The name of Alice Hamilton is known not only in Chicago but also beyond this city. She devoted most of her life to conducting research in toxicology and occupational diseases. Moreover, she became the first doctor who managed to prove the negative impact of heavy metals and chemicals on the human body, writes ichicago.net.
Young years and the beginning of a career
Our hero was born in New York. She spent her childhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The family had 3 more kids. The girl studied at home for several years. Then, she entered Miss Porter’s School. In 1893, after graduating from the University of Michigan, she received a medical degree. Later, she studied bacteriology and pathology at the high schools of Munich and Leipzig. Returning to the United States, the woman was accepted to Johns Hopkins University.
In 1897, she moved to Chicago, where she met high-ranking politicians who had a positive impact on the development of her career. Soon, the woman began to take an active part in solving the social issues of industrial workers. Alice was so concerned about people that she began to study occupational hygiene and diseases to help them.
In a few years, she earned the degree of professor of pathology at the Woman’s Medical School of Northwestern University. In 1902, when an epidemic of typhoid fever broke out in Chicago, Alice began to search for the cause of the disease. She had to spend a few months on research. However, it was proved that the epidemic was caused by a ruined pipe at a pumping station in Chicago. Sewage entered the central water supply through it and people used contaminated water.
An invaluable scientific contribution
In 1907, Alice began to investigate occupational hygiene and diseases. After reading and studying a lot of literature, the woman concluded that this area was just beginning to develop in the US. She decided to change the situation. In 1908, the woman published her first article on this topic, which attracted public attention with its profound content and evidence.
After two years, Alice became a member of the Illinois Commission on Occupational Diseases. It is worth noting that this was the first such committee in the USA. She worked diligently for about 10 years there and made a tremendous effort to study the issues related to occupational hygiene in the state and the entire country. However, Alice soon chose a narrow specialization and decided to investigate the effects of industrial toxins on the workers.
Having mastered this field, the woman opened a laboratory where she worked tirelessly every day. All this led to the fact that the results obtained during her research caused a real revolution in this area. The issue of labor protection and the establishment of control at hazardous productions has become quite acute. Hamilton sincerely wanted to help the workers and achieve justice. Sometimes, she sacrificed herself. The woman personally went to various factories, looked for and studied hospital cards and visited workers.
During many years of work, Alice concluded that many diseases and deaths were caused by professional activities. She also managed to establish that more than 70% of industrial processes, including the production of paints and enamels, cause acute lead poisoning in workers. In 1913, the US Department of Labor issued a permit for her to conduct investigations at the national level. Thus, it contributed to the creation of federal laws that ensured the full safety and protection of workers.
In 1919, she was already an assistant professor in the department of occupational hygiene at Harvard Medical School and became the first female teacher at this institution. From 1924 to 1930, the woman was a member of the League of Nations Health Committee. In 1935, she left Harvard and began working as a consultant in the government department.
Alice passed away in September 1970. She was 101 years old. Her huge legacy on industrial disease issues is used in various laws and regulations.