The Ball Method explained — The leprosy challenge

In the early 20th century, leprosy (Hansen's disease) was feared and led to isolation. Chaulmoogra oil was used historically but was too thick and unpleasant for effective injection. Alice Ball solved this by chemically modifying the oil to make it soluble and injectable.

Alice Ball's innovation

Ball used a chemical process — esterification — to convert fatty acids from chaulmoogra oil into ethyl esters that were soluble and injectable. Main steps:

• Extraction: isolate the fatty acids from the oil
• Esterification: convert acids to ethyl esters with alcohol
• Purification: obtain a pure, soluble, injectable compound
• Preparation: formulate for intramuscular injection