Francis Marion Pottenger (27 September 1869 – 10 June 1961) was an American physician and

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

researcher.

Biography

Pottenger obtained his MD from the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery in 1894. He qualified A.M. from

Otterbein University Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio. It offers 74 majors and 44 minors as well as eight graduate programs. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United ...

in 1907 and L.L.D. in 1909.''Who's Who in the Pacific southwest: A Compilation of Authentic Biographical Sketches of Citizens of Southern California and Arizona''
Los Angeles: The Times-Mirror Printing & Binding House. p. 299 His wife Carrie Burtner died from tuberculosis in 1898 which prompted him to establish the Pottenger Sanitorium in

Monrovia, California Monrovia is a city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 37,931 at the 2020 census. Monrovia has been used for filming TV shows, movies and c ...

in 1903. It became the most successful sanitorium in Southern California due to its high recovery rates.DuPuis, E. Melanie. (2004). ''Smoke and Mirrors: The Politics and Culture of Air Pollution''. New York University Press. p. 181. Pottenger advocated the use of

tuberculin Tuberculin, also known as purified protein derivative, is a combination of proteins that are used in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. This use is referred to as the tuberculin skin test and is recommended only for those at high risk. Reliable admin ...

which he believed would create a hostile environment for tuberculosis. Pottenger founded the Southern California Anti-Tuberculosis League in 1903 for which he was President 1903–1906 and 1939–1941. He was President of the

Endocrine Society The Endocrine Society is a professional, international medical organization in the field of endocrinology and metabolism, founded in 1916 as The Association for the Study of Internal Secretions. The official name of the organization was changed ...

1935–1937. In the 1940s, Pottenger was chairman of the Smog Committee of the

Los Angeles County Medical Association Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA) is a professional organization representing physicians from every medical specialty and practice setting as well as students, interns and residents. The organization was founded in 1871 and is a cons ...

. He died at

Cedars of Lebanon Hospital Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2, ...

, aged 91.

Family

Pottenger married several times. He married his first wife Carrie Burtner in 1894. He had several children with his second wife Adelaide Gertrude. His son

Francis M. Pottenger Jr. Francis Marion Pottenger Jr. (May 29, 1901 – January 4, 1967) was an American physician and raw food diet advocate. He was best known for his cat study that sparked interest in a diet high in raw animal products including uncooked meats and unp ...

was also a physician. His sister Nellie Maude Pottenger was married to Finis E. Fouts, a soybean pioneer.

Selected publications

*''Culture Products in the Treatment of Tuberculosis'' (1902)
''The Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis''
(1908) *''Tuberculin in Diagnosis and Treatment'' (1913) *''Symptoms of Visceral Disease'' (1919) *''Clinical Tuberculosis'' (1922) *''Tuberculosis and How to Combat It: A Book for the Patient'' (1929)
''The Fight Against Tuberculosis: An Autobiography''
(1952)

References

{{Reflist 1869 births 1961 deaths 19th-century American physicians 20th-century American physicians American medical researchers American medical writers Otterbein University alumni People from Monrovia, California Tuberculosis researchers