- Gideon Mer
Gideon Mer (1894 - 22 March 1961) was an Israeli physician and scientist whose work was moslty concerned with the eradication of malaria.
Gideon Mer was born in
Lithuania , then part of ImperialRussia . He studied medicine in Russia andFrance where he also graduated.Settling in Palestine in 1914, he devoted himself to the control of malaria in connection with the Jewish settlement programme. During the First World War he was a medical officer in the
Jewish Legion , a unit within theBritish Army , and served at Gallipoli, inPalestine ,Syria , andTurkey . After the war he returned toRosh Pina , a Jewish settlement in the north of Palestine, and his laboratory there eventually became a research station for the study of thebionomics ofmosquito es and methods of malaria control. With the opening of theHebrew University he joined the Department ofPreventive Medicine .During the Second World War Mer served in the British Forces with the rank of colonel and was malaria adviser to Middle East Command. Note: he is the unnamed Officer during World War II in charge of anti-Malaria program mentioned in Martin Sugarman's article on the
Zion Mule Corps }. After the war he joined the staff of the new school of medicine and became chief malaria adviser to the Ministry of Health in Israel, of which he was acting director in 1956 and 1957. As malaria was brought under control Professor Mer investigated the control of otherinsect s, particularly thehorse-fly , and the Rosh Pina research station undertook the testing ofinsecticide s and the training of scientists.External links
* [http://www.veterans.org.il/?p=206 Gideon Mer at Israel War Veterans League]
* [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/gallipoli.html The Zion Muleteers of Gallipoli (March 1915 - May 1916)] by Martin Sugarman (JVL ). Accessed June 21, 2006.]See also
*
Jewish Legion
*Anopheles
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