Henry Jones Shrapnell

Henry Jones Shrapnell (1792-1834) was an English anatomist. For a period of time during his career he was a colleague to Edward Jenner (1749-1823), creator of the vaccine for smallpox.

Shrapnell is remembered for his pioneer work in otology. He was the first to correctly describe the tympanic membrane. He divided the membrane into two parts; the pars tensa (tense portion) and the pars flaccida (flaccid portion). In 1830 he published his findings in the London Medical Gazette in an article called On the Form and Structure of Tympani Membrane. Today the flaccid portion of the tympanic membrane is known as Shrapnell's membrane. He also published works concerning his research on nerves of the ear and the anatomy of the incus.

Reference:
 * Short Biography of Henry Jones Shrapnell