forth. All these things upset me to such a degree that I did not want to work with them in this way anymore unless I understood them." In 1953 Gustav Born joined Bülbring in her work initiating a collaboration that became the origin of her smooth muscle group. Early on with the group, she researched the metabolism and passive electrical properties of smooth muscle. She also studied the role that serotonin plays in peristalsis in the small intestine. She innovated a double sucrose gap apparatus that she used in her experiments. Bülbring was concerned with the effect that neurotransmitters, particularly acetylcholine and adrenaline, have on smooth muscle tension. She published three papers on taeniae in 1969 which concluded that the hyperpolarisation of the membrane that can be observed following the application of adrenaline is a result of the membrane's increased permeability to chloride and potassium. Bülbring was known to have a strong respect for her colleagues and their work. She encouraged people to develop their techniques, skills and be independent scientists. She always showed great ability to obtaining funds for her work, creating relationships with charities, councils and industry partners. These capacities combined allowed for the group to build a large research group. Bülbring's influence and work throughout a 40-year span allowed the fledgling field of smooth muscle to burgeon. The techniques developed in her laboratory led to increasing knowledge of the physiology of smooth muscle, and the activities of the many scientists who spent time working with her spread her interest and enthusiasm for the in depth study of this type of tissues all over the world. Death and legacy Bülbring's work on catecholamines and on smooth muscle led to her election to the Royal Society in 1958. Her multiple successes were recognised widely for which she received a number of awards, including The Schmiedeberg-Plakette of the Deutsche Pharmakologische Gesellschaft, The Wellcome Gold Medal in Pharmacology, and honorary degrees in Groningen, Leuven and Homburg (Saar). After retiring in 1971, Bülbring worked in a laboratory at the Physiology Laboratory in Oxford. Atherosclerosis and an old ankle injury that caused her to have poor circulation to her foot led to the amputation of her leg below the knee. A septuagenarian, she had a Swiss prosthesis made and had modifications made to her car, returning to her work. When her atherosclerosis progressed and the circulation in her other leg began failing, she