Armand James Quick (1894 – January 26, 1978) was an American haematologist and expert on blood clotting, having developed the original prothrombin time test.

Early life and education

Quick was born in Theresa, Wisconsin in 1894, the son of a hardware merchant and housewife. At the age of five, Quick developed Pott disease: his father soon died of tuberculosis and his mother opened a dressmaking shop in the home while she taught her son.[1]

Quick graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1918, receiving a PhD from the University of Illinois in 1922 and an M.D. from Cornell University in 1928.[1]

Medical career

Quick began researching at Cornell and Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City.[2] While at the hospital, he developed the prothrombin time test (also known as the Quick test), which is used in the regulation of blood-thinning drugs. He also developed the prothrombin consumption time test, which became useful in diagnosing haemophilia.[1]

He later moved to Milwaukee and joined the faculty of Marquette University (now the Medical College of Wisconsin),[1] where he served as associate professor of pharmacology from 1935.[3] He was chair of the Department of Biochemistry from 1944 until 1964.[4]

In 1944, Quick received the American Medical Association's gold medal.[5]: 763–4  In 1950, the Wisconsin State Medical Society awarded him the Council Award for his "attainments in the science and art of medicine and surgery".[6] He received the Modern Medicine Award in 1954.[5]: 764 

Personal life

Quick was married to Margaret Koll, and they had a daughter named Edith. He died on January 26, 1978, at the age of 83.[1][7]

Legacy

The Medical College of Wisconsin named an award after Quick, which is "given to honor the senior students who, in the opinion of the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry, have demonstrated outstanding scholarship in Biochemistry and research with a dedication to future medical research".[4]

Helen Payling Wright described Quick as "distinguished" in a review of his 1957 book Haemorrhagic Diseases.[8] In a review of his 1970 book Bleeding Problems in Clinical Medicine, M. C. G. Israels wrote that "no one has done more to develop the scientific analysis of clinical problems involving excessive bleeding than Professor Quick".[9]

Selected works

Books

Title Time of first publication First edition publisher/publication Unique identifier Notes
Haemorrhagic Diseases 1957 Henry Kimpton OCLC 767911732
Bleeding Problems in Clinical Medicine 1970 Saunders OCLC 910212405

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Altman, Lawrence K. (January 27, 1978). "Armand J. Quick, 83; Blood-Clot Expert". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  2. ^ "Individual Reactions to Some Drugs Analogous to Hay Fever". The Science News-Letter. 24 (650): 205. 1933. doi:10.2307/3909293. ISSN 0096-4018. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "Scientific Notes and News". Science. 100 (2585): 27. 1944. ISSN 0036-8075. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Armand J. Quick Award | Biochemistry | Medical College of Wisconsin". www.mcw.edu. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "News and Notes". Science. 119 (3100). 1954. ISSN 0036-8075. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  6. ^ "News and Notes". Science. 112 (2917): 636–7. 1950. ISSN 0036-8075. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  7. ^ "Appointments". Science. 201 (4354): 428. 1978. ISSN 0036-8075. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  8. ^ Wright, H. Payling (1958). "Review of Hemorrhagic Diseases". The British Medical Journal. 2 (5095): 551. ISSN 0007-1447. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  9. ^ Israels, M. C. G. (1970). "Haemorrhagic Diatheses". The British Medical Journal. 4 (5729): 228. ISSN 0007-1447. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
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