Allan Macy Butler

{{Infobox medical person

|name = Allan Macy Butler

|image =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1894|4|3}}

|birth_place = Yonkers, New York

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1986|10|7|1894|4|3}}

|death_place = Tisbury, Massachusetts

|residence =

|field = Pediatrics

|work_institutions = Massachusetts General hospital

|alma_mater = Harvard Medical School

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|known_for = Electrolyte intravenous solutions for treating diarrhea and deydration

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|influences =

|influenced =

|prizes = John Howland Award (1969)

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Allan Macy Butler (1894–1986) was an American pediatrician and Chief of the Children's Medical Services at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. A pioneer in health services, Butler sought to change the structure of the American "fee-for-service" system of health care to one based on government-paid medical care for the elderly and low-income people.{{cite journal|title=The Pioneers of Pediatric Medicine: Allan Macy Butler|journal=European Journal of Pediatrics|doi=10.1007/BF01954734|pmid=7859786|year=1994|last1=Schoen|first1=E. J.|volume=153|issue=12|pages=867|s2cid=39213119}}

Early life and education

Butler was born April 3, 1894, in Yonkers, New York. The son of George Prentice Butler, a stockbroker, he was one of eight children. Butler spent World War I overseas, serving as an artillery officer in the American Expeditionary Forces. Afterward, he served in Poland as part of the Hoover Commission. Butler entered Harvard Medical School in 1922, graduating in 1926.

Career

After graduating in 1926, he worked at the Rockefeller Institute. It was there that he developed an interest in fluid and electrolyte metabolism. During World War II, he worked on life-raft studies conducted by the Office of Scientific Research and Development that led to advancements in treating diarrhea and dehydration.[http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~med00117 Allan Macy Butler Papers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711115821/http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~med00117 |date=July 11, 2010}}, 1916-1986 (inclusive), 1930-1969 (bulk), HMSc313. Harvard Medical Library, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Boston, Mass.

In 1929, Butler returned to Harvard as an instructor in pediatrics. He attained the title of Professor of Pediatrics in 1944 and served as Chief of Children's Medical Service and Staff Physician in charge of the Chemical Laboratories at Massachusetts General Hospital. He would remain at these two posts, concurrently, until 1960.

= Advocacy =

Butler's advocacy for medical insurance and pre-paid methods of health care embroiled him in the socialized medicine debate.[http://journals.lww.com/pedresearch/Citation/1969/09000/Acceptance_of_the_Howland_Award.12.aspx Acceptance of the Howland Award]. Allan Macy Butler, Pediatric Research. Vol. 3, No.5: 475-480(1969) He would also face a loyalty review by the Civil Service Commission Loyalty Review Board. After his trial he provided support in the form of testimony

and letters for colleagues who were being tried under the Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950.

He was a dedicated opponent of the Vietnam War and a supporter of abortion rights, nuclear disarmament, and nonviolent resistance."Allan Macy Butler (1894-1986)". Jane Pacht Brickman. Journal of Public Health Policy, Vol.20, No.3(1999) pp. 356-363.

Legacy

In 1969, Butler received the American Pediatric Society's highest award, the John Howland Award.[http://journals.lww.com/pedresearch/Citation/1969/09000/Presentation_of_Howland_Award_to_Allan_M_Butler.11.aspx "Presentation of Howland Award to Allan M. Butler"]. Nathan B. Talbot, Pediatric Research. Vol. 3, No.5: 471-474 (1969).

He died at his home in Tisbury, Massachusetts on October 7, 1986.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-dr-allan-butler-retir/156837055/ |title=Dr. Allan Butler, retired chief of pediatric services at MGH; 92 |newspaper=The Boston Globe |place=Tisbury, Massachusetts |page=111 |date=1986-10-09 |access-date=2024-10-09 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Allan Macy Butler

Early life and education

Career

= Advocacy =

Legacy

References

Further reading