Mary Broadfoot Walker

Mary Walker, 1934

Mary Broadfoot Walker (1888—1974) was a British physician who first demonstrated the effectiveness of physostigmine in the treatment of the condition myasthenia gravis.

Mary Walker was born at Croft-an-Righ, Wigtown, Scotland in 1888, one of four children and the daughter of a Judge. After school she trained in medicine at Glasgow & Edinburgh Medical College for Women, graduating with MBChB in 1913. During the First World War she served with the Royal Army Medical Corps at the 63rd General Hospital, Malta.^[1] In 1920 she became a salaried Assistant Medical Officer in "Poor Law Service" at St. Alfege's Hospital, Greenwich, London, where she worked until 1936.^[2] During this time she was awarded Membership of the Royal College of Physicians, London, in 1932. She then worked at St. Leonard's Hospital, Shoreditch, St. Francis' Hospital, Dulwich and St. Benedict's Hospital, Tooting, before retiring to Croft-an-Righ in 1954.

In 1934, while working at St. Alfege's Hospital, Dr. Walker discovered that the subcutaneous injection of physostigmine could temporarily reverse the muscle weakness found in patients suffering from myasthenia gravis. She had noted that the symptoms and signs of myasthenia were similar to those found in curare poisoning, and physostigmine was used as an antidote to curare poisoning at that time.^[3] The first case of myasthenia gravis successfully treated with physostigmine was published in the Lancet in June 1934.^[4]

In 1935 Mary Walker was the first to recognise the association between the condition familial periodic paralysis and hypokalaemia (low blood potassium levels).^[5] She also described the glucose challenge test used in diagnosing hypokalaemic periodic paralysis and the use of intravenous potassium in its treatment.^[6] During 1935 her research on myasthenia was incorporated into her MD thesis which was submitted via the University of Edinburgh, and for which she received a Gold Medal.^[7]

Although she never became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, she was awarded the Jean Hunter Prize in 1962 "for the advancement of research into the treatment of nervous exhaustion and for her original contribution to the fundamental knowledge of the nature of myasthenia gravis, made while carrying out the routine duties of a medical officer at a large metropolitan hospital".

After her retirement in 1954, she continued to work part time at the Glasgow Royal Maternity & Women's Hospital, and remained active in the field of myasthenia gravis.^[8][9] Her 1973 article also describes the Mary Walker Effect, a clinical sign found in myasthenia gravis.^[9] She died in September 1974 at the age of 86.^[10]

References

1. ^ Pearce JM (2005). "Mary Broadfoot Walker (1888-1974): a historic discovery in myasthenia gravis". Eur. Neurol. 53 (1): 51–3. doi:10.1159/000084268. PMID 15746548. 
2. ^ Johnston JD (September 2007). "Mary Broadfoot Walker (1888-1974)". J. Neurol. 254 (9): 1306–7. doi:10.1007/s00415-007-0663-z. PMID 18000738. 
3. ^ "Dr Mary Walker - A Pioneer in the Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis". MG -association UK. http://www.mgauk.org/mganews/0203-02.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-23. 
4. ^ Walker MB (1934). "Treatment of myasthenia gravis with physostigmine". Lancet 1 (5779): 1200–1201. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)94294-6. 
5. ^ Walker MB (1935). "Potassium chloride in myasthenia gravis". Lancet 2 (5836): 47. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(01)09382-5. 
6. ^ Aitken RS, Allot EN, Gastelden LIM, Walker MB (1937). "Observations on a case of familial periodic paralysis". Clin Sci 3: 47–57. 
7. ^ Edinburgh University Calendar 1937-1938. Edinburgh: James Thin. 1937. pp. 581. 
8. ^ Letter to Miss Sylvia Bates advocating controlled trial of thymectomy to ascertain its role in the management of myasthenia gravis
9. ^ ^{a b} Walker MB (April 1973). "Some discoveries on myasthenia gravis: the background". Br Med J 2 (5857): 42–3. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.5857.42. PMC 1588990. PMID 4572033. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1588990. 
10. ^ "Obituary". Lancet 304 (7893): 1401. 1974. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(74)92285-5. 

External links

• 1935 video of the effect of prostigmin on myasthenia gravis

Persondata
Name	Walker, Mary Broadfoot
Alternative names
Short description	British physician
Date of birth	1888
Place of birth	Wigtown, Scotland
Date of death	September 1974
Place of death