Patrick Manson

Sir Patrick Manson (3 October 1844 – 9 April 1922) was a Scottish physician who made important discoveries in parasitology, and was a founder of the field of tropical medicine. He graduated from University of Aberdeen with degrees in Master of Surgery, Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Law. His medical career spanned mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and London. He discovered that filariasis in humans is transmitted by mosquitoes. This is the foundation of modern tropical medicine, and he is recognized with an epithet "Father of Tropical Medicine". This also made him the first person to show pathogen transmission by a blood-feeding arthropod. His discovery directly invoked the mosquito-malaria theory, which became the foundation in malariology. He eventually became the first President of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He founded the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese (subsequently absorbed into the University of Hong Kong) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Manson was inflicted with gout during his service in China. His recurring condition worsened with age. He died in 1922. Childhood and education Patrick Manson was a son of Alexander Manson and Elizabeth Livingstone Blaikie, born at Oldmeldrum, eighteen miles north of Aberdeen. His father was manager of the local branch of the British Linen Bank and Laird of Fingask. His mother was distant relative of the famed Christian missionary-explorer David Livingstone. He was the second son of a family of three boys and four girls. He developed a childhood passion in natural history, fishing, shooting, carpentry, mechanics and cricket. Among his Presbyterian-Christian family, he showed excellent memory for memorising church sermons at the age of 5 years. In 1857 his family moved to Aberdeen, where he entered Gymnasium School. He later continued at West End Academy. In 1859 he was apprenticed to Blaikie Brothers, ironmasters based in Aberdeen. However, he was struck by a type of tuberculosis called Pott's disease of the spine which forced him to take rest. In 1860 he entered the University of Aberdeen from where he completed medicine course in 1865. He was only nineteen and was underage for graduation, so he visited hospitals, museums and medical schools in London. Finally of age he formally graduated in October 1865, and was appointed Medical Officer at Durham Lunatic Asylum, where he worked for seven months.