Louis Vogelpoel
Encyclopedia
Louis Vogelpoel was a South African general physician
, cardiologist and horticultural scientist. He was a "world expert on wild flowers with an orchid named after him". His sister was Pauline Vogelpoel
.
Louis graduated from the University of Cape Town
in 1945 with first class honours and a prize for the best student of that year. He was awarded the C J Adams and Nuffield
dominion fellowships, which allowed him to spend two years at the National Heart Hospital in London] in the early fifties, where he developed his lifelong interest and expertise in cardiology. He married in 1951. He trained under Paul Wood. He returned to Cape Town in 1953 and was appointed as a part-time physician and lecturer in the department of medicine and cardiac clinic at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital
. He was one of the founding members of the Cardiac Clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town.
His clinical research activities resulted in the award of an MD with first class honours in 1959 and the publication of many papers, some of which are still quoted. Many of his earlier contributions reflected truly original observations when modern cardiology was in its infancy. Some of these have stood the test of time and have been 'rediscovered' years later with the development of more sophisticated techniques.
He was well-recognised as a horticultural scholar and researcher. His interest was mainly indigenous South African flora and he was generally regarded as an expert on erica
s and South African orchids, particularly the disa
genus. He had a vast knowledge of the natural habitat and spent many hours in the veld. His studies and research on the biorhythms of the disa orchid species allowed the successful cultivation of these beautiful orchids in nurseries. These contributions were recorded in excellent articles and chapters in the orchid literature. Following his first publication on disa uniflora in 1980 more than 45 publications followed on various aspects of orchids. His writings showed clear thought and meticulous attention to detail, while he was also an expert photographer of orchids and other flowers and published on that subject.
He was a long-time member of the Cape Orchid Society and was a founder member of the Disa Orchid Society of South Africa in 1982. He was the director of the SA Orchid Council from 1989-1993 and its Gold Medal recipient in 2002. The orchid disa vogelpoelii was named after him.
The Louis Vogelpoel Travelling Scholarship is awarded in his honour annually which offers an amount of up to R15 000 towards the travel and accommodation costs of a local or international congress by the Cape Western branch of the South African Heart Association in memory of one of South Africa’s outstanding cardiologists, Dr Louis Vogelpoel.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, cardiologist and horticultural scientist. He was a "world expert on wild flowers with an orchid named after him". His sister was Pauline Vogelpoel
Pauline Vogelpoel
Pauline Vogelpoel MBE was a South African arts administrator. She was educated at both Herschel Girls' School and Rustenburg Girls' School in Cape Town and received a degree in Fine Art from the University of Cape Town...
.
Louis graduated from the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
in 1945 with first class honours and a prize for the best student of that year. He was awarded the C J Adams and Nuffield
Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a British charitable trust, established in 1943 by William Morris , the founder of the Morris Motor Company. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage...
dominion fellowships, which allowed him to spend two years at the National Heart Hospital in London] in the early fifties, where he developed his lifelong interest and expertise in cardiology. He married in 1951. He trained under Paul Wood. He returned to Cape Town in 1953 and was appointed as a part-time physician and lecturer in the department of medicine and cardiac clinic at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital
Groote Schuur Hospital
Groote Schuur Hospital is a large, government-funded, teaching hospital situated on the slopes of Devil's Peak in the city of Cape Town, South Africa...
. He was one of the founding members of the Cardiac Clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town.
His clinical research activities resulted in the award of an MD with first class honours in 1959 and the publication of many papers, some of which are still quoted. Many of his earlier contributions reflected truly original observations when modern cardiology was in its infancy. Some of these have stood the test of time and have been 'rediscovered' years later with the development of more sophisticated techniques.
He was well-recognised as a horticultural scholar and researcher. His interest was mainly indigenous South African flora and he was generally regarded as an expert on erica
Erica
Erica ,the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance....
s and South African orchids, particularly the disa
Disa (orchid)
The orchid genus Disa consists of 169 terrestrial orchid species in tropical and South Africa, Madagascar and along the Western Indian Ocean...
genus. He had a vast knowledge of the natural habitat and spent many hours in the veld. His studies and research on the biorhythms of the disa orchid species allowed the successful cultivation of these beautiful orchids in nurseries. These contributions were recorded in excellent articles and chapters in the orchid literature. Following his first publication on disa uniflora in 1980 more than 45 publications followed on various aspects of orchids. His writings showed clear thought and meticulous attention to detail, while he was also an expert photographer of orchids and other flowers and published on that subject.
He was a long-time member of the Cape Orchid Society and was a founder member of the Disa Orchid Society of South Africa in 1982. He was the director of the SA Orchid Council from 1989-1993 and its Gold Medal recipient in 2002. The orchid disa vogelpoelii was named after him.
The Louis Vogelpoel Travelling Scholarship is awarded in his honour annually which offers an amount of up to R15 000 towards the travel and accommodation costs of a local or international congress by the Cape Western branch of the South African Heart Association in memory of one of South Africa’s outstanding cardiologists, Dr Louis Vogelpoel.