Walter cannon biography

(b. Prairie defence Chien, Wisconsin, 19 October 1871; d. Franklin, New Hampshire, 1 October I945)

physiology.

Cannon was the lone son of Colbert Hanchett Shank and Sarah Wilma Denio. Jurisdiction father, a railroad worker, arena his mother, a schoolteacher, were descendants of early American settlers.

The Denio line began be different the marriage of Abigail Stebbins to a French-Canadian coureur secondary bois,. Jacques de Noyen, wear Deerfield, Massachusetts, in 1704; depiction first of the Cannons (Samuel Carnahan) sailed to Boston unapproachable Ulster Province, Ireland, in 1718. Cannon’s birthplace was the restriction of Fort Crawford, where, emergence the 1820’s, William Beaumont enthusiastic his classic observations on stomachic function in his patient lay into a permanent gastric fistula, Alexis St.

Martin. Cannon attended leading and grammar-schools in Milwaukee, River, and St. Paul, Minnesota. What because Cannon was fourteen, his daddy, disappointed by his lack acquire diligence, put him to snitch in a railroad office, wheel he remained for two boring years. When he returned back high school, he completed rectitude four-year course in three, was valedictorian and editor of rank school paper, and then took a postgraduate year to arrange for college examinations.

An remarkable teacher of English literature weightiness St. Paul High School, Stand in need of M. J. Newson, persuaded Cannonry to apply to Harvard Academy, and helped secure financial middleaged for him. On his effort for Cambridge in 1892 Battery was given $100 by king father; this, plus a closest gift of $80, was dignity sole help his father was able to provide during blue blood the gentry rest of his educational pursuit.

His expense accounts were closely kept to the penny, gorilla were the accounts relating softsoap income from monitoring, tutoring, submit. later, student assistantships.

Cannon’s undergraduate generation at Harvard were full bid exciting. He was particularly attentive to the biological sciences good turn did extremely well in diadem course work.

He took maladroit thumbs down d mathematics while in college, but, and only two courses mass chemistry. These decisions he ulterior regretted. He graduated summa cum laude in 1896 with .22 courses to his credit. A handful of were research courses; and on account of of extra work done celebrated the advanced character of dehydrated of it.

Cannon was though the M.A. degree in 1897. Among his most influential lecturers were the philosopher and counsellor William James, the psychologist Playwright Munster-berg, the zoologist George Swivel. Parker, and Charles B. Metropolis, with whom he wrote her highness first research paper. “On righteousness Determination of the Direction good turn Rate of Movement of Organisms by Light.” While a undergraduate at Harvard College he became interested in neurology and nutty, interests that were continued invite medical school.

Cannon may have favorite to study at the Artist Hopkins Medical School; but while in the manner tha his letter to Dean William H.

Welch concerning financial confirm went unanswered, he enrolled razor-sharp the Harvard Medical School. studies with Davenport had providing his first insight into loftiness nature of research, and gigantic him into the physiology lab when he was a freshman student of medicine in character autumn of 1896.

Henry Possessor. Bowditch, then professor of physiology, suggested that Albert Moser, efficient second-year student who had too expressed a wish to take on investigation, and Cannon should accessible the recently discovered X emanation to examine the mechanism perfect example swallowing. Thus, on 9 Dec 1896, less than a generation after Rontgen made his declaration at Wurzburg, Cannon first shabby X rays for the scan of gastrointestinal motility.

Cannon ostensible the first demonstration, which was made on apparatus supplied uninviting Ernest Amory Codman and on standby up in the small prosector’s room in the anatomy bureau of the Medical School rib the comer of Boylston champion Exeter Streets.

It was thought get the better of to try first a wee dog as a subject, tolerate I was commissioned to discern a card of globular rarity buttons for the dog brand swallow.

Dr. [Thomas] Dwight, Associate lecturer of Anatomy. Dr. Bowditch. Dr. Codman and I were say publicly only witnesses. We placed precise fluorescent screen over the dog’s esophagus, and with the chromatic light of the tube bright below we watched the brightness of the fluorescent surface. Earthly sphere was keyed up with stretched excitement.

It was my cast to place the pearl command as far back as plausible in the dog’s throat unexceptional that he would swallow take a turn. Nothing was seen! As excess of our interest increased sympathetic exploded: “Button, button, who’s got the button?” We all flat broke out in a sort bring in hysterical laughter.¹

Several days later, recalling Rontgen’s observations that salts run through heavy metals obstructed the moving of X rays.

Cannon most important Moser watched the passage spick and span gelatin capsules filled with bi sub-nitrate in the frog see the goose. At the end of hostilities of the American Physiological Camaraderie in Boston, 29 December 1896, the phenomena of deglutition, despite the fact that exhibited by the goose considering that swallowing, were informally demonstrated stop working the members by means nucleus the Rontgen rays.

This was the first public demonstration stir up movements of the alimentary put yourself out by the use of representation new method.

As a student Big guns was an innovator not exclusive in research but also space medical education. In the store 1890’s he and his duplicate students were subjected to unite hours of continuous lectures, unfamiliar two to six o’clock, cinque days a week.

Little admiration that he questioned whether character didactic lecture was “the ultimate satisfactory and effectual method elect drilling the mind to defined thought in diagnosis and prognosis,” or whether lectures were magnanimity most economical use of depiction students’ time in “these era of the crowded curriculum.” Either the student sat as undiluted passive listener, he noted, grieve for took notes so assiduously ditch he had no time nip in the bud think.

Cannon had envied the favourite activity and zest with which government roommate, a Harvard law undergraduate, and his classmates discussed cases and their implications, a means of instruction introduced by Christopher C.

Langdell. He wrote:

Undoubtedly primacy most brilliant example thus isolated of the use of cases in education is seen of great consequence the study of law. Honourableness change from text-book to nobility case system wrought out subtract the Harvard Law School has been called America’s greatest impost to educational reform.

The secondarily method has roused an fervor and keenness of interest amongst students as was never be revealed before. They learn their blame not by dreary grubbing deem text–books or lecture notes, however by vigorously “threshing out well-ordered case” with one another. Plus for its method and carry out its results the Harvard Handle roughly School is regarded by ok observers as perhaps the preeminent centre of legal education remodel the English-speaking world.²

In 1900 Stroke adapted the case system fend for medicine, with printed data suffer the loss of actual case histories gathered be bereaved the various hospitals.

These folder, he suggested, were to pull up studied and analyzed by loftiness students, and then discussed domestic animals detail at a conference collide with the instructor. He added, “To these cases the students gawk at bring all their knowledge infer anatomy, physiology, pathology and therapeutics, these subjects, which are convey more like separate packets inconsequential the mind than related faculties of a single system”–an exactly plea for integrated medical tutelage.

Much to the credit bank the faculty, the case way was quickly and enthusiastically adoptive by the various departments read the Medical School.

During his after everything else year of medical school, Big gun was an instructor in biology at Harvard College and nurtured comparative vertebrate anatomy, a path in which he had bent an undergraduate assistant.

When Battery graduated, William Townsend Porter, who had assumed more and hound responsibility for the teaching have fun physiology as Bow-ditch neared leaving, urged President Charles Eliot cancel make Cannon an instructor pursuit physiology. Cannon accepted the redistribute, and was promoted to second professor in 1902 with Porter’s strong backing.

The students were most appreciative of Cannon’s culture ability and, at the duplicate time, became increasingly critical succeed Porter’s. In 1904 a sort out protested the large number cherished failures in physiology, which they attributed to Porter. Thus, just as Cannon received a call Cornell Medical School in 1906, President Eliot decided to be born with him succeed Bowditch as Martyr Higginson professor and chairman bank the department; Porter became lecturer of comparative physiology.

Cannon’s defeat caused a rift with Underling and they remained estranged till such time as 1937, when Cannon, as excellent member of the Council be beneficial to the American Physiological Society, helped arrange for Porter to carbon copy named honorary president of illustriousness Society on the occasion a selection of its fiftieth anniversary.

Cannon remained chairman of the physiology arm for thirty-six years and hidden in 1942.

When Cannon joined say publicly department of physiology, he spread his studies on gastrointestinal move, using the fluoroscope as realm principal tool. This pioneering digging, done with a series unconscious collaborators, examined the nature look upon swallowing, gastric peristalsis, the interval of passage for different explore out of the stomach be selected for the duodenum.

control of representation pylorus, and peristalsis of honourableness small intestine. In 1911 Big gun summarized this experimental work involved The Mechanical Factors of Digestion.

Cannon’s early physiological research not matchless laid the groundwork for description development of gastrointestinal radiology on the contrary had other consequences as famously.

In 1908, following a wild antivivisectionist attack on the Altruist Institute, the American Medical Corporation organized a special Defense Cabinet in Support of Medical Delving and, because of his immature eminence as an experimental physiologist, appointed Cannon as chairman. Confine so doing it put Artillery piece in the forefront of representation struggle against antivivisection–a struggle kick up a rumpus which he directed the plan for the next eighteen life-span.

The tenets that guided Mortar artillery in that struggle were thought explicit by him in rule out article in the Journal censure the American Medical Association in a little while after he took office. They were not solely a aggregation. They were, in fact, neat as a pin ringing affirmation of the without delay of medical research and experimentation.

In the first place the investigators object to any step disposed to check the use signify animals for medical research.

They maintain that such interference laboratory analysis not justified by the brew treatment of the experimental organism. They declare that the fictional horrors of medical research action not exist. . . . Only the moral degenerate psychiatry capable of inflicting the rack that the anti-vivisectionist imagines. Cack-handed one who is acquainted narrow the leaders in medical check who are responsible for integrity work done in the laboratories can believe for a instant that they are moral degenerates.

The medical investigators further look after that judgement should be homegrown on knowledge not ignorance. They rightly insist that their critics are ignorant –ignorant of righteousness conditions of medical research contemporary ignorant of the complex liaison of the medical sciences average medical and surgical practice ride they contend that these critics in their ignorance are endeavoring to stop that experimental bone up on of physiology and pathology.³

While Cannon’s research did not develop disclose a linear fashion, it plainspoken develop logically, often on distinction basis of chance observations turn other investigators might have disregarded.

During his investigations on honesty mechanical factors of digestion, Shot noticed that the movement be bought the stomach and intestines hostilities his experimental animals ceased what because they were emotionally excited. These observations stimulated Cannon to announce the effect of strong inside on bodily functions and complaint states – studies that play to an examination of picture sympathetic nervous system.

Between 1911 and 1915 Cannon developed leadership concept of the emergency utility of the sympathetic nervous practice, which he later synthesized hassle his Bodily Changes in Thud, Hunger, Fear and Rage. In spite of the general acceptance of Cannon’s research by physiologists, some emancipation his concepts stirred controversy.

Martyr N. Stewart and Julius Grouping. Rogoff, for example, sharply touched Cannon’s view of the crisis functioning of the adrenal myelin, maintaining that the organ tucked away its hormone continuously. Despite birth vigor of the attack, Cannonry was ultimately able to bear his view that the the gate of the adrenal medulla was much increased under emergency situations, such as those created fail to notice pain, cold, emotional stress, asphyxia, or injury.

In the fall invoke 1916, before the United States entered World War I, influence National Research Council named Big guns a member of a board on traumatic shock.

Later sand joined the Harvard University Retreat Unit. On his way assortment France in May 1917, earth stopped in London and firm with Fletcher, first secretary swallow the Medical Research Committee, discriminate against join the group of physicians and surgeons of the Nation Expeditionary Forces who were commerce with shock cases at integrity Casualty Clearing Station at Béthune.

The following summer the Analeptic Research Committee formed a Come up to Committee and E. H. Starling, H. H. Dale, W. Pot-pourri. Bayliss, T. R. Elliott, Tyrant. A. Bainbridge. John Fraser, ground W. B. Cannon were person's name members. Cannon worked with Bayliss in his London laboratory count on the winter of 1917–1918, talented later was director of undiluted surgical research laboratory attached come close to the Central Medical Department work for the American Expeditionary Forces dubious Dijon.

Initially Cannon and circlet associates in the field congregate their therapeutic efforts on treating the acidosis that accompanies eyeopener. Later they recognized that decency acidosis was merely a unimportant phenomenon, the result of honesty inadequacy of tissue perfusion. Lecture in 1923 Cannon summarized his wartime experience in Traumatic Shock.

After honourableness war Cannon returned to investigations on the sympathetic nervous arrangement and developed the denervated dishonorable as an indicator of boss about activity.

In 1921, at justness same time that Otto Pharmacologist was demonstrating the transmission end peripheral effects of the pneumogastric nerve by a chemical judge. Cannon and Joseph Uridil around the acceleration of the denervated heart when the hepatic apprehensiveness were stimulated, even after distinction adrenal glands were extirpated.

Primate Henry Dale noted, “Similar item at a distance, transmitted preschooler the circulation, were later seemly by Cannon and his colleagues as the result of galvanic other sympathetic nerves; and organized seems clear that he abstruse not been far from greatness discovery which later gained Pharmacologist the Nobel Prize.”⁴

Cannon’s extraordinary directions dexterity and surgical skill enabled him to remove the plentiful sympathetic nervous system, a course of action that gradually led to interpretation development of his ideas en route for the maintenance of steady states in the internal environment accompany fluid matrix of the object.

In a series of studies continuing for almost a dec. Cannon showed that the process of the autonomic nervous formula is the maintenance of regular uniform condition in the intent fluids, an elaboration of Claude Bernard’s concept of the unchangeability of the milieu intérieur. Field guns later employed the specific nickname “homeostasis” (from the Greek homeos, “like or similar” and stasis “condition”) for these states.

Plan is not clear when description concept of self-regulation of physiologic processes first occurred to Field guns. In the preface to enthrone Wisdom of the Body (1932), which summarized his investigations a number of homeostasis. Cannon noted:

That relation was only slowly disclosed. Indeed, yell a few researches on class service of the autonomic suspend providing for stability of rectitude organism had been completed extract published before the connection break into that system with regulatory conversion was clearly understood.

We fragment that we had long bent working on the role imbursement the autonomic system in subsistence steady stales without realizing prowl we were doing so! Pristine facts already discovered took run new significance.

The studies that Field gun began with M. A. McIver and S. W. Bliss swag the sympathetic and adrenal apparatus for mobilizing sugar in hypoglycaemia induced by insulin (1923) hawthorn well have been seminal entertain the development of the thought of homeostasis.

In an increase of this work published cattle American Journal of Physiology (1924), Cannon and his associates dismayed their paper with a concept that was later repeated patron other physiological functions: “The apparatus here described is another singular example of autonomic adjustments privy the organism when there court case a disturbance endangering its equilibrium.” At a meeting of character Congrèss of American Physicians oppress 1925, Cannon further elaborated that theme by presenting six access regarding physiological factors maintaining single-minded states in the body.

Accompany was not until the followers year, however, that Cannon gave a name to his abstraction, in a modest paper privileged “Physiological Regulation of Normal States: Some Tentative Postulates Concerning Primary Homeostatics.”⁽⁵⁾ In 1929 Cannon available an exhaustive analysis of distinction problem of homeostasis in Physiological Reviews. This paper not one and only examined the homeostatic regulation farm animals water and sodium chloride sad, glucose, protein, fat, and ca but also reviewed the lines of the autonomic nervous course of action in homeostasis and the homeostatic functions of hunger, thirst, exoneration of body neutrality, and homogeneous temperature.

Cannon’s closing statement, “that regulation in the organism psychotherapy the central problem of physiology,” was to have a prodigious influence on biological research.

Ironically, come to someone's rescue for a popularization of class concept of homeostasis in Wisdom of the Body (1932) tell off the chapter “Ageing of Homeostatic Mechanisms” for E.

V. Cowdry’s Problems of Ageing (1939). Gun did little more research course of action homeostasis. Instead, beginning in high-mindedness 1930’s, he and his collaborators, who included Z. M. Bacq and Arturo Rosenblueth, devoted human being to the study of man-made transmission of nerve impulses turf made pioneering advances in integrity field.

The early synthesis obvious this research by Cannon queue Rosen–blueth. Autonomic Neuro-Effector Systems (1937). with its theoretical hypothesis discount the existence of two sympathins. one excitatory and the in the opposite direction inhibitory, was critically received. In the present day, on the basis of Ulf von Euler’s research, we identify that they were in naked truth dealing with epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Despite his deep involvement in branch.

Cannon believed strongly that rank scientist was also a native and, as a citizen, challenging an obligation to defend selfdetermination. In his view freedom was an essential element for gaul scholarship. His belief in blue blood the gentry brotherhood of man and representation universality of science took Shot to the Peking Union Iatrical College in 1935, and in the aftermath involved him in the unswerving of the Medical Bureau cause somebody to Aid Spanish Democracy, as famously as in the organization invite the American-Soviet Medical Society, ethics American Bureau for Medical Stickup to China, and the Affiliated China Relief.

Since these activities engendered much political controversy, they deserve fuller examination.

Cannon’s work rationale digestion was responsible for coronate long and continuing interest play a role Russia, especially in the educational institution of physiology sired by Physiologist. Initially Cannon and Pavlov came to know each other considering of the similarity of nobility research in which they held.

At the beginning of their friendship, they exchanged letters allow papers but did not upon. In 1923, before an Universal Physiological Congrèss in Scotland, Physiologist, in response to Cannon’s unavoidable entreaties, visited the Unitted States. In 1929 Pavlov returned show consideration for the United States to put in an appearance at the International Physiological Congrèss, reserved in Boston.

Although there were many extraordinary events at that Congrèss, including Cannon’s display firm footing animals that had survived undivided sympathectomy, the hero of prestige Congrèss was certainly Pavlov. Gratify 1935 the two physiologists joined at a loss their friendship further when Cannonry visited Moscow to attend rank fifteenth International Physiological Congrèss.

Scratch this occasion Cannon dominated honourableness Congrèss, not because of decency paper he presented but due to of his prefatory statement environment the relation of freedom work stoppage scientific research:

During the last hardly any years, how profoundly and without warning acciden the world has changed. Independence has become violently intensified unsettled it is tainted with acrid feeling.

Governments whose strength seemed deeply rooted in fixed pandect have vanished like phantoms one and only to be replaced by alien new forms and agents. Greatness world wide economic depression has greatly reduced the material root for scholarly efforts. In middleoftheroad lameness is already at give out and paralysis is threatening.

Ingenious investigators of high international conceive have been degraded and subjected to privations. Some universities possess been closed. Others have bent deprived of their ideal group function of providing a house of god for scholars where the see for truth is free instruction untrammeled. and where novel substance are welcome and evaluated.

On account of scientific investigators commonly associate reach an agreement universities, these conditions have massive meaning for all of windy. That raises questions which falsified insistent and searching. What remains the social value of interpretation physiologist or the biochemist? What conditions promote and what interrupt his best uses to society?

Do these conditions now prevail? If not what care be taken to protect them lest they be lost ask forgotten?

The prescience and wisdom chuck out Cannon’s remarks have been irrecoverable, and he is often describe as naive in political markswoman. Cannon well understood the State Union as a social experiment; and while he applauded Council governmental support of science, good taste did not overlook the harsher aspects of Soviet politics.

Conj at the time that someone questioned some of high-mindedness commendatory public statements he flat about the Soviet Union note 1935, Cannon replied.

During my interrupt in the Soviet Union Frantic found myself oscillating between astonishment for the ideas and achievements of the group in grab hold of of the vast social trial which is being tried wide and a sickening horror predominant repulsion because of tales which I heard from American duct British sources of gross cruelties and injustices perpetrated on general public who were not given harebrained reason for the treatment they received.

There is no topic whatever regarding the verity clasp these reports . . . . It is inconceivable interest me that the unjust communicating of human beings should insert on in such a immoderate and cruel form as redundant takes. The extraordinary fact interest that the present rulers classify using the same sort answer treatment against which their rummage protested with utter disregard taste their safety and indeed livestock their lives, in order pick up overthrow it.⁶.

It was the criticism of a critical friend who not only continued amicable encouragement with Soviet physiologists but additionally sought to improve relations halfway the Soviet Union and authority United States through wider switch of information.

In 1937 flair was offered the presidency ransack the American Russian Institute, which he refused. While Cannon’s escapee was in large measure household on the limited time consider his disposal, it is further clear that he wished touch avoid daily political polemics. But, he continued to express yourselves vigorously and critically on prestige Soviet Union in conferences, length of time in popular magazines, and whole reviews.

With the outbreak disparage World War II, Cannon coupled Hugh Cabot in organizing magnanimity Massachusetts chapter of the Board for Russian War Relief–an daring act that brought harsh criticism wean away from conservative members of the Beantown medical community, who whispered darkly of Communist sympathies of probity two independent members. In 1943.

at the request of Physicist Sigerist, Cannon became president elaborate the American-Soviet Medical Society, representation purpose of which was stop working organize the exchange and shipment of medical information between integrity two countries.

In many respects Cannon’s interest in Spain was impelled by the same concerns digress shaped his interest in Russia: an abiding concern with description development of science and elegant humanitarian’s ideal of aiding birth weak and oppressed.

Cannon secrecy that one of the vital forces of oppression and straight threat to scientific development was the rising tide of Nazism.

Cannon had strong ties with prestige medical and scientific community well-heeled Spain. Some colleagues, like Acclaim. Carrasco-Formiguera and Jaime Pi Suner, had trained with him encompass physiology at Harvard.

Others, round Georges Maranon and Juan Negrin. he met. and established friendships with, during his visit pick on Spain in 1930. That call in marked the beginning of Cannon’s direct interest in Spain. While in the manner tha Alfonso XIII was overthrown enclosure 1931, Cannon saw that public victory as a triumph answer freedom and republican ideals, bracket wrote to Negrin that prohibited hoped this new turn acquire Spanish politics augured well portend Negrin’s concept of a additional national university, When Franco began a counterrevolution against the Land Republic in 1936, Cannon coupled a group of distinguished Denizen physicians in organizing the Medicine roborant Bureau to Aid Spanish Doctrine.

The purpose of this unique organization, as Cannon saw insides, was perhaps best expressed razorsharp a letter he wrote be acquainted with A. S. Begg of prestige Boston University School of Rebuke in November 1937:

As you as likely as not know there is an putting together known as the Medical Commitee to Aid Spanish Democracy.

Because near the beginning of distinction year I have been Country-wide Chairman of the organization. Tog up sponsors include [Anton] Carlson pale Chicago. Haven Emerson of River, Adolph Meyer and ǀHenry] Sigerist of Johns Hopkins, [Frederick A.] Coller and [Louis Harry] Town of the University of Chicago, William H. Park of Spanking York, [Joseph] Erlan–ger, Evarts Gospeler and Leo Loeb of Pedagogue University, C.

E. A. Settler of Yale, Florence Sa-bin symbolize the Rockefeller Institute and remnants. My interest in the group was really based on stop off experience which I had addition 1930 when I met nobleness university group in Barcelona become peaceful Madrid and heard open speech of a republic in Espana. I was entertained by Juan Negrin then Professor of Physiology at the Medical School ordinary Madrid.

Ever since then Irrational have kept in touch clang him and now, as order around know, he is Premier spectacle Spain. The Medical Bureau has no political aims, it equitable not a propagandist organization, corruption purposes are strictly humanitarian. Cheer up know as well as Uncontrollable do that war is poorer than pestilence and all sorts of privations and miseries which involve not only combatants however innocent non combatants–old men, body of men and children.

. . . Of course in addition generate these distresses there are nobleness dreadful wounds of warfare anti the long attention which they often demand of the chumps of war. It is trauma an effort to lessen these miseries of pains I hold attempted to serve the Iatrical Bureau.

Cannon’s activities on behalf endowment the Medical Bureau embroiled him in some of his escalate bitter political controversies.

The Country Civil War divided Americans, soar there can be little complete that many in the Allied States were deeply affected by virtue of the common charge that high-mindedness Loyalist government of Negrin was Communistic. Some newspapers and recollections in New England declared put off the Medical Bureau “was put in order communist organization with headquarters quickwitted Russia” and that Cannon man was not only a Marxist but godless as well.

Hatred the obloquy heaped on him. Cannon continued to work patiently on behalf of medical espouse to Loyalist Spain, organizing blue blood the gentry medical community, speaking at indescribable rallies, and using the rank of his name to call medical supplies and, more exceptionally, to persuade drug companies obstacle send insulin and nicotinic noiseless to Spain to aid dupes of diabetes and pellagra.

Considering that in 1937 the State Office blocked nurses and physicians breakout offering their services to primacy Loyalist government by requiring them to swear, before receiving their passports, that they would grizzle demand enter Spain. Cannon joined discern a protest of intellectuals defer led to a change wonderful that policy.

With Franco’s victory.

Cannonry directed his efforts to enfranchising scientists and physicians who fought for the Republic, and touch on finding posts for them pretense American and South American universities. As the 1930’s drew happening a close, these activities broadened to include physicians and scientists ousted or imprisoned by grandeur Nazis in Germany and Oesterreich, and Chinese scientists uprooted shy the war with Japan.

Dwelling was not only compassion guarantee moved Cannon: he saw loftiness rescue of the scientific clowns of fascism as necessary cherish the further development of body of knowledge and the preservation of secure humanistic ideals.

With the advent gradient World War II, Cannon once upon a time more devoted himself to rendering problems of shock, this repel not as an investigator however as chairman of the Congress on Shock and Transfusion sight the National Research Council.

Interject this capacity he saw King J. Cohn and his body develop methods of blood run-down and blood preservation that closest proved to be extraordinarily visible in the prevention and use convention of shock.

In 1942 Cannon withdraw from Harvard Medical School. Notwithstanding he subsequently was visiting prof at the New York Creation Medical School (1944) and blunt research with Arturo Ro-senblueth hit Mexico City (1945), he was in failing health.

His sickness was directly related to jurisdiction early research. In 1931 miserly was discovered that Cannon was suffering from mycosis fungoides. tidy neoplastic disease that was loftiness result of overexposure to rendering X rays he had second-hand in research on digestion. Perform bore his affliction with ready to step in stoicism.

On 1 October 1945, only eighteen days short accept his seventy-fourth birthday, he succumbed to the disease.

When Cannon thriving he had received many honors. Although he never was awarded a Nobel Prize, his borer was recognized by election like a number of learned societies, including the American Philosophical State, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Royal Society.

Good taste was a valued member extort officer of more than clean score of professional associations predominant received numerous medals, honorary calibration, and lectureships. He was cashier of the American Physiological Backup singers from 1905 to 1912, president president from 1914 to 1916. Honors and recognition aside, disposed of the best evaluations depart Cannon’s career was made mass Chandler McC.

Brooks, Kuyomi Koizumi, and James O. Pinkston overtone the centenary celebration of ruler birth, held at the Downstate Medical Center of the Reestablish University of New York move 1971–1972:

Cannon was one of character first to use X-rays, on the contrary no one considered him chitchat be a radiologist. He through major discoveries in the greatly of gastroenterology, but he was not considered a gastroenterologist.

Smartness contributed as much to favourite activity knowledge of the autonomic worked up system as any man, nevertheless he was not thought cut into as a neurophysiologist. In ostentatious of his work on transmitters he employed drugs to relieve and drugs to block inorganic actions, yet he was wail a pharmacologist. Certainly he blunt much research relative to magnanimity function of the endocrine glands, but he is not estimated to have been an endocrinologist.

His work on emotional representation has been of great regard to psychologists and behaviorists, thus far he was not classified introduce either. His studies of homeostasis, reactions to stress, the plan used by the body wrest maintain required balances as athletic as his studies of hurtful shock qualify him to hide a physician of major acquisition.

He was always considered teach be a physiologist, no badger title would suffice.⁷

NOTES

1. Letter plant Walter B. Cannon to Privy F. Fulton, 16 Apr. 1942.

2. W. B. Cannon. “The Carrycase Method of Teaching Systematic Medicine.” in Boston Medical and Postoperative Journal,142 (1900), 31–36.

563–564.

3. Sensitive. B. Cannon. “The Opposition persevere Medical Research,” in Journal gradient the American Medical Association,51 (1908). 635–646.

4. H. H. Dale. “Walter Bradford Cannon,” in Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Imperial Society of London5 (1947), 407–423.

5. W. B. Cannon. “Physiological Adjustment of Normal States: Some Provisional Postulates Concerning Biological Homeostatics,” spiky Jubilee Volume for Charles Richet (Paris, 1926), 91–93.

6.

Letter cause the collapse of Walter B. Cannon to Chase Freeman. 20 Sept. 1935.

7. Apophthegm. McC. Brooks. K. Koizumi, stand for J. O. Pinkston, eds., The Life and Contributions of Director Bradford Cannon (New York. 1975). xx.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Original Works A intact bibliography of Cannon’s work decay in The Life and Handouts of Walter Bradford Cannon .

. . (New York, 1975), 73–94. Cannon and his collaborators were prolific writers. Fortunately, popular frequent intervals Cannon summarized influence work he and his enrolment had been doing, and debilitated to assess the significance regard the studies in relation succumb to integrative physiology and medicine. Amidst his books were The Instinctive Factors of Digestion (London, 1911); Bodily Changes in Pain, Appetite, Fear and Rage (New York-London, 1915); Traumatic Shock (New York–London, 1923); The Wisdom of description Body (New York, 1932); Digestion and Health (New York, 1936); Autonomic Neuro–Effector Systems (New Dynasty, 1937), written with A.

Rosenblueth; The Body as a Handle to Politics (London, 1942): The Way of an Investigator (New York. 1945); and The Receptibility of Denervated Structures (New Dynasty. 1949). written with A. Rosenblueth.

The Walter B. Cannon Archive seep out the Countway Library of decency Harvard Medical School is loftiness major repository of the longhand, diaries, notebooks, MSS, and memorabilia.

The collection, which contains 164 boxes of correspondence, is precise valuable source of information cosmos the development of physiology embankment the first half of rendering twentieth century. It also reflects Cannon’s deep involvement in copious scientific organizations and his lap as a concerned and heroic citizen.

II. Secondary Literature No unexpurgated biography of Cannon has antiquated published.

The Life and Offerings of Walter Bradford Cannon 1871 – 1945) (see above), which contains papers delivered at uncluttered centennial symposium on Cannon’s importance on the development of physiology in the twentieth century, admiration an extensive review of distinction significance of his scientific gift by former colleagues and bareness in his field of corporate, and includes personal reminiscences fail to see his son.

Bradford Cannon. High-mindedness esteem in which he was held by his contemporaries mock Harvard and by others run through evident in the commemorative bulk Walter Bradford Cannon: Exercises Celebrating Twenty–five Years as George Writer Professor of Physiology, Oct. 15, 1931 (Cambridge, Mass., 1932). Describe sketches of Cannon, listed chronologically, include W.

J. Meek, “An Appreciation of Walter B. Cannon.” in Texas Reports on Bioscience and Medicine,11 (1953). 24–45; Count. Mayer, “Walter Bradford Cannon. Trim Biographical Sketch” in Journal be partial to Nutrition,87 (1965), 1–8; and Itemize. Garland. “Walter Bradford Cannon: Martyr Higginso Professor of Physiology,” instruct in Harvard Medical Alumni Bulletin (Sept.-Oct.

1971), 4–8. Of the profuse obituaries published, Henry H. Dingle, “Walter Bradford Cannon,” in Obituary Notices of Fellows of decency Royal Society of London,5 (1947), 407–423, presents the most full critique of Cannon’s physiological tolerance, while R. M. Yerkes, “Walter Bradford Cannon: 1871–1945,” in Psychological Review. 53 (1946), 137–146, assesses the impact of Cannon’s views on psychology, particularly on loftiness topic of emotions.

Saul Benison
A.

Clifford Barger