Patrick M anson and Ronald Ro ss:
m alar ia an d the r ise a nd fa ll of a sc ient ific frie n dshi p
Often described as the ‘father’ of tropical medicine, Sir Patrick Manson’s Tropical Medicine was the
first textbook to demonstrate that diseases in tropical climates were not simply caused by unique en-
vironmental conditions, but had specific microbiological causes. His research in China had also impli-
cated the mosquito as an agent in the transmission of filariasis. Working in London in the 1890s, he
met Ronald Ross, an officer in the Indian Medical Service. Manson convinced Ross that mosquitos
also transmitted malaria. Their correspondence after Ross returned to India records the blind alleys
and final triumph, as Ross discovered and demonstrated that bird malaria was transmitted through
the bite of an infected mosquito.
However the two men, both Scottish but radically different in temperament, eventually quarrelled.
Ross came to believe that Manson had not supported him sufficiently. This lecture examines the rise
and fall of their scientific friendship.
An evening lecture with
Professor William Bynum (
University College London)
|
15
October 2013
| Bowland Auditorium, Berrick Saul Building, University of York | 6.00 pm
|
This is a free event and all are welcome to attend
This lecture celebrates the launch of the William Bynum Prize, an international essay competition for doctoral
students and early career post-doctoral researchers. coordinated by Medical History’s editorial offices at the
University of York. The Prize is generously supported by Cambridge University Press.
{ T he C entre for Glob al Healt h Hist ori es p resents }
|
W
:
www.york.ac.uk/global-health-histories
TheCentreForGlobalHealthHistories
@CGHH_York
|
This lecture is presented in association with the Yorkshire Philosophical Society and the York Medical Society.
