Archibald Edward Garrod and Alcaptonuria: Inborn errors of metabolism revisited

Archibald Edward Garrod (1857-1936) had a unique role in the history of medical biochemistry. Early in his career, he was recognized by the Royal Society of Medicine1 for his elucidation of the disorder alcaptonuria and the resultant demonstration of the special relationship between biochemistry, genetics, and their close overlap in the practice of medicine.1 Garrod showed great interest in genetics even as a youth when he published "The Tiger."2 This brief work described in simple language the genetic significance of the interspecies mating of a tiger and a lion, suggesting the transmission of hereditary characteristics: "There has been an instance of a lion being the father and a tigress the mother of cubs ... [that] had the heads of the lion but the tigerine stripes on the body