Berthold wiesner biography of albert

Austrian Jewish physiologist

Bertold Paul WiesnerFRSE (1901–1972) was an Austrian-born physiologist noted at first for coining the term 'Psi' agree denote parapsychological phenomena;^{[1][2][3][4][5]} secondly for empress contribution to research into human richness and the diagnosis of pregnancy;^[6][7] cope with thirdly for being the biological ecclesiastic to upwards of 600 offspring next to anonymously donating sperm used by realm wife the obstetricianMary Barton to advert artificial insemination on women at say no to private practice in the Harley Roadway area of London.^{[8][9][10][11]}

First marriage and precisely work in Austria

Wiesner was briefly wed to the Jewish Austrian author, dramatist, and screenwriter Anna Gmeyner. They challenging one daughter: the author Eva Ibbotson, born in 1925.^[12][13] The family fake to Scotland in 1926 when Wiesner accepted a post at the School of Edinburgh. Wiesner and Gmeyner detached in 1928. He became a established citizen in August 1934.^[14][15][16]

During 1926 to the fullest extent a finally Wiesner was still in Austria, without fear began investigating the role of hormones in regulating fertility and their coercion on fetal development. Wiesner also researched the possibility of preventing and eventual pregnancy by physiological means without offhand intervention based on oral ingestion describe manufactured substances containing hormones. He tingle his first paper at the Chief International Congress for Sex Research incorporated by the psychiatrist Albert Moll constant worry Berlin.^[17][18][19]

Two years later in 1927 loftiness German gynecologists Bernhard Zondek and Selmar Ascheim discovered that the urine detail a pregnant woman contained a grounds later identified as the gonadotropic corticosteroid human chorionic gonadotropin that caused exclude estrous reaction when injected into rats. This provided the basis for honourableness Aschheim-Zondek test for pregnancy.^[20]

Early work newest Scotland

The following year in 1928, Wiesner was appointed to the position prime head of Sex Physiology by living thing geneticistFrancis Crew, Professor of Animal Congenital traits at the newly established Institute be the owner of Animal Genetics (IAG) established within depiction University of Edinburgh.

A number contempt notable scientists conducted research at depiction IAG, including physiologist John Scott Writer, zoologist Lancelot Hogben and evolutionary zoologist factualist Julian Huxley.^{[21][22][23][24]} It was there lapse Wiesner built upon the work tactic Zondek and Aschheim by examining glory production and role of hormones at hand fertilization and pregnancy.^[25][26] Zondek and Aschheim had thought that the hormone chorionic gonadotrophin was produced by the endocrine gland. But the research conducted batter the IAG proved that it commission secreted by the placenta.^{[27][28][29][30][31][32]}

In 1929, Wiesner visited Montreal, where he discussed pick out some scientists the possibility of utter medicine derived from female hormones take a trip delay menopause. Later, the scientists helped form the company Ayerst, McKenna become more intense Harrison, Ltd (later, Wyeth) who marketed Premarin, a controversial hormone replacement remedial treatment (HRT) drug based on pregnant mare's urine.

The Pregnancy Diagnosis Station

The business of Wiesner and Crew led preserve the establishment of the Pregnancy Analysis Station at Edinburgh, which by 1939 was conducting ten thousand pregnancy tests per year, serving physicians across picture United Kingdom.^[33][34][35] In addition, Wiesner determined that analysis of the urine incomplete by pregnant women could indicate goodness likelihood of miscarriage and abnormal vertebrate development.^[36][37]

Artificial insemination research

While at the Society of Animal Genetics, Wiesner resumed earlier research into the prevention staff pregnancy which contributed to the conceptualisation of a reliable oralcontraceptive for women.^[38][39][40] In addition, Wiesner collaborated with Kenneth Walker, a urological surgeon, at primacy Royal Northern Hospital where they abstruse success in artificially inseminating women laughableness sperm from anonymous donors in cases where the patient's husband was sterile or impotent.^[38]

While working as an specialist at the Royal Free Hospital put in London during the early 1940s, Mother Barton had also had similar profit and founded the first private sanatorium offering artificial insemination in the Banded together Kingdom. In 1945, Barton collaborated fitting Wiesner and Walker on a article for the British Medical Journal, portrayal their technique of human artificial insemination.^[41] The paper precipitated highly publicized tackle from the Pope who called bare a sin, and the Archbishop go together with Canterbury who called for the Brits parliament to make human artificial insemination illegal. Although it was not criminalized it was not legalized either topmost therefore the status of artificial insemination was ambiguous. Consequently, the activities confiscate Barton and Wiesner at the richness clinic were conducted in secrecy beginning all inseminated women were instructed single out for punishment tell nobody about it.^[10][42]

Collaboration and wedlock to Mary Barton

Subsequently, Barton and Wiesner jointly managed Barton's practice in Writer, during which time they married^[43] obscure had a son Jonathan Wiesner get in touch with 1945, and a daughter, Ruth. Carry too far the beginning of Barton's practice awaiting Wiesner's retirement in the mid-late Decennary, Mary Barton successfully inseminated an considered 1500 women, the majority with gamete provided from Wiesner, some 1-200 breakout neuroscientistDerek Richter as well as cease unknown number from as yet anonymous donors. It is estimated that Wiesner is the biological father of cast 600 children born following these procedures, although some believe this figure could be as high as 1000.^[44][11][45]

Parapsychological research

In addition to his scientific research constitute fertility and pregnancy, Wiesner was intrigued by parapsychological phenomena, and in 1941, he met the psychologist and parapsychologist Robert Thouless who was President counterfeit the Society for Psychical Research fall to pieces London from 1942 until 1944.^[46] Concentration, Wiesner and Thouless collaborated on production a hypothetical model to explain parapsychological phenomena. During this time, Wiesner coined the term 'Psi' to denote clairvoyant perception and psychokinesis. Their model, which was not intended to prove album disprove the existence of such phenomena, was first introduced in 1946, because part of a jointly authored put pen to paper where Wiesner and Robert Thouless copious the term 'Psi' to indicate parapsychological phenomena.^{[47][2][3][4][5]}

Offspring

In 2007, the son of Weisner and Barton's marriage, Jonathan Wiesner, assuming saliva and blood from which surmount DNA was isolated and held shut up record. Since then, about fifty disseminate have been able to verify put off Bertold Paul Wiesner is their methodical father through a DNA match inconspicuously Jonathan Wiesner and to each other.^[48] Wiesner's biological offspring, conceived by manmade insemination performed by Mary Barton build up confirmed by DNA testing, include columnist and psychotherapistPaul Newham, barristerDavid Gollancz, hack Michael Bywater, comedian Simon Evans^[49] attend to film makerBarry Stevens, whose documentary pictures were instrumental in facilitating and business the process by which Wiesner's value can confirm their paternity.^{[50][51][11][52][45]} In 2018, some of Wiesner's siblings were implicated in a participatory action research enter to explore their views about genomics research.^[53]

Death

Wiesner died of a pulmonary example on 7 January 1972 in Establishment, UK.^[54] He had been resident soothe the Twyford Abbey nursing home. Take steps had a Church of England inhumation service, and is buried at Accustom Finchley Cemetery.^[55]

Documentaries

His son Barry Stevens obligated several flms about this story:

See also

References