Get to Know
Alice Ball
Discover why we turned Alice into a superhero
WHO WAS ALICE BALL?
Born: 1892
Died: 1916
Occupation: Chemist
Nationality: American
Alice Augusta Ball was born in Seattle, USA, in 1892. Her love for chemistry is said to have been inspired by her grandfather, a photographer who used mercury vapors and iodine-sensitised silver plates to develop photographs.
Alice studied chemistry and her groundbreaking research focused on chaulmoogra oil, a traditional treatment for leprosy. Alice succeeded in developing a far more effective, injectable form of the oil — a major advancement in the treatment of the disease.
Tragically, she died in 1916 at just 24 years old. Due to her untimely death, Alice was unable to publish her findings and it wasn’t until years later that Alice Ball finally received recognition for her pioneering scientific contribution, now known as the Ball Method.
Died: 1916
Occupation: Chemist
Nationality: American
Alice Augusta Ball was born in Seattle, USA, in 1892. Her love for chemistry is said to have been inspired by her grandfather, a photographer who used mercury vapors and iodine-sensitised silver plates to develop photographs.
Alice studied chemistry and her groundbreaking research focused on chaulmoogra oil, a traditional treatment for leprosy. Alice succeeded in developing a far more effective, injectable form of the oil — a major advancement in the treatment of the disease.
Tragically, she died in 1916 at just 24 years old. Due to her untimely death, Alice was unable to publish her findings and it wasn’t until years later that Alice Ball finally received recognition for her pioneering scientific contribution, now known as the Ball Method.
When Alice was a girl she became fascinated with chemistry. One day in her parents photography studio, while she was treating the silver-plated copper with fumes, the chemicals surrounded her and she passed out. When she awoke she found she could absorb any natural material.
Superhero Backstory
Alice developed a leprosy treatment that the body can naturally absorb, which reduced side effects
- The background of this drawing is Homolulu. In 1915 she became the first woman and first African American to graduate with a master's degree from the College of Hawaii.
- The bubble Alice is in represents one of the side effects of chaulmoogra oil injections. The oil would clump under the skin and form blisters in perfect rows that made it look like bubble wrap. Alice's developed a technique to make the oil injectable and absorbable by the body limiting these side effects.
Superpower
Alice created an ester compound which became the preferred treatment for leprosy until the 1940s.
Why did we pick this location for Alice's card? Alice and her family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1903.
Location
SideKick
Alice's side-kick is Indira Nath. Indira is an immunologist researching the reactions and nerve damage in leprosy.
A 1917 article suggested that the cause of Alice's death may have been Chlorine poisoning.
Weakness
Each drawing we create has one or more hidden treasure(s) about our superheroes' life experiences, depictions in art, jobs or discoveries. Did you find the ones hidden in this drawing?
Discovery
We have packed a lot into our playing cards - from amazing imagined superpowers to biographical information and hidden treasures.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
What Do Chemists Do?
Check out the video about a day in the work life of a chemist. Follow Hilary Corkran's and find out where science and chemistry can take you.
Video credit: careersnz
Video credit: careersnz
find out how we use chemistry in everyday life in this great video by Binogi.
The Importance of Chemistry
What is Leprosy?
For centuries people believed that leprosy was very contagious. We now know how leprosy spreads but there is still a lot that we don't know about the disease, in this video find out how disease works.
Chemistry & Chemists
People who work in chemistry are called chemists. Chemists study the substances that make up matter. They also study the changes that take place when substances are combined. These changes are called chemical reactions.
DISCOVER MORE
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