Alice Augusta Ball (1892-1916)
- Ball obtained BSc degrees in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (1912) and Pharmacy (1914) from the University of Washington.
- In 1915, she was the first woman and black person to receive an MSc in Chemistry at the University of Hawaii.
- She developed the first successful treatment for leprosy by manipulating chaulmoogra tree oil into a water soluble, injectable form.
- The ‘Ball Method’ was used for over 30 years until sulfone drugs were introduced.
- Her work was taken credit for and renamed the ‘Dean Method’ by the president of the University of Hawaii after her death.
- In 2000, Hawaii named February 29th ‘Alice Ball Day’ and it is celebrated every 4 years.
Image: © Public Domain
Author: Anthonia Oluwatuyi (2020) LJMU Student
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