Albert Sharman (1903-1970): Gynaecologist, inventor and teacher

J Med Biogr. 2024 Oct 21:9677720241240263. doi: 10.1177/09677720241240263. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Albert Sharman was a Glasgow-born and based gynaecologist who pioneered research into infertility and the diagnosis of pregnancy using new techniques of investigation and treatment, many of his own design. His Fertility Clinic, opened in 1931, was the first in Britain, and became a model for those that followed. Working at Glasgow's Royal Samaritan Hospital for Women, he published widely in the medical press, especially the British Medical Journal and the Lancet, and he authored and co-edited several books, some aimed at a medical audience while others sought to explain complex issues surrounding puberty, fertility and the menopause to the general public.

Keywords: Gynaecology; artificial insemination; endometrial biopsy; infertility; pregnancy testing; tubal insufflation.