BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History - Dr. Percy Julian Is Born (1612 hits)
Dr. Percy Julian
The Man Known As The "Soybean Chemist" Was Born On This Day In 1899, In Montgomery, Alabama.
Percy Lavon Julian, Who Received His Ph.D In Organic Chemistry From The University Of Vienna, Used Soya Beans For Several Of His Important Discoveries.
For Example: From Soya Beans Julian Developed A Synthetic Form Of The Pain Killer, Cortisone, A Drug Widely Prescribed To Arthritis Sufferers. His Discovery Also Made The Drug More Affordable For Patients.
Julian Used Soybeans To Make A Fire-Smothering Foam That Was Used During World War II, To Extinguish Fires On Board Navy Vessels And At Airplane Crash Sites. It's Brand Name Was Aero-Foam, But American Sailors Called It, "Bean Soup."
The Innovative Chemist Also Improved Methods Of Extracting The Hormones, Testosterone And Progesterone From Soya Beans. And He Was The First To Synthetically Reproduce The Drug, Physostigmine, Used For Treating The Eye Disease, Glaucoma.
Dr. Julian Died Of Liver Cancer In 1975. He Was A Pioneer Both In The World Of Chemistry And As An Advocate For The Plight Of Black Scientists.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy. Jr.
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