Benjamin Marten facts for kids
Benjamin Marten was an English doctor who lived from about 1690 to 1752. He is remembered for a very important idea he had about how diseases spread. He lived in London, England, and came from a family with several brothers who also worked in medicine.
Contents
Benjamin Marten's Big Idea
In 1720, Benjamin Marten wrote a book called "A New Theory of Consumptions". In this book, he shared a groundbreaking idea about a serious lung disease called tuberculosis.
What Was His Theory?
Marten believed that tuberculosis was caused by "wonderfully minute living creatures." He thought these tiny creatures could lead to the damage seen in the lungs of sick people. This idea was very advanced for his time! He also suggested that people could catch the disease from others. He wrote that if you spent a lot of time very close to someone with tuberculosis, like sleeping in the same bed or eating and drinking with them, you might get sick too. He thought that just a quick chat with a sick person probably wasn't enough to catch the illness.
How Was He Right?
Marten's ideas were incredibly insightful. Even though tiny living things (like bacteria) had been seen through microscopes since 1676 by a scientist named Leeuwenhoek, people didn't yet understand that these "little animals" could cause diseases. It wasn't until much later, in 1882, that Robert Koch finally proved that a specific germ causes tuberculosis. This showed just how smart Benjamin Marten's guess was, even though he didn't have the tools to prove it himself. Today, treating tuberculosis is still a challenge for doctors around the world.
His Education and Family
Benjamin Marten likely earned his medical degree, an MD, from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in 1717.
Learning in the Past
Back in Marten's time, getting a university degree was different from today. You didn't always have to take many formal classes or pass difficult exams. Often, a degree could be given after someone recommended you, you applied for it, and you paid a fee. Records show that Benjamin Marten paid the required fee and received his diploma in December 1717.
His Family Life
Benjamin Marten had two brothers who also worked in healthcare. His brother John was a surgeon, and his brother James was an apothecary (someone who prepared and sold medicines). Benjamin married Hannah Fisher in November 1716.
