To celebrate the life and scientific achievements of Justus Liebig, Oxoid Limited are pleased to support the 7th annual Baron von Liebig Memorial Lecture, to be held on Friday 12 September at the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London. Hosted by the Medical Sciences Historical Society (MSHS), this year's lecture, "Liebig's transformation of the materia medica into pharmaceutical science", will be given by Dr Peter Lambert, (Reader in Microbiology, Aston University).

Baron Justus von Liebig was a pioneer of science who, in the 19th century, established a reputation as the father of modern chemistry making important contributions to research and discovery in agriculture, animal chemistry, pharmacology and food chemistry. The Liebig Extract of Meat Company (LEMCO) was formed to manufacture and sell Liebig's extract of meat. The Oxoid name was first used in 1924 by the OXO Medical Division of LEMCO and the products were sold to hospitals and laboratories. Oxoid Limited was created in 1965 and specialised in laboratory culture media.

Each Memorial Lecture focuses on a particular aspect of Baron von Liebig's scientific achievement and looks at the developments that have occurred since his time. Previous lectures have looked at medical laboratory investigations and the potential use of plants (rather than animals) as producers of antibodies. The 2003 lecture will describe how pharmaceutical science has developed from Liebig's pioneering teaching of pharmaceutical chemistry in Germany in 1824. This year's lecturer, Dr Lambert will receive the specially struck memorial medal that is presented by the MSHS, the Justus von Liebig family and the Liebig Society. Tickets for the event are £6 and can be obtained from Dr Eric Bridson, email: eybmicrox@aol.com.


ABOUT OXOID
Oxoid is a manufacturer of specialist products for routine use in hospital and other laboratories. Its main manufacturing and administrative site is located in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England is supported by a network of wholly owned sales and distribution companies in Europe, North and South America and Australia, together with prepared media production sites in Scotland, Germany, Canada and Australia. Oxoid currently employs over 700 staff in 14 countries. The Oxoid range is renowned worldwide for quality, reliability and innovation and includes dehydrated culture media, rapid diagnostic tests and other specialist products used in the detection and identification of bacteria and fungi.

THE HISTORY OF OXOID
In the 1950s the Oxoid brand became synonymous with dehydrated culture media and in 1965 Oxoid Limited was formed as a separate company within the Liebig group. In 1968 the Liebig group was acquired by Brooke Bond, which was subsequently acquired by Unilever. In 1997, following a management buy-out, Oxoid became an independent company. In July 2000, PPM Ventures, a subsidiary of Prudential Plc, became the major shareholder in Oxoid.

ABOUT THE MEDICAL SCIENCES HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Medical Sciences Historical Society (MSHS) was established in 1981 as a forum for everyone with an interest in the history of the medical laboratory. The society's interests have now widened to encompass the lives and times of medial pioneers involved in the diagnosis of disease. The objective of the Society is to further public education in the history of diagnostic medical sciences by meetings, publications and other appropriate means. The MSHS is affiliated to the British Society for the History of Medicine (BSHM) and thus provides its members access to the national and international activities of all BSHM affiliate societies, including the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. The Medical Sciences Historical Society has approximately 100 members, mainly in the UK. The society welcomes new members who are invited to contact: Mr H C Cook, MSHS Membership Secretary, 137 Seafield Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH6 3JL, UK.