 He was also known for the Black Formula, a translation of the Pignet formula to British measurements.He was born in Delting Shetland in 1913, educated at Forfar Academy, and studied medicine at the Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews, graduating with MB ChB in 1933.He conducted research into water loss and dehydration, first at Oxford University, and then at the University of Manchester, where he became professor of medicine in 1959.