Imperial Pathological Entomologist (Frank Milburn HOWLETT)
- Thread starter mugwortismy cat
- Start date
mugwortismy cat
Tenacious to the End!
thanks Eve
I have emailed the Wellcome Library
and also the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (we need a fingers-crossed smilie!)
Wondering whether I should also contact Christ's College, Cambridge ...
I have emailed the Wellcome Library
and also the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (we need a fingers-crossed smilie!)
Wondering whether I should also contact Christ's College, Cambridge ...
MollyMay
Knows where to find the answers!
thanks Eve
Wondering whether I should also contact Christ's College, Cambridge ...
What have you got to lose?
Go for it!
mugwortismy cat
Tenacious to the End!
What have you got to lose?
Ok, MollyMay, I've done it!
Lets hope at least one of these emails yields something ...
mugwortismy cat
Tenacious to the End!
Oh, I just heard back from the librarian. My poor Frank was neither grand enough, important enough, or eminent enough -- and they have nothing
I've just been re-reading some of the research I did into Frank ages ago. One of the memorial/obit. notices I found says that he had a species of Haemaphysalis named after him (Haemaphysalis howletti -- this is basically a kind of tick that lived on hill ponies -- you are probably glad I couldn't find a picture of that!), and also a genus of Diptera (True flies) is called Howlettia after him! so not an utterly obscure entomologist then ... it also said that he was
a comrade and a friend, a man of unique personality whose place will never be completely filled
mugwortismy cat
Tenacious to the End!
I have heard back from Christ's College Cambridge, and they can offer no further information so far, they did say that they will keep my request on file in case anything turns up
I also heard back from the Wellcome Library --- the item I found in their library catalogue was a copy of a letter to Frank in answer to a letter he had written to Andrew Balfour (Head of the Wellcome Bureau of Scientific Research), unfortunately Frank's original letter isn't there. They didn't send me a copy of Balfour's reply but the archivist did say that Balfour
issuu.
com/societyforappliedmicrobiology/docs/micro_march07
Essentially a man called Arthur Bryant discovered quite by accident that the fumes of maggots could cure pulmonary TB, he had set up a maggot farm near Bradford, and believed the maggots had cured his own TB enabling him to get insurance that had previously been denied due to his poor health. When a second person was also cured he decided to set up a makeshift "Maggotorium" and seems to have cured several people all for very little money (which he gave to charity, apparently). Anyway, Bryant was known as the "Maggot King".
This sounds like the sort of thing Frank was interested in. He investigated tropic responses in insects, and the effects of chemicals and temperature on their behaviour, which was quite a forward-thinking attitude at the time as I understand it. He was also a PATHOLOGICAL Entomologist after all, why wouldn't this include the curative properties of insects as well as their more negative aspects.
Perhaps, also, TB was the reason for his extended periods of ill-health?
I also heard back from the Wellcome Library --- the item I found in their library catalogue was a copy of a letter to Frank in answer to a letter he had written to Andrew Balfour (Head of the Wellcome Bureau of Scientific Research), unfortunately Frank's original letter isn't there. They didn't send me a copy of Balfour's reply but the archivist did say that Balfour
'in answer to a query Howlett had clearly sent him that he was “unable to trace the person trading as the ‘Maggot king’” but that The Anglers News or The Fishing Gazette might be able to help. One has to assume that Howlett, as an entomologist, was looking for a supply of insect larvae and was trying to track down someone who had advertised as supplying larvae in bulk as fishermen’s bait.'
However, I have found an alternative explanation in the March 2007 edition of the Microbiologist, online here issuu.
com/societyforappliedmicrobiology/docs/micro_march07
Essentially a man called Arthur Bryant discovered quite by accident that the fumes of maggots could cure pulmonary TB, he had set up a maggot farm near Bradford, and believed the maggots had cured his own TB enabling him to get insurance that had previously been denied due to his poor health. When a second person was also cured he decided to set up a makeshift "Maggotorium" and seems to have cured several people all for very little money (which he gave to charity, apparently). Anyway, Bryant was known as the "Maggot King".
This sounds like the sort of thing Frank was interested in. He investigated tropic responses in insects, and the effects of chemicals and temperature on their behaviour, which was quite a forward-thinking attitude at the time as I understand it. He was also a PATHOLOGICAL Entomologist after all, why wouldn't this include the curative properties of insects as well as their more negative aspects.
Perhaps, also, TB was the reason for his extended periods of ill-health?
mugwortismy cat
Tenacious to the End!
I did an internet search today for Frank Milburn Howlett, not expecting anything new to pop up, but it did! There is an article here about him and one of his discoveries, I've yet to sit and read it through properly (it's too early yet and I feel half asleep) but I am heartened that I'm not the only person with an interest in him
http://www. currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/105/02/0260.pdf
http://www. currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/105/02/0260.pdf
mugwortismy cat
Tenacious to the End!
I see there is an e-mail address for one of the authors of the article.........
Ann
I did notice
, I am consideringnot really sure what to say
, except to point out that they had his place of death wrong 
(perhaps not the best way to endear myself to a new contact 
)I'd really like a photograph, but they couldn't find one
AnnB
Editor in Chief who is Hot off the Press!
No, better not start off with pointing out any mistakes! I would simply tell them how you have been researching your family, and one of the more interesting ancestors you have discovered is FMH - then ask if they have any other information about him that they didn't include in their (very interesting) article. You could add at the end that you have a different place of death to them.......I did notice
not really sure what to say
I'd really like a photograph, but they couldn't find one
Ann
Hi,
A photo of him is in the Bernice P Bishop Museum, Honolulu but I suspect it is a copy of a published photo as it has traces typical of a printed (?newspaper) photo. That museum may have other data on him as it has data on many dipterists.
The Indian Museum, Kolcutta, has material collected by him but I have been unable to check whether or not he published in the great series of Monographs "The Fauna of India". The Natural History Museum, London may well have details as there is copy there. There may even be a bibliography of his works. If you have no real success I do have a entomological contact in India.
Also contact the manager of the Entomology Department, US National Museum Washington, and ask whether or not there is any C. P. Alexander-F. Howlett correspondence. Alexander kept his prodigious correspondence to and from the many, many entomologists around the World especially in his heydays of the 1920's. The Museum acquired it after his death. If there is, you would have to purchase photocopies. I found it to be a major source of info for other entomologists and actually handling the boxes and boxes in searching for details I have little doubt that Howlett letters will be in a folder within. One feature of Alexander was that once he got to know a person (including me) he asked for a short biography right back school days!
Best wishes
bugsy
A photo of him is in the Bernice P Bishop Museum, Honolulu but I suspect it is a copy of a published photo as it has traces typical of a printed (?newspaper) photo. That museum may have other data on him as it has data on many dipterists.
The Indian Museum, Kolcutta, has material collected by him but I have been unable to check whether or not he published in the great series of Monographs "The Fauna of India". The Natural History Museum, London may well have details as there is copy there. There may even be a bibliography of his works. If you have no real success I do have a entomological contact in India.
Also contact the manager of the Entomology Department, US National Museum Washington, and ask whether or not there is any C. P. Alexander-F. Howlett correspondence. Alexander kept his prodigious correspondence to and from the many, many entomologists around the World especially in his heydays of the 1920's. The Museum acquired it after his death. If there is, you would have to purchase photocopies. I found it to be a major source of info for other entomologists and actually handling the boxes and boxes in searching for details I have little doubt that Howlett letters will be in a folder within. One feature of Alexander was that once he got to know a person (including me) he asked for a short biography right back school days!
Best wishes
bugsy
mugwortismy cat
Tenacious to the End!
Hi bugsy
Wow, so many leads to follow up on. Thank you so much for taking the time to send such a detailed message. Honoured to meet a real live entomologist
Thanks again
Christel
Wow, so many leads to follow up on. Thank you so much for taking the time to send such a detailed message. Honoured to meet a real live entomologist
Thanks again
Christel
Hi again,
I've just realised who he is - my memory is slipping - as I once taught the consequences of his basic research!!! He did the basic work on trapping fruit flies and the like for control purposes. These are now used in many countries 100 years later for the assessment of fly outbreaks and border controls where such pest species are absent. Such pests affect many agriculturists etc around the world and costs of these controls runs to millions of Pounds/Dollars.
You should download and read, although it is a bit technical,
http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/105/02/0260.pdf
Frank Milburn Howlett (1877–1920): discoverer of the Pied Piper’s
lure for the fruit flies (Tephritidae: Diptera).
and check
http://www.
coapune.org/agricultural_college.html
He is held in high regard in India.
The Poona Institute report for 1916 states that he was director of his section 1 July to 28 July then went on leave service leave/sick leave and that was further extended on medical grounds from 9 August to 28 January 1917.
Best wishes
Bugsy
I've just realised who he is - my memory is slipping - as I once taught the consequences of his basic research!!! He did the basic work on trapping fruit flies and the like for control purposes. These are now used in many countries 100 years later for the assessment of fly outbreaks and border controls where such pest species are absent. Such pests affect many agriculturists etc around the world and costs of these controls runs to millions of Pounds/Dollars.
You should download and read, although it is a bit technical,
http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/105/02/0260.pdf
Frank Milburn Howlett (1877–1920): discoverer of the Pied Piper’s
lure for the fruit flies (Tephritidae: Diptera).
and check
http://www.
coapune.org/agricultural_college.html
He is held in high regard in India.
The Poona Institute report for 1916 states that he was director of his section 1 July to 28 July then went on leave service leave/sick leave and that was further extended on medical grounds from 9 August to 28 January 1917.
Best wishes
Bugsy