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Alice Ball

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Alice Ball (1892–1916) was an American chemist who developed the first effective injectable treatment for leprosy while working at the College of Hawaii (now the University of Hawaii). She devised a method to isolate the ethyl esters of chaulmoogra oil, making it water-soluble and injectable, as the raw oil was too viscous for practical use. Her technique became the standard leprosy treatment for over two decades until sulfone drugs were introduced in the 1940s. Ball was the first woman and first African American to earn a master's degree from the College of Hawaii, but died at age 24 and her contribution was not credited until years after her death.

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What treatment did Alice Ball develop for leprosy?

Alice Ball developed a method to isolate the ethyl esters of chaulmoogra oil, making the oil water-soluble and safely injectable for the treatment of leprosy (Hansen's disease). Her technique became the standard treatment for leprosy for decades, used worldwide until sulfone drugs were introduced.

What is chaulmoogra oil and why was it difficult to use before Ball?

Chaulmoogra oil is a natural oil from the seeds of the chaulmoogra tree (Hydnocarpus wightianus) that had been used in traditional Asian medicine for leprosy. The oil is not water-soluble and caused painful abscesses when injected and severe nausea when taken orally—problems that Ball's ester isolation method solved.

Where did Alice Ball work and what was her academic achievement?

Alice Ball conducted her leprosy research at the College of Hawaii (now the University of Hawaii). She was both the first woman and the first African American to earn a master's degree from that institution.

Why was Alice Ball's contribution unrecognized for so long?

After Ball's death at age 24 in 1916, her work was published and claimed by Arthur L. Dean, the president of the College of Hawaii, who called her method the "Dean Method." It was not until decades later that historians rediscovered Ball's role and restored credit for the chaulmoogra treatment to her.

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