November 06: Sir William Boog Leishman’s (1865–1926)Birthday
Leishman was a famous bacteriologist and pathologist
Born in Glasgow on 6 November 1865
An army medical officer studied tropical diseases in India
In 1900 Leishman identified the causative parasite of kala-azar or Dum-dum fever. During that time Kala Azar caused the deaths of 7,50,000 people
He developed a vaccine against typhoid fever and used during World War I
In 1901 Leishman modified ‘Romanovsky’s stain’, rendering the diagnosis of malaria much easier, especially in the tropics, where facilities were often limited. This method was called ‘Leishman stain’ and this led to the discovery of the parasite of kala-azar (Leishmania donovani).
