Ball, Alice Augusta
1892-1916 · Contribution: 1915
Injectable chaulmoogra oil technique for leprosy treatment
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Her 'Ball Method' became the most effective treatment for leprosy (Hansen's disease) for decades until the development of antibiotics in the 1940s.
Life & background
A chemist who developed a technique to make chaulmoogra oil injectable and absorbable by the body, creating the most effective treatment available for leprosy at the time. She died young, at 24, before receiving full recognition for her breakthrough.
Sources
- American Chemical Society (National Historic Chemical Landmark); Smithsonian Magazine; National Women's History Museum
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