Eustace Henry Cluver, physiologist and medical researcher, was the son of Mr Friedrich Ludolf Albert Wilhelm Cluver, headmaster of the Robertson High School, and his wife Ida Elizabeth, born Brown. He received his schooling at the Boys' High School, Stellenbosch, and passed the matriculation examination of the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1910. Continuing his studies at the Victoria College, Stellenbosch, he graduated with a BA degree in 1914 and was awarded a Rhodes scholarship that enabled him to continue his studies at Hertford College, University of Oxford, and in London. At Oxford he studied under the most eminent physiologist of the time, Professor Charles Sherrington and obtained a first class honours in physiology. He also excelled in sport by rowing for his college. On completion of his medical training at King's College Hospital in London he was awarded the degrees MB, ChB (1918) and later the MD (1923) by the University of Oxford. For the last few months of World War I (1914-1918) he served as a captain in the South African Medical Corps in France.

In July 1919, aged only 24 and with no teaching experience, he was appointed as the first professor of physiology at the newly established Medical School of the University College, Johannesburg (from 1922 the University of the Witwatersrand). That same year he published his first paper, on "The influence of geographical factors in human health" (South African Geographical Journal, 1919, Vol. 3, pp. 49-55). He started his courses in 1920 and remained in his post to the end of 1926. A few years after his appointment he compiled a small handbook for his students entitled Physiological experiments (1923). However, his main interest was in the wider field of human health and after completing the Diploma in Public Health (DPH, 1925) he devoted most of his career to preventive medicine. He took up a position as assistant health officer in the Department of Health in 1927, rising to Secretary for Health and Chief Health Officer of South Africa (1938-1940). Meanwhile he had also been appointed director of the medical services of the South African Defence Force, a position he held until he became director of the South African Institute for Medical Research (SAIMR) in 1940. During World War II (1939-1945), under his directorship, the institute assisted the South African Medical Corps to establish an extensive medical laboratory service to serve the South African Defence Force and its hospitals in various countries. After the war the Institute expanded its activities to provide a country wide medical laboratory service and also expanded its research activities by establishing several new research units. Cluver was particularly active in his support for the Polio Research Appeal in 1949, following the worst epidemic of poliomyelitis that the country had experienced. He travelled throughout South Africa to appeal for funds to support research on the disease and his efforts contributed much to its success. The money was used to build the laboratories of the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation, which was administered and run by the SAIMR.

Around this time, from 1941 to 1959, Cluver held an appointment as professor of public health (later preventive medicine) at the Medical School of the University of the Witwatersrand. He retired from the South African Institute for Medical Research at the end of 1959 and from that time took up his third professorial appointment at the Wits Medical School as professor of medical education (1960-1963). At the same time he became the first full-time dean of the Faculty of Medicine during 1960-1962. He also lectured very successfully on public health at the Medical School and wrote extensively on public health, preventive medicine and medical legislation in South Africa. He produced some 150 publications, including Public Health in South Africa (1934, with five later editions), Social medicine (Ed. 1951) and Medical and health legislation in the Union of South Africa (1955). At various times he served on committees of the Department of Health and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and for many years was a member of the Transvaal branch council of the Medical Association of South Africa as well as its federal council. He was also a member of the South African Medical and Dental Council. Around 1964 he retired to his farm at Walkerville, Gauteng Province. In all his various roles he made important contributions to medical science and to the medical profession in South Africa. On 28 June 1929 he married Eileen Doris Ledger.

List of sources:

British 1820 settlers to South Africa. Transcribed marriage entries for Cluver. Retrieved on 21 October 2022 from https://www.1820settlers.com/genealogy/settlerbrowsemarrs.php?name=CLUVER

Cluver, E. H. The influence of geographical factors in human health. South African Geographical Journal, 1919, Vol. 3, pp. 49-55.

Cluver, Eustace Henry. Geni. Retrieved on 2 October 2022 from https://www.geni.com/people/Eustace-Henry-Clüver/6000000006200707130

Gear, J. H. S. In Memoriam: Eustace Henry Cluver. South African Medical Journal, 24 July 1982, Vol. 62, p. 144.

Google scholar. http://scholar.google.co.za/ , publications by E. H. Cluver.

Malan, M. In quest of health: The South African Institute for Medical Research, 1912-1973. Johannesburg: Lowry, 1988.

Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Directory of South Africa, 1926/7. Johannesburg: Ewald Herbert, 1926.

Murray, B. K. Wits - the early years. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press, 1982.

[Obituary]: Eustace Henry Cluver. Bacteria, 1982, No. 1, p. 3.

South African bibliography to the year 1925. London: Mansell, 1979.

Tobias, P. V. Sixty years of Wits Medical School. The Leech, June 1980, Vol. 50(1), pp. 4-8.

University of the Cape of Good Hope. Calendar, 1917-1918.

University of the Witwatersrand. Med School - A history. Retrieved on 21 October 2022 from https://wits_medical_alumni_1960.mailchimpsites.com/med-school--a-history

Compiled by: C. Plug

Last updated: 2023-12-14 08:41:13