Maxwell Finland
Maxwell Finland (born March 15, 1902 near Kiev , † October 25, 1987 in Boston ) was an American bacteriologist and physician.
Life
Finland came to the USA at the age of four. He studied at Harvard University (bachelor's degree cum laude in 1922) and at Harvard Medical School with the degree in 1926. He received his specialist training at Boston City Hospital. He was Professor (from 1963 George Richard Minot Professor) of Medicine at Harvard and until 1968 Chief Physician at Boston City Hospital (Director of the 2nd and 4th Medical Service and the Thorndike Memorial Laboratory).
He was an expert on infectious diseases, including pneumococci and the pneumonia they cause . Among other things, he was involved in early studies on the use of penicillin against infectious diseases at the Boston Medical Center (with Chester Keefer 1944). His use of sulfonamides (sulfadiazine) first and then antibiotics contributed significantly to lowering the mortality rate from pneumonia in the United States. He pointed out early on the development of resistance to antibiotics and the resulting risk of infection for hospitalized patients. In the 1960s, he was a sharp critic of the combination preparations with fixed-dose antibiotics that were marketed at the time, which soon disappeared from the market due to his criticism. He was also a sharp critic of the unrestrained use of antibiotics in therapy and prevention.
Around 800 scientific papers originate from him. In addition to infectious diseases, he also examined injuries to the lungs caused by toxic gases.
In 1979 the Infectious Disease Laboratory at Boston City Hospital was named after him.
He received the Bristol Award of the Infectious Diseases Society of America , was three times honorary doctor (including Harvard 1982), a member of the National Academy of Sciences and since 1944 the American Academy of Arts and Sciences .
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has presented the Maxwell Finland Award since 1988 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Finland, Maxwell |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American medic |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 15, 1902 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | near Kiev |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 25, 1987 |
| Place of death | Boston |