Martin Henry Dawson

Martin Henry Dawson
Born(1896-08-06)6 August 1896
Truro, Nova Scotia
Died27 April 1945(1945-04-27) (aged 48)
New York
EducationDalhousie University, McGill University (M.D. 1923)
Known forPenicillin therapy, treatment of arthritis
RelativesJohn Barnhill Dickie (grandfather)
Scientific career
FieldsInfectious diseases
InstitutionsRoyal Victoria Hospital, Montreal; Rockefeller Institute, Columbia University

Martin Henry Dawson (6 August 1896 – 27 April 1945) was a Canadian researcher who made important contributions in the fields of infectious diseases.[1]

Dawson was born in Truro, Nova Scotia, a grandson of John Barnhill Dickie and educated at Dalhousie University and McGill University.[1] His research included studies on the transformation of pneumococci and on the biological variants of the streptococcus and other microorganisms. Dawson's studies on the nature and treatment of arthritis made him a recognized authority in this disorder. He was a pioneer in penicillin therapy, and was the first in the world to prepare it and use it in human disease. This included the successful treatment of bacterial endocarditis with penicillin, and the use of gold salts in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Dawson became the first person in history to administer an antibiotic (penicillin) to a patient, on October 16, 1940.[2][3]

  1. ^ a b Blackstone (1945-04-28). "DR. DAWSON DEAD; RESEARCH LEADER; Faculty Member at Columbia Pioneer in Penicillin Therapy --Aided War Department Studied Infectious Diseases Rockefeller Institute Fellow". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  2. ^ Nielsen, Jens (1997). Physiological Engineering Aspects of Penicillium Chrysogenum. World Scientific. p. 2. ISBN 978-981-02-2765-4.
  3. ^ Grossman, Charles M. (2009-05-19). "The First Use of Penicillin in the United States". Annals of Internal Medicine. 150 (10): 737. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-150-10-200905190-00022. ISSN 0003-4819. PMID 19459232.