A Tayside scientist who saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of women with only six shillings will be honoured in his home town next week.
Professor Chassar Moir developed the drug ergometrine in 1935, which prevents bleeding during childbirth and is one of the World Health Organisation’s List of Essential Medicines for any basic health system.
A bust of the Montrose-born scientist will be presented to the town museum by the Moir family on October 27, celebrating his “gift to the world”.
The event is organised by the Montrose Society, whose spokesman Dr Andrew Orr said the bronze will help mark an “important contribution to medicine in the 20th Century.”
Ergot of rye, the black product of a plant disease caused by fungus, was known to induce contractions for 400 years before Prof Moir’s discovery.
Prof Moir showed ergot’s effect, similar to the pregnancy hormone oxytocin, could be isolated to an aqueous extract and ergometrine was discovered.
He stated proudly that the research involved had cost him six shillings.
Dr Orr said: “Chassar Moir gave his name to the new maternity unit here in Montrose back in 1989.
“Since then, several thousand mothers have given birth, probably not realising that their safety had been assured by a tiny injection of ergometrine given at the time of birth ergometrine isolated and developed by the great man.
“This gift of safety has been shared ever since by every woman around the world as she gives birth.”
Professor Moir was born in 1900, educated at Montrose Academy, and became one of the foremost medical names of the 20th Century.
He avoided public attention and made his discoveries openly available without commercial interest.
He died in 1977 and was buried in his home town.
An obituary in the British Medical Journal said he was “a great and a gentle man; a man who did more than anyone living today to save the lives and relieve the miseries of women”.
Tuesday’s invited audience will include representatives of the medical and midwifery professions, family members, and members of the Montrose Society.
Priscilla Moir Sharp will discuss her new book on her father, while TV and radio presenter Fi Glover will reflect on her grandfather.