# Joseph Warwick Bigger

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Irish politician and academic (1891–1951)

Joseph Warwick Bigger Bigger at Trinity College, c. 1946 Senator In office 22 November 1947 – 17 August 1951 Constituency Dublin University Personal details Born (1891-09-11)11 September 1891 Belfast, Ireland Died 17 August 1951(1951-08-17) (aged 59) County Dublin, Ireland Party Independent Spouse Patricia Curtin ​ (m. 1916)​ Children 2 Parent Edward Coey Bigger (father) Alma mater Trinity College Dublin Occupation Politician, Academic

**Joseph Warwick Bigger** (11 September 1891 – 17 August 1951) was an Irish politician and academic. He was an [independent](/source/Independent_politician_(Ireland)) member of [Seanad Éireann](/source/Seanad_%C3%89ireann) from 1947 to 1951.

Bigger was born on 11 September 1891 in [Belfast](/source/Belfast), Ireland. His parents were Sir [Edward Coey Bigger](/source/Edward_Coey_Bigger) and Maude Coulter Warwick.[1] In 1900, his family moved to Dublin due to appointment of his father as medical inspector under the Local Government Board of Ireland. He attended [Presbyterian College](/source/Presbyterian_College) in North Carolina and later, [Trinity College Dublin](/source/Trinity_College_Dublin). Soon after his graduation from the Trinity College, he was appointed as a demonstrator in pathology and bacteriology at [Sheffield University](/source/Sheffield_University) in South Yorkshire, England. However, in 1919 he returned to Dublin and became pathologist and medical inspector under the Local Government Board and the professor of forensic and preventive medicine at the [Royal College of Surgeons](/source/Royal_College_of_Surgeons_in_Ireland) in 1920.[2][3] He served as the professor of preventive medicine and bacteriology at Trinity College from 1924 to 1950.[4] In 1936, Bigger was appointed dean of the medical school at Trinity College where he served until 1939.[5] In 1950 he was elected an honorary fellow of [Trinity College Dublin](/source/Trinity_College_Dublin).[6]

He was first elected to the Seanad at a [by-election](/source/By-election) on 22 November 1947 by the [Dublin University constituency](/source/Dublin_University_(constituency)).[7] The vacancy was caused by the appointment of [T. C. Kingsmill Moore](/source/T._C._Kingsmill_Moore) as a judge of the [High Court](/source/High_Court_(Ireland)). He was re-elected at the 1948 election. He did not contest the 1951 election.[7]

It was in trying to replicate research carried out by Bigger at [Trinity College Dublin](/source/Trinity_College_Dublin) that the Scottish scientist [Alexander Fleming](/source/Alexander_Fleming) accidentally discovered penicillin.[8]

He is credited with being the first to report the phenomenon of bacterial [antibiotic persistence](/source/Persister_cells).[9]

He married Patricia Mai Curtin in 1916; and they had one son and one daughter.[5] Bigger died on 17 August 1951, aged 59.[2]

## Bibliography

- 1935 – *Handbook of bacteriology for students and practitioners of medicine*[10][11]

- 1941 – *Man Against Microbe*[12]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Frank MacDermot](/source/Frank_MacDermot), *The Casement Papers*, [The Times](/source/The_Times), 30 September 1967

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dib_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dib_2-1) Dempsey, Pauric J. ["Bigger, Joseph Warwick"](https://www.dib.ie/biography/bigger-joseph-warwick-a0656). *[Dictionary of Irish Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_Irish_Biography)*. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["University Senators"](https://www.tcd.ie/about/senators/). *Trinity College Dublin*. Retrieved 7 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Obituary"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2162218). *British Medical Journal*. **1** (4249): 740. 13 June 1942. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1136/bmj.1.4249.740](https://doi.org/10.1136%2Fbmj.1.4249.740). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [2162218](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2162218).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-rcp_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-rcp_5-1) Richard R Trail. ["Joseph Warwick Bigger"](http://munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk/Biography/Details/389). *Royal College of Physicians*. Retrieved 7 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Webb, D.A. (1992). J.R., Barlett (ed.). *Trinity College Dublin Record Volume 1991*. Dublin: Trinity College Dublin Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-871408-07-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-871408-07-5).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-oireachtas_db_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-oireachtas_db_7-1) ["Joseph Warwick Bigger"](https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Joseph-Warwick-Bigger.S.1947-11-22/). *Oireachtas Members Database*. Retrieved 22 January 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** McNally, Frank. ["Did 'divine intervention' on Merrion Street lead to a cure for leprosy?"](https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-irish-diary/2026/01/16/did-divine-intervention-on-merrion-street-lead-to-a-cure-for-leprosy/). *Irish Times*. Retrieved 16 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Bigger, Joseph W. (14 October 1944). ["Treatment Of Staphylococcal Infections With Penicillin By Intermittent Sterilisation"](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673600742103). *The Lancet*. Originally published as Volume 2, Issue 6320. **244** (6320): 497–500. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/S0140-6736(00)74210-3](https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS0140-6736%2800%2974210-3). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0140-6736](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0140-6736).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Bibliographic Detail"](https://nationallibrary.gov.in/showdetails.php?id=657548). *National Library of India*. Retrieved 7 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Stanford University Libraries"](https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/10887552). Retrieved 7 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Man Against Microbe"](http://explorer.opensyllabusproject.org/text/3769183). *The Open Syllabus Explorer*. Retrieved 7 March 2016.

v t e « 4th Seanad « Members of the 5th Seanad (1944–1948) » 6th Seanad » Cathaoirleach Seán Goulding (FF) Leader of the Seanad William Quirke (FF) Administrative Panel Andrew Clarkin (FF) Seán Goulding (FF) Michael Hayes (FG) Denis Healy (FF) Michael Hearne (FF) James McGee (Ind) Thomas Ruane (FF) Agricultural Panel Patrick Baxter (CnaT) John Counihan (Ind) Daniel Hogan (FF) Edmund Horan (CnaT) Patrick Kehoe (FF) Dominick MacCabe (Ind) William O'Callaghan (FG) Timothy O'Donovan (FG) Patrick O'Reilly (FF) William Quirke (FF) Gerard Sweetman (FG) Cultural and Educational Panel Patrick Doyle (FG) Louis O'Dea (FF) Seán O'Donovan (FF) Patrick J. O'Reilly (Ind) James Parkinson (FG) Industrial and Commercial Panel Thomas Condon (Ind) Daniel Corkery (FF) James Crosbie (FG) Tadhg Crowley (FF) James G. Douglas (Ind) Luke Duffy (Lab) Peter Trainor Kelly (Ind) Seán MacEllin (FF) David Madden (FG) Labour Panel John Butler (FG) Thomas Hayden (Lab) James Johnston (Ind) John Thomas Keane (Ind) Thomas Kennedy (Lab) Sam Kyle (Lab) Peter Lynch (Ind) John Meighan (CnaT) Seán Ruane (Ind) Michael Smyth (Ind) James Tunney (Lab) Dublin University William Fearon (Ind) Joseph Johnston (Ind) T. C. Kingsmill Moore (Ind) National University Henry Barniville (FG) Helena Concannon (FF) Michael J. Ryan (Ind) Nominated by the Taoiseach Seán Campbell (Lab) Robert Farnan (FF) Thomas Foran (Lab) T. V. Honan (FF) Sir John Keane (Ind) Margaret L. Kennedy (FF) William Magennis (Ind) Liam Ó Buachalla (FF) Pádraic Ó Máille (FF) Margaret Mary Pearse (FF) Matthew Stafford (FF) Elected or nominated later 1945 Frederick Summerfield (Ind) 1946 Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha (Ind) Frederick Hawkins (Ind) Edward Pakenham (Ind) 1947 Joseph Warwick Bigger (Ind) FF: Fianna Fáil FG: Fine Gael CnaT: Clann na Talmhan Lab: Labour Party Ind: Independent

v t e « 5th Seanad « Members of the 6th Seanad (1948–1951) » 7th Seanad » Cathaoirleach Timothy O'Donovan (FG) Leader of the Seanad Michael Hayes (FG) Administrative Panel John Finan (CnaT) Patrick Fitzsimons (Ind) Seán Goulding (FF) Michael Hearne (FF) James McGee (Ind) Margaret Mary Pearse (FF) Jeremiah Ryan (FG) Agricultural Panel Patrick Baxter (CnaT) Robert Malachy Burke (Lab) John Counihan (Ind) Seán Gibbons (FF) William O'Callaghan (FG) Timothy O'Donovan (FG) Martin O'Dwyer (Ind) Patrick O'Reilly (FF) Martin Quinn (Ind) William Quirke (FF) James Tunney (Lab) Cultural and Educational Panel Michael Hayes (FG) Cecil Lavery (FG) Frank Loughman (FF) Liam Ó Buachalla (FF) Thomas J. O'Connell (Lab) Industrial and Commercial Panel Joseph Brennan (Ind) Denis Burke (FG) Andrew Clarkin (FF) James Crosbie (FG) Henry Morgan Dockrell (FG) Luke Duffy (Lab) T. V. Honan (FF) Peter Lynch (Ind) Frederick Summerfield (Ind) Labour Panel Richard Anthony (Ind) John Butler (FG) Seán Campbell (Lab) Michael Colgan (Ind) Andrew Fogarty (FF) Frederick Hawkins (Ind) Seán Hayes (FF) John Meighan (CnaT) J. T. O'Farrell (Lab) Seán Ruane (Ind) Michael Smyth (Ind) Dublin University Joseph Warwick Bigger (Ind) William Fearon (Ind) William Bedell Stanford (Ind) National University of Ireland Henry Barniville (FG) Helena Concannon (FF) George O'Brien (Ind) Nominated by the Taoiseach George C. Bennett (FG) Eleanor Howard (Lab) James G. Douglas (Ind) Denis Ireland (CnaP) Patrick McCartan (CnaP) James J. McCrea (Lab) Edward McGuire (Ind) Séamus O'Farrell (Ind) Edward Richards-Orpen (Ind) Edmund Sweetman (FG) Patrick Woulfe (Ind) Elected or nominated later 1950 Mary Davidson (Lab) FF: Fianna Fáil FG: Fine Gael CnaP: Clann na Poblachta CnaT: Clann na Talmhan Lab: Labour Party Ind: Independent

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joseph Warwick Bigger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Warwick_Bigger) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Warwick_Bigger?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.