Christophers , Sir , (Samuel) Rickard , 1873-1978 , Knight , protozoologist and expert in tropical medicine

Sir Rickard Christophers, born 1873; Graduated MB, ChB (Liverpool), 1896; Early medical appointments included ship's doctor - Amazon basin; Malaria Commission (Royal Society/Colonial Office), 1898-1901; studied techniques in Italy with Golgi in Pavia re cycles in tertian and quartan malaria, with Grassi in Rome re transmission of human malaria by mosquito, 1898; Africa: 1899 based in Blantyre, Nyasaland, 1900-1901 in West Africa. Established connection between blackwater fever and malaria. First recognition of endemic malaria in indigenous population; Commission moved to India. In this and subsequent IMS work, established foundation on which all subsequent work on malaria has been built: different species of Anopheles mosquito have different breeding places and feeding habits, so control operations should be preceded by a careful survey of local conditions, 1901; Indian Medical Service, 1902-1932; Anti-malarial operations at Mian Mir, subsequently investigated Charles Donovan's findings in Madras re newly described cause of Kala-azar (Leishmaniasis), 1902; First Director of the King Institute of Preventive Medicine, 1904-1908; Investigated violent epidemic of malaria in the Punjab. Led to the establishment of the Central Malaria Bureau at the Central Research Institute, Kasauli, with SRC as Officer in Charge, 1909; Awarded CIE, 1915; Published standard work on the anopheline mosquitoes of India, 'A revision of the nomenclature of Indian Anophelini', Indian J. Med. Res, 3, 454-488, 1916; War service, DADMS (Sanitation), Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force. Director of Central Laboratory on the ship Elphinstone, moored in the Shatt-el-Arab at Basra. [Senior staff: WDH Stephenson, IMS, senior bacteriologist; Dr Miskin, bacteriologist; Dr Bassett, chemist; Dr A J Grove, entomologist; Rev Aitken, amateur entomologist; P J Barraud, entomologist; and H E Shortt, IMS, protozoologist and malariologist]; Undertook malaria surveys of areas in which troops operating, and studied `oriental sore', transmitted by bite of phlebotomine flies, 1916; Returned to the Central Malaria Bureau as Deputy Director of the Central Research Institute. Malaria research expanded to become the Malaria Survey of India under J A Sinton, 1920; Director of the Kala-Azar Commission. [Senior staff: H E Shortt; P J Barraud; Captain A C Craighead, IMS; Mr C S Swaminath, entomologist; and Dr Sribas Das, IMS], 1924; Director of the Central Research Institute, 1925-1932; Knighted, 1931; Professor of Malaria Studies, University of London, in charge of the Experimental Malaria Unit of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 19321938; Cambridge University. Studies of anatomy and biology of mosquitoes. Interupted by Second World War, during which SRC undertook studies of mosquito repellents, from 1938; Anatomical work published - study of Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, 1960.