Famous Doctors

In older times, it was not easy for doctors to present scientific reasons for every illness, because of the veil of superstitions that surrounded society in general. Yet, these doctors defied them, and created treatment methods that helped prevent and cure several health conditions. These methods have reached a highly advanced stage as of today, and have made prevention and treatment of any health condition much simpler. This article speaks about famous doctors who took that first step and made significant contributions to the field of medicine to make it as advanced as it is today.

Jonas Salk
This miracle man was born in New York City and was the son of Jewish Russian immigrants. He studied microbiology at NYU's School of Medicine, where he worked hard to develop the vaccine for influenza. In 1947 he started teaching at the University of Pittsburgh, where he developed the polio vaccine. Although many doctors had tried to develop polio vaccine earlier, Dr. Salk was the first one to achieve success. His contributions in the field of medicine ensured that the polio virus was eradicated and people would not require the use of braces to walk.

Charles Horace Mayo
One of the most famous American doctors, Charles Mayo was one of the founders of the world's most famous medical clinic; Mayo Clinics. Mayo Clinic is a globally known non-profit medical organization which has its headquarters in Rochester, Minnesota. With his brother William James Mayo he was one of the pioneers in making sure modern medicine was available to the one in need.

Benjamin Spock
Dr. Spock is credited for sparking a revolution of confidence among the moms of the United States. His book "Baby and Child Care" is one of the best-selling books of all time. With this book he taught mothers to believe in themselves and not in doctors who claimed that a medical professional is the best judge of their child's well-being. Dr. Spock was one of the first pediatrician to understand the psychoanalysis of children, their needs and the overall family dynamics. After many years of observing discipline enforced on kids and child rearing, Dr. Spock's theory that parents should be more affectionate towards their children and treat them like responsible people were path breaking, no matter how simple and obvious this process seems today.

Michael Crichton
This doctor is also a famous author and has penned bestselling books like "Jurrasic Park", "Congo" and "Sphere". Dr. Crichton started writing books when he was a medical student in Harvard. He completed his M.D. in 1969 and completed his Post Doctoral studies from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, in California. His study and interest in medical studies have been the foundation for many of his novels which usually revolve around science and technology.

Emil Theodor Kocher
One of the most famous doctors in the history of medicine, Emil Theodor Kocher was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work involving the thyroid gland. He was a marvelous researcher and wrote many journals on antiseptic treatments, surgical infectious diseases and gunshot wounds. He also did meaningful research in the fields of strangulated hernia and abdominal surgery. There are many surgical instruments named after Kocher. The famous Kocher-Debre-Semelaigne syndrome is also named after him.

Frederick Banting
This name is in the prayers of almost anyone who knows about diabetes. Frederick Banting is credited as the co-founder insulin with his assistant Charles Herbert Best, and in 1932 Banting and his partner Dr. John Macleod received the Nobel Prize for their hard work in the field of medicine.

Other than these names there are some more saviors of humanity who have actually served all their lives for the benefit of humanity. Here are some more famous people who dedicated their lives to being good doctors and helped improve the general health and well-being of the people.

Famous Doctors	Their Achievements
Mason Andrews (1919-2006)	Dr. Andrews is credited to deliver America's first In-Vitro Baby (Test Tube Baby). He was also the president of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society.
Virginia Apgar (1909-1974)	Dr. Apgar was an American physician and a specialist in diagnosing anesthesia. She is best known for the invention of the Apgar test which helps in learning the overall health of a newborn.
Christiaan Barnard (1922-2001)	Christiaan Neethling Barnard was a cardiac surgeon from South Africa and was the first doctor to perform a human heart to heart transplant.
Christian Albert Theodor Billroth (1829-1894)	Dr. Billroth was a German surgeon and an avid musician. He was also regarded as the father of the modern abdominal surgery.
Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub (1935-Present)	One of the most prominent surgeons in the world, he was one of the first people to perform a live lung transplant.
Charles Herbert Best (1889-1978)	He was a brilliant student and an assistant to Dr. Fredrick Banting. Dr. Best is known as the co-founder of insulin.
Guy de Chauliac (1300-1368)	His favorite subjects were anatomy and astronomy and he was one of the most popular physicians of his time. He was one of the most prominent surgeons and his theories have dominated the surgical world for more than a century.
Alfred Blalock (1899-1964)	One of the most famous surgeons of the 20th century, Alfred Blalock was one of the pioneers in shock treatment. Dr. Blalock is also famous for developing Blalock-Taussig Shunt, a surgical relief process for Blue Baby Syndrome.
Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893)	Known as the Napoleon of the Neuroses, Dr. Charcot was one of the most famous neurologists in 19th century France. His research has greatly inspired the fields of modern-day neurology and psychology.
Henry Norman Bethune (1890-1939)	He was both, a good physician and an extraordinary innovator. He is best remembered for the development of the first blood transfusion service in 1936.
Pierre Fauchard (1678-1761)	Known as the "Father of Modern Dentistry". Fauchard is credited for doing extensive research in the field of oral pathology.
Boris Borisovich Yegorov (1937-1994)	He was the first physician to make a space flight.
Allen Oldfather Whipple (1881-1963)	He was an American surgeon and is known for his extensive research for pancreatic cancer. His name is synonymous with the treatment for pancreatic cancer which is also known as Whipple's triad.
Julian Tudor Hart (1927-Present)	He is one of the most famous authors with a medicinal background. A passionate member of the Nation Health Service and a follower of Socialism, he has authored many amazing books in the field of health care.
Ole Worm (1588-1655)	Known for his contributions in the world of embryology, this Danish physician is often known as the father of embryology. The Wormian bones are named after him and his extensive research.
William Dudley Refshauge (1913-2009)	Best remembered as the Honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth II, Dr. Refshauge was one of the most famous public health administrators in the west. Known for his compassion towards the war affected people, he was appointed the Patron of the Medical Association for Prevention of War.
Carlo Urbani (1953-2003)	He was the first one to identify the famous SARS virus and it was the virus who killed him.
Aloysius Alzheimer (1864-1916)	He was one of the most famous German psychiatrist and neuropathologist. He is best remembered in the first published case of presenile dementia which now is known as Alzheimer's disease.
James Parkinson (1755-1854)	A famous geologist, paleontologist, and political activist. He is remembered for writing the famous book on Paralysis Agitans a condition that is now called Parkinson's disease.
Daniel Elmer Salmon (1850-1914)	A famous veterinary surgeon. He last name was given to the Salmonella genus of bacteria, which was actually discovered by his assistant.
Charles Mantoux (1877-1947)	Dr. Mantoux was a French physician and is credited for discovering the eponymous serological test for tuberculosis.
Burrill B. Crohn (1884-1983)	Dr. Crohn was a famous Jewish-American gastroenterologist. He is best remembered for the discovery of Crohn's disease.
Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917)	Dr. Still is considered as the father of osteopathy.
Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)	A famous Belgian anatomist, Vesalius is regarded as the father of modern human anatomy.
Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (1818-1865)	Dr. Semmelweis was a famous Danish physician. In the medical community he was regarded as the "savior of mothers", by introducing the chlorinated lime solution which is effective in keeping hands clean.
James Mourilyan Tanner (1920-2010)	A British pediatrician, Dr. Tanner is best known for developing the Tanner scale that measures stages of sexual development during puberty.
John Snow (1813-1858)	He was a very famous British physician and an active supporter for introducing anesthesia in medicine. Hailed as one of the fathers of epidemiology, he has done some extensive research for wiping out the cholera outbreak in Soho, England in 1854.
Frederic E. Mohs (1910-2002)	He's one of the most famous surgeons of the United States. He is best remembered for developing the Mohs Micrographic Surgery which is still used to cure skin cancer.
Wilder Graves Penfield (1891-1976)	Hailed all his life as the "Greatest living Canadian". He spent much of his life in discovering the Montreal Procedure through which he treated patients with severe cases of epilepsy.
Paracelsus (1493-1541)	Regarded as the first systematic botanist, he is the man who gave zinc its name.
George Richards Minot (1885-1950)	He won a Nobel Prize with William P. Murphy and George H. Whipple for their extensive research in anemia.
William Harvey (1578-1657)	He was a famous English physician and the first person to describe the human circulatory system in detail.
René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec (1781-1826)	He was a physician and invented the stethoscope in 1816 while studying various chest conditions.
Vidus Vidius (1508-1569)	One of the best Italian surgeons of the 15th century and was the first professor at the College Royal.
Ambroise Paré (1510-1590)	This name is taken with great respect in France and England, as Pare was the official royal surgeon for kings Henry II, Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III. He was a specialist in the treatment of wounds and was also the inventor of many surgical instruments.
Edwin Carlyle Wood (1929-Present)	Hailed as one of the most brilliant names in the field of medicine, Dr. Wood is credited with developing many advanced techniques which gave birth to an improved In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
Juan Javier Gérvas Camacho (1948-Present)	He is man who has written some excellent health articles related to public health and hygiene. Dr. Camacho has also presided over medical institutions and always encouraged the growth of medicine.
Joseph Ransohoff (1915-2001)	A pioneer in the world of neurosurgery and the first person who developed the modern technique for removing brain tumors.
Carl Jung (1875-1961)	A world-renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Jung is also the founder of analytical psychology.

So these were some of the famous doctors who worked all their lives for the betterment of humanity. By reading such illustrious achievements it's very clear that working for the betterment of mankind is one of the most humane things to do.