Francis Gano Benedict (October 3, 1870 – April 14, 1957) was an American

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe t ...

, physiologist, and

nutritionist A nutritionist is a person who advises others on matters of food and nutrition and their impacts on health. Some people specialize in particular areas, such as sports nutrition, public health, or animal nutrition, among other disciplines. In many ...

who developed a

calorimeter A calorimeter is an object used for calorimetry, or the process of measuring the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes as well as heat capacity. Differential scanning calorimeters, isothermal micro calorimeters, titration calorimete ...

and a

spirometer A spirometer is an apparatus for measuring the volume of air inspired and expired by the lungs. A spirometer measures ventilation, the movement of air into and out of the lungs. The spirogram will identify two different types of abnormal ventilat ...

used to determine oxygen consumption and measure

metabolic rate Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run ce ...

Biography

Born in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, Benedict attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, earning his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in 1893 and his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in 1894. He earned his Ph.D., '' magna cum laude'', at

Heidelberg University } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, B ...

in 1895. He taught at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

and did work for the

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...

. He was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 1909. He was also a descendant of

John Gano John Gano (July 22, 1727– August 10, 1804) was a Baptist minister, soldier, and Revolutionary War chaplain who allegedly baptized his friend, General George Washington."Religion: Washington's Baptism" ''Time Magazine'', September 5, 1932 http: ...

of Revolutionary War fame, through his great-grandmother Margaret Hubbell Benedict (Gano). After retirement in 1937 he toured and lectured about magicians. He died at his home in

Machiasport, Maine Machiasport is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 962 at the 2020 census. Machiasport is a historic seaport and tourist destination. History In 1633, the Plymouth Company established a trading post here to co ...

, aged 86.

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

(May 16, 1957). FRANCIS BENEDICT, A CHEMIST, WAS 86; Former Teacher at Wesleyan and Director of Carnegie Nutrition Laboratory Dies. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

Fasting study

Benedict observed Agostino Levanzin, who

fasted Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see "Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after co ...

for thirty-one days at the Carnegie nutrition laboratory. George F. Cahill Jr. was influenced by the study and conducted similar studies.Cahill, George F. (2006)
''FuelMetabolism in Starvation''
Annu. Rev. Nutr. 26: 1-22. "In 1965, we enlisted six divinity students to fast for eight days and studied the levels of every metabolic substrate and hormone that we could measure. The central role of insulin in controlling the fed state had been well characterized, and its role in fasting needed clarification. Essentially, we repeated and expanded the 1911 classical study of starvation by Benedict, who fasted a Maltese, Mr. Levanzin, for 30 days and nights."

Selected publications

''The Influence of Inanition on Metabolism''
(1907)
''The Composition of the Atmosphere with Special Reference to its Oxygen Content''
(1912)
''A Study of Prolonged Fasting''
(1915)
''Chemical and Physiological Studies of a Man Fasting Thirty-One Days''
(1915)
''Human Vitality and Efficiency Under Prolonged Restricted Diet''
(1919)

References

External links

Francis Gano Benedict papers, 1870s-1957. MC 062. Harvard Medical Library, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Boston, Mass.National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict, Francis Gano 1870 births 1957 deaths American nutritionists Fasting researchers Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Harvard University alumni Scientists from Milwaukee Heidelberg University alumni Wesleyan University faculty American expatriates in Germany