Dora Colebrook
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Dora Colebrook (1884-1965) was a doctor and bacteriologist. Her research into the efficacy of light therapy[1] and the epidemiology of puerperal sepsis[2] advanced understanding of these subjects.
Personal Life
Colebrook was the youngest daughter of May (1838 – 1896) and Mary Colebrook (nee Gower, 1845 -) with three brothers and sisters, and seven half-siblings from her father’s first marriage. The family lived in Guildford, Surrey until her father died in 1896 when they moved to Bournemouth.
Education
Colebrook studied at the Royal Free Hospital in London, gaining her M.B. in 1915 and then gained M.D. from London University in 1919.
Career
She worked initially at the Jessop Hospital in Sheffield as a gynaecologist, then moved to Cambridge in general practice. She then moved to the North Islington Infant Welfare Centre in London. Her career then re-focused on research.
She was appointed as the secretary to the Medical Research Council’s Clinical and Biological Sub-Committee to the Committee on the Biological Actions of Light after an introduction from her brother, the bacteriologist Leonard Colebrook. At that time, light therapy from white or ultraviolet light, was becoming increasing popular for an increasing range of conditions. Her research focused on two areas where it was considered to be effective, namely therapy for varicose ulcers and of generically 'sickly' children. A study of 85 patients, comparing light therapy with conventional paste and dressings, indicated that the conventional treatment gave a marginally better outcome.[3] Her second study, of 287 infant school children, despite some problems with the experimental design, also did not demonstrate a beneficial effect of light therapy. The study compared three treatments namely with UV light therapy, a treatment where the UV light was screened from the children using glass, and a control of no light therapy.[4]
Colebrook worked with her brother on the epidemiology of puerperal sepsis at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, London. She investigated the source of the streptococcal infections within the hospital. After collecting samples of the bacteria from patients, their families and hospital staff, she used immunology to identify individual strains. This showed that the strains causing puerperal sepsis were not special but were the same ones present in the community that caused sore throats. They were acquired by women after childbirth rather than before.[2] Working together, the Colebrooks showed that streptococci were more likely to originate from hospital staff than from the patient.[5] He campaigned for the use of gloves, mask, and gown before touching patients and showed that chloroxylenol was both an effective disinfectant and superior to soap and water for hand cleansing.
References
- ^ Edwards, Martin. "Dora Colebrook and the evaluation of light therapy". The James Lind Library. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Minervation Ltd. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ a b Wong, Sam (4 February 2017). "Sibling saviours of the maternity ward". New Scientist: 40–41. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
- ^ Colebrook, Dora (1928). "Varicose ulcers: a comparison of treatment by ultra-violet light and Unna's Paste dressings". The Lancet. 1: 904–7.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Colebrook, Dora (1929). Irradiation and health. HMSO. p. 12. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ Graham Ayliffe and Mary English (2003). Hospital Infection from Miasmas to MRSA. Cambridge University Press. pp. 136–137. ISBN 978-0-521-53178-8. Retrieved 2009-08-05.