Edward Archer (physician) facts for kids
Edward Archer (born 1718, died 1789) was an English doctor who played a big part in fighting smallpox. He was known for using a method called inoculation to protect people from this dangerous disease.
Edward Archer's Life Story
Edward Archer was born in a place called Southwark, England. He studied medicine in two famous cities: Edinburgh and Leyden. In 1746, he earned his medical degree.
In 1747, Dr. Archer became a doctor at the Smallpox Hospital in London. This hospital was special because it helped people get inoculations, even if they couldn't usually afford them. Inoculation was a way to give someone a mild form of smallpox on purpose, so they would become immune and not get the full, dangerous disease later.
Dr. Archer was quite wealthy, so he didn't need to work much as a private doctor. Instead, he spent most of his time helping people at the Smallpox Hospital. He was very dedicated to his work there. He worked at the hospital for 42 years! He even passed away inside the hospital walls on March 28, 1789, just as he had wished. After he died, other doctors like William Lister and William Woodville continued his important work at the hospital.
What Edward Archer Wrote
Edward Archer wrote a few things during his life. His main medical paper was called De Rheumatismo, which was about rheumatism. He also wrote a short note about smallpox for a French magazine in 1755.
He also wrote an introduction for a book by David Schultz. This book was about inoculation and was presented to health officials in Sweden. David Schultz was a doctor from Prussia who learned about inoculation at the Smallpox Hospital in London and then helped spread the idea in Sweden.
