'Banked Blood' By Charles Drew

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Charles Drew was a pioneer in the preservation and storage of blood for transfusions. In his educational career he was the first African-American to receive a doctorate degree from Columbia University. His thesis was called "Banked Blood" which came from his research with John Scudder during which he developed methods for processing and preserving blood plasma, making it possible to dry it and reconstitute it when needed. He found that the plasma, without the solids in it, could be preserved for a longer time. During World War II Drew ran a project to collect blood for soldiers in Europe called "Blood for Britain". It was estimated that he collected about 14,500 pints of blood. Later, in 1941, as he was working with another blood drive