Henry Heimlich was the man behind the manoeuvre that bore his name. Although these doctors may have left us, they left behind tremendous medical breakthroughs that improved the lives of millions around the world. 1. The discovery that aspirin prevents strokes: Henry Barnett Henry Barnett pioneered the groundbreaking Canadian Aspirin Trial in 1970 and proved unequivocally that aspirin, primarily used for fevers, also was immensely beneficial for stroke patients. This seemingly simple discovery was groundbreaking, and remains in use today. “Our colleagues thought it was unlikely that a drug like aspirin … something that was a common, ordinary thing out of the bathroom medicine cabinet could prevent strokes and heart attacks,” Dr. Barnett once said of his early research. He was also the driving force behind the proposal that concluded that a common post-stroke brain surgery called extracranial-intracranial bypass was only effective in certain patients. He also later confirmed that carotid endarterectomy can help to reduce the risk of strokes. 2. The invention of IVF: Robert G. Edwards Robert G. Edwards did not only invent the procedure of in-vitro fertilisation, but he renewed the hopes of millions of infertile couples worldwide whose lifelong dream was to conceive. With that, he dramatically changed the landscape of conception. This technique has resulted in the successful births of five million babies at the time of his death. Despite the ubiquity today, he was faced with critics, some of who felt that the process was “repugnant”; he and his research partner was even denied governmental support for in their quest to cure infertility. They were, of course, successful, with the birth of Louise Brown, on July 25, 1978, to parents John and Lesley Brown, a couple who had tried unsuccessfully for almost a decade to have a child. He also pioneered conception in woman with menopause. For his contributions to humanity, he was conferred the Nobel Prize in 2010 but his research partner, Dr. Steptoe, did not receive the accolade due to the policy of prizes not awarded posthumously. 3. The first immunosuppressant drug for organ transplantation and the first HIV drug: Gertrude B. Elion Gertrude B. Elion, was a pioneer in drug research, who developed a wide array of drugs, including drugs for herpes (acyclovir), leukaemia, malaria (pyrimethamine), gout (allopurinol), immune disorders, the first AIDS drug (AZT), immune suppressants for organ transplantation (azathioprine), and trimethoprim for bacterial infections. She joins the legions of woman who won a Nobel prize, but much more remarkably, she did not have a doctorate. She was also awarded the National Medal of Science in 1991, and was the first woman to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. 4. For the development of chemotherapy: George H. Hitchings George H. Hitchings was the inventor of drugs that treated a myriad of conditions, of which the most prominent was that of chemotherapy drugs for leukaemia. He was also a co-researcher with Gertrude B. Elion for the immunosuppressant drug that facilitated the world’s first organ transplant. His seminal work is estimated to have saved more than a million lives. Dr. Hitchings, notably, was the pioneering figure in his biochemical approach for chemotherapy. Other key drugs that he discovered working with Dr. Elion were AZT, used to treat AIDS. Together, they were regarded as the founders of chemotherapeutics. Notably, he recruited Elion as an assistant, and as time went by, encouraged her to take on increasing responsibilities. They were honoured by the Nobel Committee in 1988, in addition to colleague Sir James W. Black, “for their discoveries of important principles for drug treatment". 5. Invention of the Heimlich manoeuvre: Henry Heimlich He was the man behind the eponymous technique back in 1974 that has saved countless lives, the Heimlich manoeuvre. The technique has proved to be an invaluable way to dislodge airway blockages and is now widely taught as an essential life skill. He came up with this technique as a response to the high death rates in restaurants that was once erroneously attributed to heart attacks, but was found to be caused by choking. He feuded with members of the medical establishment, and argued that the prior method of dislodging blockages - repeatedly slapping the back - would result in worsening the situation. On his invention, he once said, “It made me appreciate how wonderful it has been to be able to save all those lives.” Heimlich collected anecdotes about the technique throughout his life. It would later be recognised as the only “recommended” method to save victims of choking - after a 12 year delay. Source
