successful treatment.
In the 1950s and 1960s, he led a study called the "Peru Project." His team showed that simply drinking a saltwater solution (with table salt and baking soda) could replace the lost salts. This was a much simpler and effective way to treat burns than traditional methods, like giving blood transfusions. This easy burn therapy is still used widely today.
Understanding Histamines
Dr. Rosenthal and his team were also pioneers in studying histamines. Histamines are chemicals in the body that play a role in allergic reactions and other body functions. They developed a way to measure histamine levels. They also studied how histamines work and how certain chemicals are made in the body.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Rosenthal received many awards for his important work.
- In 1962, he received the Public Health Service Meritorious Service Medal. This award came from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
- In 1973, he received the Harvey Stuart Allen Distinguished Service Award. This was from the American Burn Association.
- In 1980, he received an award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. This was for his groundbreaking work on treating shock from burns.
He was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1979. He was a member of several other important medical and scientific groups.
