Sir Henry Hallett Dale was a British physiologist and
pharmacologist who shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1936 with German
pharmacologist Otto Loewi “for their discoveries in the chemical transmission
of nerve impulses”. Shortly after specializing in physiology and zoology
from Trinity College, Cambridge he embarked on his research career at the
Wellcome Physiological Research Laboratories. He received his medical degree
from Cambridge in 1909 and eventually became the Director of the National
Institute for Medical Research, London. He also served as Secretary and later President
of the Royal Society. In his research career, he identified the compound
histamine in animal tissues and determined that the chemical’s physiological
effects such as the dilation of blood vessels and contraction of smooth muscles
were similar to the symptoms of some allergic and anaphylactic reactions. He
successfully isolated acetylcholine, established its occurrence in animal
tissue, and confirmed its presence at nerve endings. His research established
the role of acetylcholine in the chemical transmission of nerve impulses. He
played a crucial role in promoting international standards for active
biological substances like hormones, antitoxins, and vaccines. During his
lifetime, he was honoured with Knighthood, the Order of Merit, and Knight Grand
Cross of the Order of the British Empire.
Career
·
In
1904, Henry Hallett Dale became a pharmacologist at the Wellcome Physiological
Research Laboratories. Two years later in 1906, he became Director of these
laboratories and continued in the post for the next six years. Meanwhile, he
received his M.D. from Cambridge in 1909.
·
In
1914, he became Director of the Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology at
the National Institute for Medical Research, London. The same year, he was
elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and served as Secretary from 1925 to 1935.
·
In
1928, he became Director of the National Institute for Medical Research London,
a post he held till 1942. Meanwhile, he was honoured with a knighthood in 1932
and four years later, he and Otto Loewi jointly won the prestigious Nobel Prize
in Medicine.
·
During
World War II, he served on the Scientific Advisory Committees of the cabinet.
He also served as President of the Royal Society from 1940 to 1945.
·
In
1942, he became Fullerian Professor of Chemistry and Director of the
Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory at Royal Institution, London. He was appointed
to the Order of Merit in 1944.
·
After
1946, he took an active interest in the administration of the Wellcome Trust,
for the support of medical research and scholarships. He served as Chairman of
the Board for twenty two years, from 1938 until 1960.
·
He
was honoured with the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in
1948 and served as President of the Royal Society of Medicine from 1948 to
1950.
·
In
later years, he supported the international campaign to standardize drugs and
vaccines. He also promoted the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the value of
scientific research
Major
Works
·
Sir
Henry identified the compound histamine in animal tissues in 1911 and
determined that the chemical’s physiological effects such as the dilation of
blood vessels and contraction of smooth muscles were similar to the symptoms of
some allergic and anaphylactic reactions.
·
In
1914, he successfully isolated acetylcholine and established its occurrence in
animal tissue. Later in the 1930s, he confirmed its presence at nerve endings.
His research established the role of acetylcholine in the chemical transmission
of nerve impulses.
·
Apart
from frequent articles and papers published in medical and scientific journals,
he authored ‘Adventures in Physiology’ in 1953 and ‘An Autumn Gleaning’ in
1954.
Awards
& Achievements
·
The
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1936 was awarded jointly to Henry Hallett
Dale and Otto Loewi “for their discoveries relating to chemical transmission of
nerve impulses”.
·
He
received several other honours such as the Knight Grand Cross, Order of the
British Empire in 1948, Medal of Freedom (Silver Palm), U.S.A. in 1947, the
Grand-Croix de l'Ordre de la Couronne, Belgium in 1950, and l'Ordre pour le
Mérite, Western Germany in 1955.
·
He
received fellowships of numerous learned societies and institutions of the
world, including the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Trinity College, Cambridge.
He received over twenty honorary degrees in his lifetime
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