Joseph Kidd facts for kids
Joseph Kidd (born February 15, 1824 – died August 20, 1918) was an Irish doctor and author. He was also the personal physician to Benjamin Disraeli, who was a famous British Prime Minister.
Joseph Kidd's Life Story
Joseph Kidd was born in Limerick, Ireland, on February 15, 1824. He was one of at least fifteen children in his family. His father, Thomas Keane Kidd, was a merchant.
Joseph studied medicine in his hometown and then in Dublin. After his training, he moved to London to work at the Homoeopathic Hospital. However, he soon returned to Ireland. He wanted to help people suffering during the Great Famine of 1847.
After helping during the famine, Joseph Kidd went back to London. He left the Homoeopathic Hospital and stopped using homeopathic treatments. He then started his own successful medical practices. These were in Blackheath and the City of London.
In 1850, he married Sophia McKern, who was a friend from his childhood. They had eight children together. Their eldest son was Percy Marmaduke Kidd. Sophia passed away in 1872. In 1875, Joseph married Frances Octavia Rouse. They had seven more children.
Joseph Kidd continued working as a doctor until 1912, when he was almost 90 years old. He lived to be 94 and died on August 20, 1918, in Hastings, Sussex.
Joseph Kidd's Family Members
Joseph Kidd had many children and grandchildren who also achieved notable things.
- Percy Kidd (1851-1942) was a doctor, just like his father.
- Walter Aubrey Kidd FRSE (1853-1929) was also a doctor and an author.
- Eric Leslie Kidd (1889-1984) was his grandson. He was a cricketer and a director at Guinness Ltd.
- Ronald Kidd (1889-1942) was another grandson. He helped start and direct The National Council for Civil Liberties. This group is now called Liberty.
- Dorothy McCall was one of his daughters.
Joseph Kidd's Published Works
Joseph Kidd was also an author. He wrote several books and articles about medicine. Some of his notable writings include:
- Homaeopathy in Acute Diseases: Narrative of a Mission to Ireland During the Famine of 1847 (1849)
- Practical observations on diphtheria, with cases (1859)
- The laws of Therapeutics, a Sketch (1878)
- "The Last Illness of Lord Beaconsfield" (1889), which was about Benjamin Disraeli's final illness.
- Heart Disease and the Nauheim Treatment (1897)
