William (Bill) Liley received his MB ChB from Otago University, Dunedin (New Zealand), in 1954. Under the guidance of the neurophysiologist Professor J C Eccles (1903–97), he carried out major research on neuromuscular transmission, both as an undergraduate at Otago University and as a postgraduate at the Australian National University at Canberra. In 1957 Bill Liley switched to research in obstetrics at the Women's National Hospital at Auckland in New Zealand. He refined the diagnostic procedure for rhesus haemolytic disease of the newborn and was able to predict its severity. Liley developed the technique of intrauterine transfusion of rhesus-negative blood for severely affected fetuses and led the team that carried out the first successful fetal transfusions in the world. He was a passionate advocate of the medical and societal rights of the unborn child.
References
1.
LileyAlbert William. Obituary. New Zealand Medical Journal1983;96:631–2.
2.
Biography of John Carew Eccles. In: Nobel Lectures Physiology or Medicine 1963–1970.Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing Company, 1972: pp. 28–31.
3.
LileyAWNorthKAKAn electrical investigation of effects of repetitive stimulation on mammalian neuromuscular junction. Journal of Neurophysiology1953;16:509–27.
4.
Volume 29.
5.
BrockLGCoombsJSEcclesJCThe recording of potentials from motoneurones with an intracellular electrode. Journal of Physiology (London)1952;117:431–60. In New Zealand Eccles met the philosopher Karl Popper (1902–94) and was strongly influenced by his ideas on the relationship of the scientist to hypotheses. This helped Eccles in many ways, one of which was to view the falsification of a cherished theory as part of the progress of science (see also ref. 2).
6.
CoombsJSEcclesJCFattP. The specific ionic conductances and the ionic movements across the motoneuronal membrane that produce the inhibitory post-synaptic potential. Journal of Physiology (London)1955;130:326–73. Sir John Eccles was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1963, a prize shared with Alan Lloyd Hodgkin (1914–98) and Andrew Fielding Huxley (1917–).
7.
del CastilloJKatzB. Quantal components of the end-plate potential. Journal of Physiology (London)1954;124:560–73. Sir Bernard Katz received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1970, a prize shared with Ulf Svante von Euler (1905–83) (Sweden) and Julius Axelrod (1912–2004) (USA).
8.
LileyAWAn investigation of spontaneous activity at the neuromuscular junction of the rat. Journal of Physiology (London)1956;132:650–66.
9.
LileyAWThe quantal components of the mammalian end-plate potential. Journal of Physiology (London)1956;133:571–87.
10.
LileyAWThe effects of presynaptic polarization on the spontaneous activity at the mammalian neuromuscular junction. Journal of Physiology (London)1956;134:427–43.
11.
LileyAWSpontaneous release of transmitter substance in multiquantal units. Journal of Physiology (London)1957;136: 595–605.
12.
GreenGHWilliam Liley and fetal transfusion: A perspective in fetal medicine. Fetal Therapy1986;1:18–22.
13.
DedeJALileyAWPlentlAAVascular studies of the conceptus in the macaque. Surgical Forum1965;16:400–2.
14.
CareyHMLileyAWThe assessment of the risk of intrauterine death in pre-eclampsia. New Zealand Medical Journal1959;58:450–60.
15.
CareyHMLileyAWThe optimal time for induction in pre-eclampsia. New Zealand Medical Journal1959;58:460–6.
16.
LileyAWDiagnosis and treatment of erythroblastosis in the fetus. In: LevineSZ, ed. Advances in Paediatrics. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publishers Inc., 1968: vol. 15, pp. 29–63.
17.
BevisDCABlood pigments in haemolytic disease of the newborn. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the British Empire1956;63:68–75.
18.
WalkerAHCLiquor amnii studies in the prediction of haemolytic disease of the newborn. British Medical Journal1957;ii:376–8.
19.
LileyAWLiquor amnii analysis in the management of the pregnancy complicated by rhesus sensitization. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology1961;82:1359–70.
20.
LileyAWErrors in the assessment of hemolytic disease from amniotic fluid. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology1963;86:485–94.
21.
LileyAWThe development of the idea of fetal transfusion. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology1971;111:302–4.
22.
Unfortunately the name of the English geneticist was lost when, in 1964, the visitors' book went missing during the shift of the department from the 39th General Hospital of the United States Army to the present hospital. Liley regretted deeply the loss (op. cit. ref. 12).
23.
LileyAWIntrauterine transfusion of foetus in haemolytic disease. British Medical Journal1963;ii:1107–9.
24.
GreenGHLileyAWLigginsGCThe place of foetal transfusion in haemolytic disease. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology1965;5:53–9.
25.
LileyAWThe administration of blood transfusions to the foetus in utero. Triangle1966;7:184–9.
26.
FredaVJGormanJGPollackW. Rh factor: Prevention of isoimmunization and clinical trial on mothers. Science1966;151:828–30.
27.
ClarkeCADonohoeWTAMcConnellRBFurther experimental studies on the prevention of Rh haemolytic disease. British Medical Journal1963;i:979–84.
28.
KinnockSLileyAWThe performance of an anti D immunoprophylaxis scheme. New Zealand Medical Journal1974;80:337–43.
29.
LileyAWA perspective of Rh haemolytic disease. Modern Medicine of New Zealand1976;9:23–8.
30.
ColemanRJLileyAWPinderLWoodfieldDGFree antibody after low dose Rh immunoprophylaxis. New Zealand Medical Journal1982;95:449–51.
31.
KinnockSLileyAWThe epidemiology of severe haemolytic disease of the newborn. New Zealand Medical Journal1970;71:76–83.
32.
LileyAWThe foetus as a personality. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry1972;6:99–105. Reprinted in Fetal Therapy 1986;1:8–17.
33.
LileyAWDevelopment of the tiniest humans. In: SassoneRL, ed. The Tiniest Humans. Library of Congress No 77–7681 1, 1977. The book was written and edited by RL Sassone from transcription notes of testimonies given by Professor Jerome Le Jeune and Professor Sir William Liley to: Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments of the Committee on the Judiciary. US Senate, 93rd Congress, 2nd Session, 7 May 1974. Also to the Royal Commission on Contraception, Sterilization and Abortion, New Zealand, 1977. See also reference 34.
34.
SassoneRLAlbert William Liley: 1929–1983 In: SassoneRL, ed. The Tiniest Humans. 2nd edn. Stafford, VA: American Life League, 1995.
35.
LileyAWAcquired mental retardation of fetal and perinatal origin. Pontificiae Academiae Scientiarum Scripta Varia1981;47:21–8. In the Vatican library the catalogue reference for the report of the Working Group on Mental Deficiency is: Sezione MAG, Fondo STAMPATI, Collocazione R.G. Scienze. IV.1905 (47).
36.
ScottJLileyAlbert WilliamSir. Obituary. In: 1997 Yearbook of the Academy Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand: A bibliography is included. The article was read in September 2003. See http://www.rsnz.org/directory/yearbooks/ybook97/obitLiley.html.
37.
Registration of death of Albert William Liley at Auckland, New Zealand. Died 15 June 1983, registered 22 June 1983, Folio no. 7077.
