Sir Alfred Baring Garrod (1819-1907)

Sir Alfred Baring Garrod was born in Ipswich and educated at the grammar school there; he studied medicine at East Suffolk Hospital and University College Hospital London. He pursued his career at the latter hospital until 1862 (becoming full physician, professor of materia medica and therapeutics, and a professor of clinical medicine in 1851), when he moved to Kings College Hospital to become physician and professor of materia medica and therapeutics. He became a licentiate, and in 1856 a fellow, of the Royal College of Physicians, and was elected FRS in 1858.

Sir Alfred's particular interest was in the chemistry of diseased tissues and in particular in gout; he distinguished rheumatoid arthritis from gout, and discovered that in gout the blood contains higher levels of uric acid.

At Wellcome Collection:

Material relating to Garrod's sons Alfred Henry and Archibald Edward is held as MSS.8446-8447 respectively.