William Jopling

William Jopling (2 March 1911 – 21 August 1997) was an Italian-born British leprologist who together with D. S. Ridley proposed the Ridley-Jopling classification of leprosy, and wrote the widely read textbook Handbook of Leprosy, which had a fifth edition. He had a wide understanding of leprosy problems based on his experiences as the director of Jordan Hospital (1950–1967), a leprosy hospital in London, and wrote various articles, including on leprosy stigma.

Life

Early life He was born in Pozzuoli, near Naples, Italy, and educated at Norman Court School, New Barnet and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys, Barnet. He remained Consultant in Tropical Medicine at St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin until his retirement. He participated in a multidrug therapy trial in Malta.

Ridley-Jopling Classification The axis of classification is the degree of Lepromin reaction. Kensuke Mitsuda first reported the lepromin reaction in 1919, which is usually called the Mitsuda reaction. This reaction was completed by Fumio Hayashi.

+Ridley-Jopling ClassificationGroupLepromin ReactionLeprosy Bacilli in TissueI(Indeterminate group)-～+±～-TT2+～3+±～-BT+～2+±BB(-)～±～++BL-～±3+LL-4+

Leprosy stigma Applying Goffman's definition, he explained various instances of leprosy stigma both in Europe and in other parts of the world. The general public has many misconceptions about leprosy; health authorities have launched information campaigns stating that the disease is curable and patients on treatment are noninfectious. Various factors for stigma are present, including religions and laws. Present-day leprosy stigma will disappear with the eradication of leprosy with multidrug therapy.

Handbook of Leprosy The textbook had been widely available since its first edition in 1971. It has been translated into Spanish and Chinese.

Comments by others "He seldom initiated research, but the dependability of his clinical judgment made him an invaluable and much sought-after research partner, and for many years he was a central figure in the Hospital for Tropical Disease's leprosy research programme."

Awards Jopling and Ridley were jointly awarded the Sir Rickard Christophers Medal by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 1994.