Struan Sutherland
Encyclopedia
Struan Keith Sutherland AO (17 June 193611 January 2002) was an Australia
n medical researcher who developed effective antivenoms and other treatments for people bitten or stung by venomous Australian wildlife.
. He studied medicine at the University of Melbourne
, graduating in 1960, and served in the Royal Australian Navy
from 1962-1965.
and was soon appointed Head of Immunology Research, a position which he held for 28 years. The death in January 1979 of a young girl, Christine Sturges, from a funnel-web spider
bite prompted Sutherland to look for a funnel-web antivenom. Many previous researchers had failed to develop such an antivenom, but Sutherland persevered. In January 1980, a two-year-old boy James Culley was bitten by a funnel-web, and died three days later. This was the spider's 13th recorded victim. Later that year, Sutherland's team produced an effective antivenom and since then no deaths have been recorded from funnelweb bites. The antivenom had its first success when it was used to treat a 49-year-old Sydney man, Gordon Wheatley, who was bitten by a funnel-web on 31 January 1981. He completely recovered after 2 days in hospital.
Sutherland also led research into snakebite
treatment, working on antivenoms and developing venom detection kits to help hospital staff determine appropriate treatment for a bite. He also championed the pressure immobilisation treatment for both snake and funnelweb bites, replacing treatments such as tourniquet
s that were often harmful to the patient.
and the antivenom research program was closed, prompting Sutherland to leave the organisation for the University of Melbourne. Here he founded the Australian Venom Research Unit, where he worked until 1999 when striatonigral degeneration, a condition similar to Parkinson's disease
, forced him to retire. Even in retirement he continued to work, co-authoring three books, including "Venomous Creatures of Australia", which became its publisher's (Oxford University Press) best-selling Australian book.
When he died in 2002, he had already written his own death notice: "Struan would like to inform his friends and acquaintances that he fell off his perch on Friday, 11 January 2002, and is to be privately cremated. No flowers please. Donations to Australian Venom Research Unit, Melbourne University."
Sutherland's autobiography, "A Venomous Life" was published in 1998 by Highland House Publishing, Melbourne (ISBN 1-86447-026-7). He also wrote "Hydroponics For Everyone", about one of his hobbies.
Sutherland had a humorous interview with Douglas Adams
and Mark Carwardine
in Last Chance to See
.
honours of 2002, two weeks after his death, Sutherland was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
(AO), effective from 7 February 2000, for "service to science as a leading contributor to research in clinical toxicology and the biology of Australia's venomous creatures, and for the development of the funnel web spider antivenom".
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n medical researcher who developed effective antivenoms and other treatments for people bitten or stung by venomous Australian wildlife.
Early life
Sutherland was born in Sydney and grew up in Bendigo, VictoriaBendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
. He studied medicine at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, graduating in 1960, and served in the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
from 1962-1965.
The CSL years
In 1966 Sutherland joined the Commonwealth Serum LaboratoriesCSL Limited
CSL Limited is a global specialty biopharmaceutical company that researches, develops, manufactures and markets products to treat and prevent serious human medical conditions...
and was soon appointed Head of Immunology Research, a position which he held for 28 years. The death in January 1979 of a young girl, Christine Sturges, from a funnel-web spider
Australasian funnel-web spider
Australian funnel-web spiders are venomous spiders of the family Hexathelidae, represented by 31 described species of Hadronyche, four Bymainiella spp., two Teranodes and monotyptic genera Plesiothera fentoni and Ilawarra whisharti...
bite prompted Sutherland to look for a funnel-web antivenom. Many previous researchers had failed to develop such an antivenom, but Sutherland persevered. In January 1980, a two-year-old boy James Culley was bitten by a funnel-web, and died three days later. This was the spider's 13th recorded victim. Later that year, Sutherland's team produced an effective antivenom and since then no deaths have been recorded from funnelweb bites. The antivenom had its first success when it was used to treat a 49-year-old Sydney man, Gordon Wheatley, who was bitten by a funnel-web on 31 January 1981. He completely recovered after 2 days in hospital.
Sutherland also led research into snakebite
Snakebite
A snakebite is an injury caused by a bite from a snake, often resulting in puncture wounds inflicted by the animal's fangs and sometimes resulting in envenomation. Although the majority of snake species are non-venomous and typically kill their prey with constriction rather than venom, venomous...
treatment, working on antivenoms and developing venom detection kits to help hospital staff determine appropriate treatment for a bite. He also championed the pressure immobilisation treatment for both snake and funnelweb bites, replacing treatments such as tourniquet
Tourniquet
An emergency tourniquet is a tightly tied band applied around a body part sometimes used in an attempt to stop severe traumatic bleeding. Tourniquets are also used during venipuncture and other medical procedures. Severe bleeding means the loss of more than 1,000 ml of blood. This flow of blood...
s that were often harmful to the patient.
Later years
In 1994 CSL was privatisedPrivatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
and the antivenom research program was closed, prompting Sutherland to leave the organisation for the University of Melbourne. Here he founded the Australian Venom Research Unit, where he worked until 1999 when striatonigral degeneration, a condition similar to Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, forced him to retire. Even in retirement he continued to work, co-authoring three books, including "Venomous Creatures of Australia", which became its publisher's (Oxford University Press) best-selling Australian book.
When he died in 2002, he had already written his own death notice: "Struan would like to inform his friends and acquaintances that he fell off his perch on Friday, 11 January 2002, and is to be privately cremated. No flowers please. Donations to Australian Venom Research Unit, Melbourne University."
Sutherland's autobiography, "A Venomous Life" was published in 1998 by Highland House Publishing, Melbourne (ISBN 1-86447-026-7). He also wrote "Hydroponics For Everyone", about one of his hobbies.
Sutherland had a humorous interview with Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
and Mark Carwardine
Mark Carwardine
Mark Carwardine is a zoologist who achieved widespread recognition for his Last Chance to See conservation expeditions with Douglas Adams, first aired on BBC Radio 4 in 1990. Since then he has become a leading and outspoken conservationist, and a prolific broadcaster, columnist and...
in Last Chance to See
Last Chance to See
Last Chance to See is a 1989 BBC radio documentary series and its accompanying book, written and presented by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine. In the series, Adams and Carwardine travel to various locations in the hope of encountering species on the brink of extinction...
.
Honours
In the Australia DayAustralia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
honours of 2002, two weeks after his death, Sutherland was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AO), effective from 7 February 2000, for "service to science as a leading contributor to research in clinical toxicology and the biology of Australia's venomous creatures, and for the development of the funnel web spider antivenom".