Carey Franklin Coombs (5 September 1879 – 9 December 1932) was a British cardiologist known for his work involving rheumatic heart disease and the eponymous Carey Coombs murmur.

Early life and education

Coombs was born in Castle Cary, Somerset, Frome, England on 5 September 1879. He received his early education at

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in Bristol. He then attended medical school at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School and was awarded his M.B. in 1901, M.D. in 1903. He then returned to Bristol to enter private practice. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1917. He became a physician at

Bristol General Hospital Bristol General Hospital (sometimes referred to as BGH or Bristol General) was a healthcare facility in Guinea Street, Harbourside, Bristol, in the south west of England. It opened in 1832, and closed in 2012. The BGH was managed by the Universi ...

in 1920 and director of the

Bristol University , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

Centre of Cardiac Research in 1927. During

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he was a major in the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

and served in England,

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and

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Contributions to medicine

He is best known for his work involving rheumatic and coronary heart disease. He performed important studies of

rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful jo ...

, and described a rumbling mid- diastolic cardiac murmur that occurs in the acute phase of rheumatic fever. This cardiac murmur is now referred to as the "Carey Coombs murmur". In 1910 he made one of the earliest diagnoses of coronary thrombosis, and before his death in 1932, he had documented 144 cases of this condition. His most well known written work is "Rheumatic Heart Disease", a book that was published in 1924. He is also remembered for his work in the management and prevention of childhood heart disease. In 1930 he delivered the

Lumleian Lectures The Lumleian Lectures are a series of annual lectures started in 1582 by the Royal College of Physicians and currently run by the Lumleian Trust. The name commemorates John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, who with Richard Caldwell of the College endowe ...

to the Royal College of Physicians.

Later years and death

Coombs died on 9 December 1932. Coombs had been suffering from chest pain and prescribed bed rest. He subsequently died suddenly and a post mortem examination of the heart revealed that he likely died from a Stokes-Adams attack and a possible massive pulmonary embolism.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coombs, Carey 1879 births 1932 deaths British cardiologists 20th-century English medical doctors People from South Somerset (district) Royal Army Medical Corps officers