
Harrison Stanford Martland (September 10, 1883 – May 1, 1954) was an American
pathologist
Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...
who identified
radium
Radium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in alkaline earth metal, group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals. Pure radium is silvery-white, ...
as the cause of cancer and death among watch dial painters, and also coined the term ''
punch drunk'' to describe chronic head injuries from
boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
.
Early life and education
Martland was born in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
. In 1901 he received a BS degree from
Western Maryland College and in 1905 he received his MD degree from
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Career
Martland accepted the appointment of the first full-time paid pathologist at the Newark City Hospital in January 1909. When
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
broke out, Martland joined the Bellevue Hospital Unit and as a lieutenant colonel he took charge of a hospital in Vichy, France. He later was awarded a Citation for Exceptionally Meritorious and Conspicuous Service by General
John Pershing.
In June 1925, Martland was chosen to fill the post of Essex County Physician. He set out to establish the medical examiner system in Essex County. He was appointed Chief Medical Examiner by the Essex County Board of Freeholders. In April 1933, he was named Professor of Forensic Medicine at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
, a post he held for fifteen years.
Martland made important contributions in the fields of pathology and forensic medicine. The work that attracted the most attention was his research begun in 1924, on the effects of radioactive material on the human body. Martland determined that minute traces of radioactivity contained in luminous paint had caused the deaths of watch dial painters employed at the US Radium Corporation in
Orange, NJ. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) credits Dr. Martland's work with having made it possible for atomic development to proceed with comparative safety. At the request of the AEC, Martland prepared a permanent exhibit on radioactive dangers and precautions which is on display in
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson County, Tennessee, Anderson and Roane County, Tennessee, Roane counties in the East Tennessee, eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, Knoxville. Oak Ridge's po ...
. In 1916, Martland alerted dynamite manufacturers to the dangers of occupational poisoning in TNT.
It was Martland who proved, back in 1928, that "punch drunk" prize fighters were suffering from a brain injury caused by the rupture of blood vessels. He did notable work in phases of cardiac syphilis and in the effects of bullet wounds on the body. Martland's accomplishments also included the first paper establishing the lethal effects of beryllium poisoning, which led to implementation of regulatory reforms governing the use of beryllium in industrial plants.
Honors
Nobel Prize winners came to Newark three times to salute him at annual Harrison S. Martland Lectures sponsored by the Essex County Anatomical and Pathological Society, the first of which was delivered on December 14, 1935, The New York Pathological Association named him its first out-of-state president in 1928. He was President of the Essex County Medical Society in 1920 and of the Academy of Medicine of Northern New Jersey in 1922. In 1943, the Academy of Medicine gave Martland the Edward J. Ill Award as the outstanding physician and citizen of the county. The Newark City Commission paid tribute to the eminent pathologist when the new city hospital was dedicated the Harrison S. Martland Medical Center on January 24, 1954.
Personal life
On November 16, 1910, he married Myra C. Ferdon and they purchased a house at 180 Clinton Avenue, Newark, which was to be their home until his death in 1954. After forty-five years as Newark City Hospital Pathologist and twenty-five years as Essex County Medical Examiner, Martland retired in November 1953. He died on May 1, 1954, at the age of 70.
His papers are part of the New Jersey Medical History Archives and Manuscript Collections at George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences, Rutgers University.
References
External links
Harrison Stanford Martland, MD (1883-1954), a Register of His Papers, 1905-1954
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martland, Harrison Stanford
American pathologists
1954 deaths
1883 births