Nobel Laureate Linked Anemia and Diet

3 Hospital Ward Named for Dr. George Richards Minot Nobel Laureate Linked Anemia and Diet (Minot is a medical ward on second the opportunity to apply his floor) knowledge, to broaden his experience, George Richards Minot was born a and to “help the patient and the Bostonian of the First Order. The family doctor.” “ Minot” name had figured for many Had Love for Patients years in the history and progress of In one of the Minot biographies that city, and wealth and influence written by a cousin, it is pointed out were associated with it. It also is that Dr. Minot had an unusual love for interesting to note that George people and especially for his patients. Richards is one of many distinguished And in this same biography there is a New England physicians to be found description of the manner in which in the Minot family tree. the doctor worked with his patients Minot received both his A.B. and that indicates a great deal about M.D. degrees from Harvard and was “ Minot the Doctor” : house physician at Massachusetts ‘Private patients received excellent General Hospital. He then spent two care from George Minot. He spent a years at Johns Hopkins Hospital, long time with the histories: every returning in 1915 to Massachusetts detail of the symptoms was noted. General, where he had received a Always, he was curious to learn what fellowship to conduct research on sort of person the patient was; where blood diseases. Almost two years he or she lived; what he or she did all later, however, Minot became quite day; whether life was happy' and interested in continuing his research congenial or whether conditions in activities at the Collis P. Huntington the family were difficult in some way. Memorial Hospital, only five years old And then, above all, he would ask, and known as a “ cancer hospital.” He ‘Tell me about your diet. What do you became an official member of the have for breakfasts? Where do you eat staff in 1918 and in the fall of 1921 breakfast? Must you catch a train was selected to take over as chief of shortly afterwards—and do you rush the medical service at Huntington for it—or can you sit for a minute and Hospital. He was then only thirty-five then walk to the station comfortably years old. and at ease? The study of the total Course of Life Altered food intake was usually of paramount Within a month after accepting the importance: ‘Do you eat meat every new position at Huntington, Minot was day? What kind of meat, and how to have the entire course of his life much of it? What about milk and eggs Or. George Richards Minot changed. He Weis told that he had and vegetables and fruit? And how are (1885-1950) diabetes mellitus. It was a frightening these latter prepared?’ And, finally; discovery for Minot, and it came as ‘Do you enjoy your meals or do you evidence at hand suggests that the medical research. quite a shock; for only six months eat because you have to eat?' ’’ dietetic treatment of pernicious Ghren Swedish Surprise previously he had been given a clean In the teaching of students, Minot anemia is of considerable importance. In 1934, while working late one bill of health. He had never t)een a stressed this same manner to his It has been possible to demonstrate in afternoon in his office at the robust man, and it was questionable students. Teaching was important to forty-five cases, seen essentially in Thorndike Laboratory, Dr. Minot how much his thin frame (over six feet Minot, and he took this responsibility sequence, that following a diet rich in received a phone call which in many tall, he weighed only 135 pounds) quite seriously, devoting much time to liver and low in fat a distinct respects was probably the highlight of could withstand. His research was it. remission of the anemia occurs rather his medical career. The voice on the time and energy consuming and Interested in Blood Diseases promptly ..." other end of the line identified the call all-important to him—and, as it later But even with his many hours of Much more research was to follow as originating in Stockholm. Sweden turned out, he was on the verge of a teaching and his time-consuming this initial discovery by Minot and and said: “ I am very pleased to tel! major medical discovery. private practice, Minot was never very Murphy—in particular the purification you that you have been awarded the His whole pattern of living had to be far removed from his research on of liver so that the manner of its Nobel Prize in Physiology and changed. This was before the days of blood diseases, and in 1925—he was action could be studied and so that Medicine for 1934. Dr. William P. insulin, and the treatment of diabetes then forty years old—he revealed to a the use of liver in the treatment of Murphy and Dr. George H. Whipple was largely dependent upon a very friend some of the conclusions he had patients could be simplified and are to share it with you. We want to controlled diet. His diet was reduced drawn from his research: standardized. But the first and most have an interview with you; just a to about a third of what a man “ You know,” he said, “ that important step had been taken—and minute, please ..." Thus the discoverer requires for his maintenance if he pernicious anemia is a disease which taken successfully. of "liver therapy against anemia” stays quiet in bed. The diabetes was is fatal invariably. Patients who A man who only three years before received his highest honor. severe. develop it live for only a few years. I had had the possibility of death from Sixteen years later, Minot died Then, in May, 1922—about five keep thinking that the diet may have diabetes reversed by a medical quietly in his steep. He was sixty-one months after Minot discovered he had something to do with the cause. I discovery had made the same reversal years old. diabetes—the new product insulin was believe that ... the disease pernicious possible for the hundreds suffering made available to the world by Dr. anemia depends upon a disturbance from the previously fatal pernicious Frederick G. Banting. Its advent of bone-marrow function, which anemia. Insulin had indirectly served Shingleton Attends brought new hope to diabetics. results in blood cells inferior both in to further the cure of “P.A." And its arrival came none too soon, quality and in quantity ... I believe that Move Made to Thorndike Cancer Exchange for a friend of Minot’s later wrote: the bone marrow needs food of some In 1928, at the age of forty-two, ‘‘George was awfully thin. He was special kind. In other words, our Minot resigned from his position at hi Leningrad drinking black coffee and smoking patients with ‘P.A.’ are deficient in Huntington to become director of the many cigarettes in the effort to curb some item in their total food intake." Thorndike Memorial Laboratory at the Dr. William W. Shingleton director his appetite. He struggled to the Influenced by Dog Diets Boston City Hospital, a move which of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, hospital each day, but he was tired Prompted by the research findings must have had careful consideration is in Russia this week participating in and irritable. He was allowed to eat of a Dr. George H. Whipple of behind it; for in the new position an exchange program of cancer only 1675 calories each day, and that Rochester on the success of liver Minot knew that he would t>e primarily information. was not enough to maintain proper diets fed to dogs that had tjecome involved in teaching and the time for The meeting in Leningrad began on nutrition. His weight was down to 120 anemic after repeated loss of blood, research would be quite limited, if not Monday and will extend through pounds, and his blood sugar was up Dr. Minot tried feeding liver to his rare. And. in addition, he had to take today. to 240 milligrams percent ... There is “ P.A. ” patients. They improved! into consideration an appointment to Shingleton was one of 10 pbrsons no doubt that this new treatment The research was then intensified, the Harvard faculty as a professor of invited to represent the United States saved George Minot’s life. ” and Dr. William P. Murphy, an medicine, a position offered and by the National Cancer Institute. The It is a comment on his courage to associate, was asked to join him in his accepted at the same time as the US-USSR Cancer Exchange Program add that Minot kept his illness a work with the patients afflicted with Thorndike post. is based on an agreement signed by closely guarded secret, and only a pernicious anemia. During his fifteen years as director representatives of the two countries select few knew of his bout with During the following year, their of the Thorndike Laboratory, Minot earlier this year. diabetes. findings were made "public” for the was in charge of twenty-one full-time Discussions, wilI center on It was also in the fall of 1921 that first time in a paper presented before men, thirteen half-time men and two screening, detection and diagnosis of Minot began to branch out into a meeting of the Association of hundred beds and had the full cancer in high-risk groups; results of private practice.

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