Alice Augusta Ball (1892 – 1916) – Leprosy treatment injection
Alice Augusta Ball was the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Hawaii with a Degree in Chemistry in 1915. She subsequently secured a teaching position at the university. Ball researched the effects of chaulmoogra oil on patients suffering from leprosy, which led to the creation of the first leprosy treatment injection. She discovered a method to isolate the fatty acid components and created a water-soluble compound from the oil. The injection was widely used for over 30 years to alleviate leprosy symptoms until the introduction of sulfone drugs. Ball’s groundbreaking work helped advance medical research and relieved countless individuals suffering from leprosy.