Aldo Castellani
Encyclopedia
Sir Aldo Castellani was an Italian
pathologist and bacteriologist.
and educated there, qualifying in medicine in 1899. He worked for a time in Bonn
and joined the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London in 1901. As bacteriologist with the Royal Society Commission on Sleeping Sickness in 1902, he went to Entebbe
, Uganda with George Carmichael Low
and Cuthbert Christie. He demonstrated the cause and means of transmission of sleeping sickness, discovered the spirochete of yaws
, and did other original work in bacteriology and in parasitic diseases of the skin. In 1903 he was appointed Bacteriologist to the Government of Ceylon at the Central laboratory in Colombo
and continued research in mycology and bacteriology, describing several new species of intestinal bacilli
. He invented the absorption test
for the serological identification of closely allied organisms. He left Ceylon in 1915 for Naples
where he took the Chair of Medicine. He was involved during World War I
in Serbia and Macedonia as a member of the Inter-Allied Sanitary Commission.
In 1919 Castellani went to London as Consultant to the Ministry of Pensions. He became lecturer on mycology
and mycotic diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and established a consulting practice in Harley Street. He was knighted in 1928 as an Honorary Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
and in 1934 his daughter Jacqueline married Sir Miles Lampson
.
Castellani's enthusiasm for Royal and eminent patients such as Benito Mussolini
clouded his reputation and during World War II
he supported Italy against the Allies, becoming chief of the Italian Army's medical service. War correspondent
Alaric Jacob
discovered his looted quarters in Cirene
in December 1941 and was tempted to pass his correspondence to his son in law Sir Miles Lampson, then British Ambassador in Egypt.
Castellani was President of the International Society of Dermatology from 1960–1964,, which he had founded in 1959. He was also professor of tropical medicine at the State University of Louisiana and also at the Royal University of Rome. He followed the Queen of Italy Marie José into exile in Portugal and ended his life as Professor at Lisbon
's Institute of Tropical Medicine. Castellani died in 1971. Castellani's paint (Carbol fuchsin
solution) is still occasionally used to treat fungal skin infections.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
pathologist and bacteriologist.
Life and achievements
Castellani was born in FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and educated there, qualifying in medicine in 1899. He worked for a time in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
and joined the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London in 1901. As bacteriologist with the Royal Society Commission on Sleeping Sickness in 1902, he went to Entebbe
Entebbe
Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962...
, Uganda with George Carmichael Low
George Carmichael Low
George Carmichael Low was a Scottish parasitologist.He was born in Monifieth, Forfarshire, Scotland, the son of Samuel Miller Low, a manufacturer of flax machinery and educated at the University of St Andrews. Having gradusted MA from St Andrews he then studied for a medical degree at Edinburgh...
and Cuthbert Christie. He demonstrated the cause and means of transmission of sleeping sickness, discovered the spirochete of yaws
Yaws
Yaws is a tropical infection of the skin, bones and joints caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum pertenue...
, and did other original work in bacteriology and in parasitic diseases of the skin. In 1903 he was appointed Bacteriologist to the Government of Ceylon at the Central laboratory in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and continued research in mycology and bacteriology, describing several new species of intestinal bacilli
Bacilli
Bacilli refers to a taxonomic class of bacteria. It includes two orders, Bacillales and Lactobacillales, which contain several well-known pathogens like Bacillus anthracis .-Ambiguity:...
. He invented the absorption test
Absorption
Absorption may refer to:- Chemistry and biology :* Absorption , absorption of particles of gas or liquid in liquid or solid material* Absorption , a route by which substances can enter the body through the skin...
for the serological identification of closely allied organisms. He left Ceylon in 1915 for Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
where he took the Chair of Medicine. He was involved during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in Serbia and Macedonia as a member of the Inter-Allied Sanitary Commission.
In 1919 Castellani went to London as Consultant to the Ministry of Pensions. He became lecturer on mycology
Mycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
and mycotic diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and established a consulting practice in Harley Street. He was knighted in 1928 as an Honorary Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
and in 1934 his daughter Jacqueline married Sir Miles Lampson
Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn
Miles Wedderburn Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn, GCMG, CB, MVO, PC was a British diplomat.-Background and education:...
.
Castellani's enthusiasm for Royal and eminent patients such as Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
clouded his reputation and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he supported Italy against the Allies, becoming chief of the Italian Army's medical service. War correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
Alaric Jacob
Alaric Jacob
Harold Alaric Jacob was an English writer and journalist. He was Reuters correspondent in Washington in the 1930s, and a war correspondent during World War II in North Africa, Burma and Moscow.-Early life:...
discovered his looted quarters in Cirene
Cyrene, Libya
Cyrene was an ancient Greek colony and then a Roman city in present-day Shahhat, Libya, the oldest and most important of the five Greek cities in the region. It gave eastern Libya the classical name Cyrenaica that it has retained to modern times.Cyrene lies in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar...
in December 1941 and was tempted to pass his correspondence to his son in law Sir Miles Lampson, then British Ambassador in Egypt.
Castellani was President of the International Society of Dermatology from 1960–1964,, which he had founded in 1959. He was also professor of tropical medicine at the State University of Louisiana and also at the Royal University of Rome. He followed the Queen of Italy Marie José into exile in Portugal and ended his life as Professor at Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
's Institute of Tropical Medicine. Castellani died in 1971. Castellani's paint (Carbol fuchsin
Carbol fuchsin
Carbol fuchsin, carbol-fuchsin, or carbolfuchsin, is a mixture of phenol and basic fuchsin, used in bacterial staining procedures. It is commonly used in the staining of mycobacteria as it has an affinity for the mycolic acids found in their cell walls.It is a component of Ziehl-Neelsen...
solution) is still occasionally used to treat fungal skin infections.
Literary works
- Manual of tropical medicine, 1910 (with A. J. Chalmers)
- Fungi and fungous diseases, 1928
- Climate and acclimatisation, 21938
- Manuale di clinica tropicale, (with Jacono)