biographies

Jona, Judah Leon (1886 - 1964)

M.D. (Melb.), D.Sc. (Adelaide), FRACS, M.R.C.O.G.

Born
21 November 1886
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died
19 April 1964
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Gynaecologist, Medical Practitioner and Obstetrician

Details

Transcription of item believed to have been written by Dr Colin Macdonald. Published in "The Book of Remembrance", The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, c.1964.


JUDAH LEON JONA
(1924 - 1946)

Judah Leon Jona was born in Adelaide on November 21st, 1886, to Walter and Eva Jona. With the aid of scholarships, which he won each year, he entered Way College in 1900, Prince Alfred College in 1903, and the University of Adelaide in 1904; at the latter he began both the Science and the Medical course. His scholastic career continued to be studded with awards; the Elder Prize in 2nd year Medicine, 1905; Honours B.Sc. Degree with Honours in Physiology, 1906; Bursary at Trinity College, Melbourne, and Exhibition in Physiology, 3rd Year Medicine, Melbourne, 1907. Owing to financial troubles in 1909 he was compelled to give up his medical course in the middle of his fifth year, and he was given a University Scholarship in Physiology and appointed a Demonstrator in Physiology in the University of Melbourne. In 1910 he was awarded D.Sc., Adelaide, and the David Murray Research Prize in Science, University of Adelaide; he was also appointed Lecturer in Physiology, University of Melbourne. In 1911 he qualified M.B., B.S., Melbourne, received the Beit Memorial Fellowship for Medical research, London (one of ten awarded annually throughout the British Empire, with a total value of £750 over three years), and was a member of the Faculties of Science and Veterinary Science in the University of Melbourne.

The period 1912-13 was spent in research at the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, London, under the former Melbourne Professor, C.J. Martin F.R.S. In addition, Leon did post-graduate work at the Hospital for Women, Chelsea, the Hospital for Women, Soho, and the West London Post graduate School and Hospital, visited the large provincial hospitals and the Rotunda and Stevens Hospitals in Dublin, attended and took post-graduate courses at the Charite, the largest hospital in Berlin, and saw the work in the Schauta and Wertheim Clinics in Vienna. Returning home late in 1913 he gained his M.D. Melb. Degree, and he obtained minor appointments in medical and gynaecological clinics at the Melbourne Hospital. In 1917 he won the Rogers Prize, University of London, for a thesis on fever and in 1919 he was awarded M.S. Adelaide. In 1917 he was appointed Locum tenens, Honorary Obstetric Surgeon, Women’s Hospital, which he held almost continuously until he gained his definite appointment in 1924. In 1925 he was mad Honorary Assistant Gynaecological Surgeon, a position he held till he retired from the Women’s Hospital in 1946. He became F.R.A.C.S. in 1929 and M.R.C.O.G. in 1935.

His military service though not outstanding covered a long period. He enlisted as Captain, A.A.M.C. in 1911, attended a course at the R.A.M.C. College, Millbank, London, in 1912-13, and served with a medical unit in Roumania and Bulgaria during the 2nd Balkan War of 1913. He volunteered for active service in 1914, but he was retained in Australia to become S.M.O. in various camps and C.O. of 45th, 16th and 20th Field Ambulances for varying periods. In 1939 he was not accepted for active service abroad, but served overseas as a surgeon in the British Merchant Service. He was a member of the Australian council for U.N.R.R.A. and in this capacity visited London and the middle East.

He spent 1926 and 1927 in Europe and the United Kingdom seeing the leading men, attending congresses, and undertaking various studies. Again, in 1935-37 he made another extended trip and among other activities attended medical and scientific meetings in Hungary, Russia, Palestine and Egypt; he also spent some time in U.S.A.

Leon Jona was a prolific writer and contributed to various journals at least 38 original articles; these ranged over a wide field from "Refractive Indices of the Eye Media of Some Australian Animals" through "Segmental Distribution of Blood Vessels in Upper Limb" to obstetrical and gynaecological subjects. But the work that gained him his international reputation was that dealing with the physiology of the kidney pelvis, which was reported in eight papers over the years 1928-36. As a result of his work he became a Member of the Physiological Society, England, a Fellow of the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine London. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Victoria, a Fellow of the Australian Chemical Institute, a Member of the Palestine Medical Association, and a Member of the International Association of Surgeons.

Leon was versatile, very much alive in spite of his bulk, and he loved living. In 1927 he learnt to fly and was a member of the Royal Aero Club of Victoria. He enjoyed walking, overseas travel, meeting and conversing with people, and he was fluent, both reading and speaking, in French, German and Yiddish. He also took a leading part in Jewish Communal matters, Zionist Organisations, and various branches of Freemasonry. He was a brilliant scholar, an unusually well qualified medical man, and yet an unaffectedly modest and sincere individual whose erudition and culture enhanced a jovial personality.

Leon Jona married Elsie Kozminsky in 1913, and there were three children, girls, all of whom married. He died at Melbourne on 19th April, 1964.

PUBLISHED WORK :

Kidney Pain. J. and A. Churchill, London, 1937


PUBLISHED PAPERS :

1. Adrenalin as an Emergency Treatment in Cynanide, Strychnine and Non-corrosive Poisoning - (Intercolonial Med. Journal of Aust., 20th July, 1909).

2. The Osmotic Pressure of Liquid Foods - (Biochemical Journal, Vol. 4, 1909).

3. Salivary Adaptation. Proceedings Physiol, Society - (Journal of Physiology, 1910).

4. Adrenalin - (Aust. Medical Journal, Aug. 26th, 1911)

5. Osmotic Pressure of Blood and Body Fluids of Various Australian Animals - (Biochemical Journal, 1911)

6. The Refractive Indices of the Eye Media of Some Australian Animals - (Proc., Royal Society, London, Vol. B.8, p. 345).

7. Some Clinical Considerations of Osmotic Pressure - (Aust. Medical Journal, December 2nd, 1911).

8. Osmotic Equilibration in the Living Body - (Proc., Royal Society, Vic., Vol. 24, N.S., 1912).

9. Adrenalin in Non-Corrosive Poisoning - (British Medical Journal, February 8th, 1913).

10. A fatal Case of Poisoning by B. Eucaine - (Medical Journal of Australia, September 18th, 1915).

11. A Contribution to the Experimental; Study of Fever - (Journal of Hygiene, Vol. 15, 1916).

12. A Contribution to the Study of Fever - (Medical Journal of Aust., January 22nd, 1916).

13. Gynaecological History Taking, 1917 - (Privately printed).

14. A Further Contribution to the Experimental Study of Fever. 11., Burns - (Med. Journal of Aust., November 3rd,
1917).

15. The Toxaemias of Pregnancy - (Med. Journal of Aust. Dec. 29th, 1917).

16. An Experimental Study of Duodenal Ulcer - (M.J.A., Mar. 2nd, 1918).

17. An Analysis of the Melbourne Hospital Statistics of
Duodenal and Gastric Ulcers for the Five Years, 1912-17 -
(Med. Journal of Aust., March 2nd, 1918).

18. A Fulminant Case of Puerperal Eclampsia. CaesareanSection - Recovery - (Med. Jouranl Aust., Aug. 17th, 1918).

19. An Experimental Study of Duodenal Ulcer, 11. - (Med. Journal of Aust., Ap 19th, 1919).

20. Segmental Distribution of Blood Vessels in Upper Limb - (Proc. Physiological Society, Journ. Of Physiology, Vol. 52, 1918).

21. An Experimental Study of Duodenal Ulcer - (Privately Printed, The Southland Press, Melbourne, 1919).

22. A Preliminary Note on an Apparently Synergic Action Between Ergot and Strychnine –-(Proceedings of Australian Medical Congress, Melbourne, 1923).

23. The Physiology and Signs and Symptoms of Toxemias of Pregnancy (Med. Journal Aust., Nov. 7th, 1925).

24. A new Method of Administering Heavy Metals. With a Reference to the Treatment of Cancer - (Lancet, July 7th, 1928, p. 115).

25. Pyeloscopy - Med. Journal Aust. July 28th, 1928).

26. The Treatment of Inoperable Cancer by the Injection of a Colloidal Preparation of Various Metals - Bismuth, Lead, Copper. –-(Med. Journal Aust., Nov. 10th, 1928).

27. Corpuscular Medication. A New Method of Administering Heavy Metals and Other Elements. The Method Applied In the Treatment of Inoperable Cancer by the Administration Of Lead, Copper, Bismuth. - (Transac. Aust. Med. Congress
1928).

28. A New Method of Administering Heavy Metals - (Lancet, July 7th, 1928).

29. Pyeloscopy (with H. Flecker) - (S.G.O. 51 (1930) p. 50).

30. Pyeloscopy - (S.G.O., 53 (1931) p.644).

31. Pyelitis and Kidney Pain - (Med. Journal Aust. Aug. 13,
1932, p. 216).

32. Pyelomentry - (S.G.P. 56 (1933), p.628).

33. Pyeloscopy - (Med. Journal Aust., Oct. 1934, p. 516).

34. The Kidney Pelvis - (S.G.O. 59 (1934), p.713).

35. The Kidney Pelvis - its Normal and Pathological Physiology - (Proc. Roy. Soc. of Medicine (London) 29 (1936), Sect. Urology, 13)

36. The Position of the Ureters in a case of Procidentia - (Lancer, Jan 27th, 1936, p.1473-4).

37. A method of Determining the Ability of the Foetal Head to Enter the Pelvis.

38. The Law in Relation to Experiments on Animals - (Proc. Medico-legal Soc. of Victoria (1935) 74-91).

Archival/Heritage Resources

Royal Women's Hospital Archives

  • Book of Remembrance, 1956 - 1975; Royal Women's Hospital Archives [ Details... ].

Prepared by: Robyn Waymouth

Created: 21 September 2006, Last modified: 26 November 2006