Biographical entry Warren, Grace (c. 1928 - )

Summary

Dr Grace Warren, a surgeon and missionary, challenged conventional wisdom by undertaking research and developing surgical procedures to better understand and treat neuropathic limbs caused by diabetes, leprosy or other nerve-affecting conditions.

Details

Though Warren was drawn to surgery as a student, she was trained in obstetrics, as females were unable to study surgery formally at the time of her medical education in the 1950s. On completion of her year as resident medical officer at Sydney's St George's Hospital, Warren took up a position in Korea as locum tenens at a Women's Hospital run by the Australian Presbyterian Mission. During her 18 months in Korea she developed a passionate interest in the treatment of sufferers of leprosy. Subsequently, her next locum position was at the Leprosy Hospital in Hong Kong, on the island of Hay Ling Chau. When she commenced there in 1959, the facility lacked a surgeon to staff their newly established reconstructive surgery unit, and so Dr Warren herself was trained in basic surgical procedures by a fellow physician. She was keen to master these skills and so augmented this training by reading all she could in text books. In the same year she hypothesized and then proved that by applying a plaster cast to a neuropathic foot for a prolonged period of time it was possible to heal fractures previously considered treatable only through amputation. Her skills in surgery also soon became apparent, and she rapidly became sought out to instruct doctors and surgeons in surrounding countries.

In 1962 she became a permanent staff member at the Hay Ling Chau Leprosy Hospital where she continued to successfully treat countless cases, all the while documenting her research and development of treatments. In 1972 she submitted this research work to the University of Sydney and was awarded a Master of Surgery. The Hay Ling Chau Leprosy Hospital was closed in 1975, but she continued to teach throughout Asia on behalf of the Leprosy Mission Australia until 1989. During this time she instructed local doctors and surgeons in her methods and ensured that their hospitals were being provided with the materials they needed to conduct these procedures.

In 1989 she returned to Australia and found she could apply the knowledge she accrued treating leprosy patients to the treatment of diabetic patients. At the time diabetes was a common cause of lower limb neuropathy in Australia. While still teaching throughout Asia, in order to spread the knowledge of the effective treatments she had pioneered she also established seminars for Australian doctors and surgeons. This work culminated in the publication of "The Care of Neuropathic Limbs - a Practical Manual" in 1999. Dr Warren continued to assist, consult and teach in surgery into her eighties.

Events

1954

Education - Bachelor of Medicine (M.B., B.S.), University of Sydney

1955

Career event - Junior Resident Medical Officer, St George Hospital, Sydney

1956

Career position - Registrar, Geelong Hospital

1957

Education - Diploma of Tropical Medicine, University of Sydney

1957 - 1959

Career position - Locum tenens for the superintendent of the Australian Presbyterian Mission Women's Hospital, Korea

1959

Career event - Locum position at Leprosy Hospital in Hong Kong

1959 - 1960

Career position - Locum tenens at the Leprosy Hospital on Hay Ling Chau Island, Hong Kong

c. 1961 - ?

Career position - Medical Superintendent at Leprosy Hospital, Hong Kong

1961

Career position - Full member of the Leprosy Mission

1972

Education - Master of Surgery for research into neuropathic limbs, University of Sydney

1977

Award - Elected Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons

1983

Award - Elected Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England

1984

Award - Honorary Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), University of Sydney

1985

Award - Elected a Member of the Order of Australia

1989

Life event - Retired from the Leprosy Mission

1999

Career event - Published The Care of Neuropathic Limbs - a Practical Manual

2005

Career event - Delivered the Weary Dunlop Memorial Lecture, Royal Australian College of Surgeons

c. 2005

Award - Elected Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons

2006

Award - Awarded the Star of Pakistan for Humanitarian Service

2006

Career event - Published Autobiography Doctor No. 49

Related entries

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science Exhibitions

• McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, 2003, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Books

• Nade, S. and Warren, G., The Care of Neuropathic Limbs - a Practical Manual, Parthenon Publications, United Kingdom, 1999. Details

Book Sections

• Joshua, J., Schwarz, R. and Warren, G., 'Radial Nerve palsy', in R Schwarz and W Brandsma (eds), Surgical Reconstruction and Rehabilitation in Leprosy and other neuropathies, Ekta, Nepal, 2004. Details
• Schwarz, R. and Warren, G., 'Surgery of the nose and other aesthetic surgery', in R Schwarz and W Brandsma (eds), Surgical Reconstruction and Rehabilitation in Leprosy and other neuropathies, Ekta, Nepal, 2004. Details
• Warren, G., 'Surgery of Leprosy', in King, Maurice (ed.), Primary Surgery, Vol. 1 Non-Trauma, Oxford Medical Publications, 1990, pp. 508-526. Details
• Warren, G., 'Leprosy', in Surgery for all - A view from the developing world, Ferozsons Ltd., Lahore, Pakistan, 1992. Details
• Warren, G., 'Tendon transfers in the hand', in Bruce Conolly (ed.), Atlas of Hand Surgery, Churchill Livingstone, 1997. Details
• Warren, G., 'The Foot in Leprosy - Lessons for diabetes', in Andrew J.M. Boulton (ed.), The Foot in Diabetes, Wileys, 2000. Details
• Warren, G., 'Trial Walking', in R Schwarz and W Brandsma (eds), Surgical Reconstruction and Rehabilitation in Leprosy and other neuropathies, Ekta, Nepal, 2004. Details
• Warren, G., 'Neuropathic feet', in R Schwarz and W Brandsma (eds), Surgical Reconstruction and Rehabilitation in Leprosy and other neuropathies, Ekta, Nepal, 2004. Details
• Warren, G., 'Appendix C - Skin Care/ Self-care Training', in R Schwarz and W Brandsma (eds), Surgical Reconstruction and Rehabilitation in Leprosy and other neuropathies, Ekta, Nepal, 2004. Details
• Warren, G., 'Appendix D - Removable Modified Total Contact Cast', in R Schwarz and W Brandsma (eds), Surgical Reconstruction and Rehabilitation in Leprosy and other neuropathies, Ekta, Nepal, 2004. Details
• Warren, G., 'Mobility in Lower Limb paralysis', in R Kamel and J Lumley (eds), Text book of tropical Surgery, Westminster Publishing Co., 2004, pp. pp 799-800. Details
• Warren, G., 'Lower Leg Transfer Procedures', in R Kamel and J Lumley (eds), Text book of tropical Surgery, 2004, pp. pp 800-801. Details
• Warren, G., 'Care on Neuropathic feet', in R Kamel and J Lumley (eds), Text book of tropical Surgery, Westminster Publishing Co., 2004, pp. pp 790-797. Details

Journal Articles

• Haverson, G. and Warren, G., 'Tarsal Bone Disintegration in Leprosy', Clinical Radiology, vol. 3, 30 May 1979, pp. pp. 317 - 322. Details
• Nade, S. and Warren, G., 'Ulcers in Diabetic Feet: An Orthopaedic not a Vascular problem', New Zealand Journal of Surgery, vol. 70, 2000, pp. 613 - 615. Details
• Taylor, P. and Warren, G., 'The effects of Cocktail Anaesthesia on Blood Pressure', Leprosy Review, vol. 44, 1972?, pp. pp. 83 - 89. Details
• Warren, G., 'The bacterial load in the noses of Chinese leprosy patients', Leprosy Review, vol. 44, 1973, pp. pp. 183 -185. Details
• Warren, G., 'A study of the Incidence and Outcome of foot weakness in Leprosy', Leprosy Review, vol. 44, 1973, pp. pp. 203-212. Details
• Warren, G., 'Radiographic examination of the feet', Leprosy Review, vol. 44, 1973, pp. pp. 131-138. Details
• Warren, G., 'Letter - Re: Hypervitaminosis A and Leprosy neuritis', Leprosy Review, vol. 44, 1973, pp. pp. 220-222. Details
• Warren, G., 'Letter- Re: Bacilli In Nasal Mucosa', Leprosy Review, vol. 46, 1975, pp. pp. 136 - 137. Details
• Warren, G., 'Series of three articles on Leprosy Management, with special accent on Physiotherapy', Pakistan Journal of Physiology, 1975-1976. Details
• Warren, G., 'Letter - Re: Toxicity of Clofazimine', Leprosy Review, vol. 47, 1976, pp. pp. 342 - 343. Details
• Warren, G., 'Clinical assessment and management of dapsone resistant Leprosy for the Field Worker', Leprosy Review, vol. 48, 1977, pp. 113-121. Details
• Warren, G., 'Series of over 10 articles, plus "Questions answered" column, on various aspects of leprosy care, in Partners-Magazine for paramedical workers.', 1977-1989. Details
• Warren, G., 'Letter - Re: Dapsone and nerve damage', Leprosy Review, vol. 51, 1980, pp. 94-97. Details
• Warren, G., 'The Surgical Conservation of the Neuropathic Foot', Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, vol. 71, 1989, pp. pp. 236 - 242. Details
• Warren, G., 'Facial palsy - a Leprosy Surgeons View Point', Australia and New Zealand Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 18, no. 3, 1990, pp. pp. 257 - 268. Details
• Warren, G., 'Save our Soles', Bulletin of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons, vol. 11, no. 23, 1991, pp. pp. 24-25. Details
• Warren, G., 'Conservative Amputation of the Neuropathic foot. The Pirogoff Procedure', Operative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, vol. 9, 1997, pp. 49 - 58. Details
• Warren, G., 'Report on Workshop on "The Neurologically Impaired Foot".', Leprosy Review, vol. 72, 2001. Details
• Warren, G., 'Practical management of neuropathic feet', Tropical Doctor, vol. 32, 2002, pp. 201-205. Details
• Warren, G., 'Diabetic Neuropathy', Tropical Doctor, October 2002, pp. pp. 194-5. Details
• Warren, G., 'A different approach to the care of the diabetic foot', Medicine Today, vol. 4, March 2003, pp. pp 52-60. Details
• Warren, G., 'Controlling callus - Practical procedure', Medicine Today, vol. 4, no. 4, April 2003, pp. pp 95-97. Details
• Warren, G., 'A different approach to the care of the diabetic foot', Medicine Today, September 2005, pp. pp 52-59. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'Modern Advances in Leprosy Treatment', Far East Medical Journal, vol. 2, 1966. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'A method of medical tarsorrhaphy for correction of Lagophthalmos and ectropion', Leprosy Review, vol. 37, 1966, pp. 217 - 218. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'Measurement of Skin Clearance in Leprosy Patients', Far East Medical Journal, vol. 3, 1967. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'The Correction of Foot Drop in Leprosy', Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, vol. 50B, no. 3, 1968, pp. 629 - 643. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'A Preliminary Report of the use of B663', Leprosy Review, vol. 39, 1968, pp. 61 - 66. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'New Trends in Leprosy Treatment', Far East Medical Journal, vol. 5, 1969. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'Problems of Rehabilitation of Leprosy Patients', Rehabilitation in Asia, July 1969. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'The use of B663 in the treatment of Chinese Leprosy Patients with Chronic Reaction.', Leprosy Review, vol. 541, 1970, pp. 74-82. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'A Foot drop spring', Leprosy Review, vol. 41, 1970, pp. 100-102. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'Tarsal Bone Disintegration in Leprosy', Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, vol. 53B, no. 4, 1971, pp. 668 - 679. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'Facets of leprosy of Orthopaedic Interest', Australia and New Zealand Journal of Surgery (reprinted in same journal in 2008.), vol. 40, no. 3, 1971, pp. 296 - 298. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'Patterns of Tarsal Bone Disintegration in Leprosy Patients. Thesis, Master of Surgery', Sydney University, 1971. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'Plaster casts', Leprosy Review, vol. 42, 1971, pp. 55 - 59. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'The Management of Tarsal Bone Disintegration', Leprosy Review, vol. 43, 1972, pp. 137-147. Details
• Warren, Grace, 'Are Deformities Stigmatising? A Surgeon's Approach', Leprosy Review, vol. 43, 1972, pp. 74-82. Details

Teaching resources

• Tomlan, J. and Warren, G., Making Polyethylene Resting Splints (Booklet), Leprosy Mission International, London. Details
• Warren, G., Care of the Nerve Damaged Limb - TALC set with commentary, TALC-UK, 1984. Details
• Warren, G., Leprosy lesions in Skins of different colours. TALC slide set with commentary, TALC-UK, 1984. Details
• Warren, G., The assessment and management of neuropathic limbs., The American Leprosy Missions Inc, USA, 1988. Details