Dame Jean Macnamara became a doctor and was best known for her contributions to children's welfare and health. She was also a scientist.
In 1923, Jean became a resident doctor at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. The hospital authorities were at first reluctant as they had no woman toilet facilities. In 1925 she graduated M.D. and became a clinical assistant to the children's out-patients' physician.Between 1925 and 1931 she was a consultar and medical officer responsible to the Poliomyelitis Committee of Victoria, lead by Dr John Dale. From 1930 to 1931, she was an honorary adviser on Polio to official authorities in New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.
In 1931, she received a Rockefeller Fellowship to travel to England and The United States to study orthopaedics. She conducted a successful orthopaedic work, and for this contribution was created DBE in 1935. In 1922 to 1951 she was honorary medical officer to the Yooralla Hospital School for Crippled Children.
IMPACT
Jean Macnamara, along with Frank Macfarlane Burnet, discovered the existence of more than one strain of polio virus. It has been acknowledged as an early step towards the development of the Salk Vaccine. This vaccine is put into many babies, and it prevents many diseases that we could all die from.
The 1925 polio epidemic prompted Dr Macnamara to test the use of immune serum in the treatment of patients at the pre-paralytic stage. Convinced of the value of the method, she published and defended her results in Australian and British journals in 1927-35, notably with F. G. Morgan in the Lancet of 27 February 1932.
In 1923, Jean became a resident doctor at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. The hospital authorities were at first reluctant as they had no woman toilet facilities. In 1925 she graduated M.D. and became a clinical assistant to the children's out-patients' physician.Between 1925 and 1931 she was a consultar and medical officer responsible to the Poliomyelitis Committee of Victoria, lead by Dr John Dale. From 1930 to 1931, she was an honorary adviser on Polio to official authorities in New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.
In 1931, she received a Rockefeller Fellowship to travel to England and The United States to study orthopaedics. She conducted a successful orthopaedic work, and for this contribution was created DBE in 1935. In 1922 to 1951 she was honorary medical officer to the Yooralla Hospital School for Crippled Children.
IMPACT
Jean Macnamara, along with Frank Macfarlane Burnet, discovered the existence of more than one strain of polio virus. It has been acknowledged as an early step towards the development of the Salk Vaccine. This vaccine is put into many babies, and it prevents many diseases that we could all die from.
The 1925 polio epidemic prompted Dr Macnamara to test the use of immune serum in the treatment of patients at the pre-paralytic stage. Convinced of the value of the method, she published and defended her results in Australian and British journals in 1927-35, notably with F. G. Morgan in the Lancet of 27 February 1932.