Priscilla Sheath Kincaid-Smith, Mrs. Fairley, AC,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(30 November 1926 – 18 July 2015), was an Australia-based

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n physician and researcher, specializing in

nephrology Nephrology (from Greek'' nephros'' "kidney", combined with the suffix ''-logy'', "the study of") is a specialty of adult internal medicine and pediatric medicine that concerns the study of the kidneys, specifically normal kidney function (ren ...

. She was a past President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (1986-1988; first woman Councillor in 1976), World Medical Association and

International Society of Nephrology The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) is an organization concerned with kidney health. Introduction The ISN has over 9,000 professional members from more than 156 countries. In addition, the ISN closely collaborates with over 100 nation ...

(1972–75).

Early life and education

Priscilla Sheath Kincaid-Smith was born in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

, 30 November 1926, and studied medical science at the

University of the Witwatersrand The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), is a multi-campus South African Public university, public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits ( o ...

in there. She earned her BSc (Hons) in 1946 and her BMBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) in 1950. She was awarded a DSc by the University of the Witwatersrand in 1979.

Career

From 1951–53, she worked at Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, holding resident positions in Medicine and Surgery and Registrar in Medicine.Profile
science.org.au; accessed 21 July 2015. She died on 18 July 2015 at the age of 88. In the early 1960s, Kincaid-Smith demonstrated evidence of the links between headache powders containing

phenacetin Phenacetin (acetophenetidin, ''N''-(4-ethoxyphenyl)acetamide) is a pain-relieving and fever-reducing drug, which was widely used following its introduction in 1887. It was withdrawn from medicinal use as dangerous from the 1970s (e.g., withdrawn ...

(sold as

Bex Bex (; german: Beis; frp, Bés) is a municipality in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, located in the district of Aigle. It is a few kilometers south of its sister town municipality of Aigle. History Bex is first mentioned in 574 as ''in Bacci ...

and

Vincent's APC Vincent Chemical Company was an Australian business noted for manufacture of a popular compound analgesic "Vincent's APC" History Dr. Harry John Clayton (ca.1887 – 31 October 1928) of Macquarie Street and medical superintendent of the Royal Pr ...

in Australia) and kidney cancer, and campaigned strongly against the use of such powders. She also contributed to research on links between

high blood pressure 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 ...

and renal malfunction. Her career also included the positions of Director of Nephrology,

Royal Melbourne Hospital The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), located in Parkville, Victoria, an inner suburb of Melbourne, is one of Australia's leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research. Th ...

(1967–91); Professor of Medicine,

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

(1975–91); and Physician in Nephrology,

Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne The Royal Women's Hospital, located in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville, is Australia's oldest specialist women's hospital. It offers a full range of services in maternity, gynaecology, neonatal care, women's cancers and women's health. It also ...

(1976–91) Kincaid-Smith was President of the

Royal Australasian College of Physicians The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is a not-for-profit professional organisation responsible for training and educating physicians and paediatricians across Australia and New Zealand. The RACP is responsible for training both ...

(1986–88), as well as past president of the

World Medical Association The World Medical Association (WMA) is an international and independent confederation of free professional medical associations representing physicians worldwide. WMA was formally established on September 18, 1947 and has grown to 115 national m ...

, and

. She was a Member of the

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute WEHI (), previously known as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, and as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, is Australia's oldest medical research research institute, institute. Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, who won the Nobe ...

Personal life

Kincaid-Smith met Dr Ken Fairley in May 1958. They got engaged in June and married in July. They moved to Australia at the end of the year when both were aged 31. He had spent four years in London, training in cardiology with Paul Wood at the National Heart Hospital, and was just about to return to Australia when they met. They had three children, the twin boys Stephen and Christopher, who became a gastroenterologist and an infectious disease epidemiologist. Their later-born daughter, Jascenth, studied veterinary medicine and moved to the US where she worked as a manager in the pharmaceutical industry. Their offspring produced eight grandchildren. Ken's father and all his father's four brothers were doctors. One of his uncles was Sir

Neil Hamilton Fairley Brigadier Sir Neil Hamilton Fairley, (15 July 1891 – 19 April 1966) was an Australian physician, medical scientist, and army officer who was instrumental in saving thousands of Allied lives from malaria and other diseases. A graduate of the ...

, famous in the field of malaria. The family was Australian-based, but Neil became professor at the Tropical School in London. His two sons also became doctors, of whom

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

was killed by an Irish bomb in 1975. Kincaid-Smith died on 18 July 2015, aged 88, surrounded by family at her home in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia from complications following a stroke.

Awards

* 14 June 1975,appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

"for services to medicine". * 1989, David Hume Award from the National Kidney Foundation (USA). * 1989, Companion of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

References

External links

''The Lancet''The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Leadership webpagePriscilla Kincaid-Smith remembered
abc.net.au, 21 July 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kincaidsmith, Priscilla 1926 births 2015 deaths Australian nephrologists Australian women scientists Companions of the Order of Australia Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians People from Johannesburg Medical doctors from Melbourne South African nephrologists University of the Witwatersrand alumni University of Melbourne faculty Australian women medical doctors Australian medical doctors Place of death missing 20th-century women scientists South African women physicians South African physicians