The doctor was 83 years old and was being treated for brain cancer
The University Harvard confirmed the death of Professor Richard Alan Cash, creator of the homemade serum. The 83-year-old doctor had been under treatment for brain cancer for eight months and died in his sleep on the 22nd.
A senior professor of Global Health at Harvard, Cash conducted the first clinical trials of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In Brazil, the mixture of water with small amounts of sugar and salt has become known as “homemade whey” and continues to be used in situations of large fluid loss in a short period of time, such as in cases of diarrhea.
The relatively simple innovation proved to be highly effective and led to an affordable and accessible solution to dehydration, saving more than 60 million lives across the planet, according to World Health Organization (WHO).
“Richard lived life to the fullest and on his own terms: a free spirit and a loving soul,” the university praises in its condolence note.
Cash’s funeral will be held this Sunday, the 27th, in Massachusetts, and the family requests that no flowers be sent. In lieu of tributes, the doctor’s wife, Stella Dupuis, is asking for donations to the BRAC Ultra Poor Graduation Initiative.
Trajectory
Cash was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he spent his childhood. It is in this phase that his interest in natural sciences was born, after coming into contact with the dioramas preserved at the Natural History Museum of his hometown.
From Milwaukee he went to Madison and New York, where he received his medical degree. Already a graduate, he moved to Dhaka, in what was then East Pakistan, to carry out research on the topic choleraa bacterial disease directly linked to the lack of basic sanitation.
In the late 1960s, together with physician David Nalin, Cash carried out the first clinical studies on ORT in cholera patients and, by the end of the 1970s, through an awareness program, taught more than 13 million mothers and healthcare workers how to prepare the serum in their children. houses.
In addition to Bangladesh, the professor has made important visits to India and, over the years, has trained dozens of students. “Richard was a dedicated and thoughtful teacher who profoundly influenced the thinking and careers of countless students. Everywhere he traveled, from Mexico to Vietnam, he met former students who credited him with inspiring their passion for public health,” it reads in the Harvard note.
Some of these colleagues and former students appear in the video below, released in May as a tribute to the professor’s work in South Asia.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
