Leonard Wickenden

Leonard Wickenden (1886–1959) was a British-American chemist and organic farmer.

Biography

Wickenden was born in England. He was educated at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London. He graduated in 1906 and from 1908-1911 was an assistant chemist for Huntley & Palmers in Reading, Berkshire. His book Our Daily Poison (1955) was concerned about the effects of DDT, fluorides, hormones and other chemicals being used in agriculture, animal husbandry and the public water supply. It condemned the use of spraying fruits and vegetables with insecticides as a danger to health and the environment. The book was written seven years before Rachel Carson's famous Silent Spring in 1962.

Selected publications

Make Friends With Your Land: A Chemist Looks at Organiculture (1949) Gardening with Nature: How to Grow Your Own Vegetables Fruits and Flowers by Natural Methods (1954) Our Daily Poison: The Effects of DDT, Fluorides, Hormones, and Other Chemicals on Modern Man (1955)