George Widmer Thorn (January 15, 1906 - June 26, 2004) was an American physician whose contributions led to new treatments of kidney diseases and adrenal gland disorders, most notably

Addison's disease Addison's disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency, is a rare long-term endocrine disorder characterized by inadequate production of the steroid hormones cortisol and aldosterone by the two outer layers of the cells of the adrenal ...

. Thorn was Chief of Medicine at Boston's Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, presently known as

Brigham and Women's Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is the second largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts Gener ...

. Thorn pioneered the use of cortisone for treating Addison's disease, and devised an early test for this disease, now known as the Thorn test. His research of cortisone and ACTH led to new treatments of other diseases such as

hypertension Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are involv ...

and

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

. He participated in the first successful kidney transplant in the 1950s. Thorn was a founding editor and editor-in-chief of

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine ''Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine'' is an American textbook of internal medicine. First published in 1950, it is in its 21st edition (published in 2022 by McGraw-Hill Professional ) and comes in two volumes. Although it is aimed at a ...

. He was a professor at Harvard Medical School, and held a number of other teaching positions at other schools. In 1959 he was awarded the

Banting Medal The Banting Medal, officially the Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement, is an annual award conferred by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), which is the highest award of ADA. Inaugurated in 1941, the prize is given in memory of Sir Frederic ...

Personal life

Thorn was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

on January 15, 1906. He received his M.D. from University of Buffalo on 1929.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorn, George W. 1906 births 2004 deaths University at Buffalo alumni American nephrologists Physicians from Buffalo, New York