Dr. Charles F. Code; Mayo Clinic Physiologist

Dr. Charles F. Code, 87, physiologist who first established the role of histamine in allergic reactions. His research led to the development of antihistamine medicines. Associated throughout his career with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Code went there as a child suffering from scarlet fever and then polio. Overcoming physical obstacles, the Canadian-born Code earned degrees from the University of Manitoba and the University of Minnesota and joined Mayo as a clinical fellow in 1934. During World War II, his research determined why pilots blacked out during combat maneuvers and led to development of the “G (for gravity) suit” to prevent such unconsciousness. In addition to his allergy research, Code studied the biochemical causes of ulcers, leading to the creation of drugs for treatment. After retiring from Mayo, where he helped establish the medical school in the 1970s, Code taught at UCLA and UC San Diego. On Nov. 18 in Del Mar, Calif.