Philip S. Hench
Who was Philip S. Hench?
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1950)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Philip S. Hench (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Philip Showalter Hench (February 28, 1896 – March 30, 1965) was an American physician and medical researcher who changed the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions with his groundbreaking work on cortisone. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Hench studied at Lafayette College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Columbia University, and also spent time at the University of Freiburg in Germany. His varied education gave him a strong background in both clinical medicine and research that was crucial for his later discoveries.
In 1923, Hench joined the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he spent most of his career and made his most important contributions to medical science. He eventually led the Department of Rheumatology, focusing on research into inflammatory joint diseases. His careful observations and methods led him to notice the temporary improvement that pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis often experienced, which he suspected was due to a natural substance produced during pregnancy.
Working with Mayo Clinic biochemist Edward Calvin Kendall, Hench sought to identify and synthesize this beneficial substance. Their research led to the successful isolation and use of cortisone, a hormone from the adrenal cortex. The first successful treatment with cortisone occurred in 1948 when Hench gave the hormone to a severely arthritic patient, resulting in dramatic improvements that changed the field of rheumatology. This breakthrough created new ways to treat not only rheumatoid arthritis but also various other inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
For their discoveries about the hormones of the adrenal cortex, their structure, and biological effects, Hench, Kendall, and Swiss chemist Tadeus Reichstein were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1950. Besides the Nobel Prize, Hench received many other honors, including the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 1949. Throughout his career, he also had a keen interest in medical history, particularly the discovery and control of yellow fever, showing his broad curiosity and appreciation for medical advancement. Hench continued his work at the Mayo Clinic until his death in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in 1965.
Before Fame
Growing up in Pittsburgh in the early 20th century, Hench saw big strides in medical science and public health, like vaccine development and better surgical techniques. He started his education at Shady Side Academy, then went on to Lafayette College for his undergraduate degree. The early 1900s were a time of fast medical progress, with researchers starting to learn about the role of hormones and chemical messengers in the body.
Hench's path to medical research was shaped by the scientific optimism of that era, when doctors were increasingly focused on understanding diseases instead of just treating symptoms. He trained in medicine at the University of Pittsburgh during World War I, a time when military medicine was making fast progress and the U.S. Army Medical Corps was finding new ways to treat wounded soldiers. This innovative and systematic environment influenced his careful approach to clinical research later at Mayo Clinic.
Key Achievements
- Co-discovered cortisone and demonstrated its therapeutic effects for rheumatoid arthritis treatment
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recipient in 1950 for discoveries relating to adrenal cortex hormones
- Served as head of the Department of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic
- Received the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 1949
- Revolutionized treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases through cortisone therapy
Did You Know?
- 01.Hench's interest in yellow fever history led him to collect extensive materials about Walter Reed and the conquest of yellow fever, becoming a recognized authority on the subject
- 02.The first patient successfully treated with cortisone was Mrs. G, a 29-year-old woman with severe rheumatoid arthritis who could barely walk before treatment
- 03.Hench initially called the unknown therapeutic substance 'Substance X' during his years of searching for the pregnancy-related factor that improved arthritis
- 04.He served in both World War I and World War II, gaining valuable medical experience that informed his later research approaches
- 05.Hench's cortisone research was initially met with skepticism from the medical community until the dramatic clinical results became undeniable
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine | 1950 | for their discoveries relating to the hormones of the adrenal cortex, their structure and biological effects |
| Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award | 1949 | — |