Ruth May Tunnicliff (May 1, 1876 – September 22, 1946) was an American physician, medical researcher, bacteriologist, and pathologist, based in Chicago. She developed a serum against

measles Measles (probably from Middle Dutch or Middle High German ''masel(e)'', meaning "blemish, blood blister") is a highly contagious, Vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Measles morbillivirus, measles v ...

, and did laboratory research for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during the

1918 influenza pandemic The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, H1N1 subtype of the influenz ...

Early life

Ruth May Tunnicliff was born in

Macomb, Illinois Macomb () is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois, about southwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the c ...

, the youngest child of judge

Damon G. Tunnicliff Damon George Tunnicliff (August 20, 1829 – December 20, 1901) was an American jurist. He briefly served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois, Illinois Supreme Court in 1885. Biography Damon G. Tunnicliff was born in Herkimer Count ...

and his second wife, Sarah Alice Bacon Tunnicliffe. Her older sisters were legal historian Helen Tunnicliff Catterall and Chicago clubwoman Sarah Bacon Tunnicliff. All three sisters graduated from

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

. Ruth Tunnicliff pursued further studies at the University of Chicago and at the Women's Medical College at Northwestern University, before earning her medical degree at

Rush Medical College Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1837, it is affiliated with Rush University Medical Center, and John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County. ...

in 1903, in the first class of women graduates from that program. She lived at

Hull House Hull House was a settlement house in Chicago, Illinois, that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located on the Near West Side of Chicago, Hull House, named after the original house's first owner Charles Jerald Hul ...

for a stint as a young woman.

Career

Tunnicliff was a research bacteriologist at the John McCormick Memorial Institute for Infectious Diseases. She co-authored a book on

gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...

, ''Noma: Gangrenous stomatitis, water cancer, scorbutic cancer, gangrena oris, gangrene of the mouth'' (1907). She is best known for developing Tunnicliff's serum, which could prevent the measles if given soon after exposure. During

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 ...

, she held the title "Contract Surgeon" with the United States Army, and worked at

Camp Pike Robinson Maneuver Training Center, also known as Camp Joseph T. Robinson, is a Arkansas Army National Guard installation located in North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. It hosts the Joint Force Headquarters of the Arkansas National G ...

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

, and

Camp George Meade Camp George G. Meade near Middletown, Pennsylvania, was a camp established and subsequently abandoned by the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish–American War. History Camp Meade was established August 24, 1898, and soon thereafter was occupi ...

in Maryland, during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Later in her career she worked on dental topics with Carolyn Hammond of the Chicago Dental Infirmary. She served a term as president of the Chicago Society of Pathologists. Tunnicliff published her research on measles,

rubella Rubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella virus. This disease is often mild, with half of people not realizing that they are infected. A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and ...

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'', a Group A streptococcus (GAS). It most commonly affects children between five and 15 years of age. The signs and symptoms include a sore ...

influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

, and other topics in ''

The Journal of the American Medical Association ''JAMA'' (''The Journal of the American Medical Association'') is a peer-reviewed medical journal published 48 times a year by the American Medical Association. It publishes original research, reviews, and editorials covering all aspects of bi ...

'' ''

The New England Journal of Medicine ''The New England Journal of Medicine'' (''NEJM'') is a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. Founded in 1812, the journal is among the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals. Its 2023 impact factor w ...

,'' ''Experimental Biology and Medicine'', and ''

The Journal of Infectious Diseases ''The Journal of Infectious Diseases'' is a peer-reviewed biweekly medical journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. It covers research on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of ...

''.

Personal life

Tunnicliff lived in Chicago with her sister Sarah and their mother. Their mother died in 1936. Ruth Tunnicliff died in 1946, aged 70 years, in Chicago. In 2015, she was one of the women honored by the McDonough County Women's Social Service Memorial, ''Facing the Storm'', a bronze statue in Macomb, Illinois.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tunnihill, Ruth May 1876 births 1946 deaths People from Macomb, Illinois American physicians Vassar College alumni Rush Medical College alumni American bacteriologists American pathologists American women in World War I