Thomas Christie (physician) facts for kids

Thomas Christie (born 1772 or 1773 – died 1829) was a Scottish doctor. He is famous for his important work in Ceylon (which is now Sri Lanka). He helped introduce and spread the vaccination against smallpox, a very dangerous disease.

A Doctor's Journey

Thomas Christie was born in a place called Carnwath in Scotland. After studying at the University of Aberdeen, he became a surgeon. He joined the East India Company, which was a big trading company. In 1797, he was sent to Trincomalee in Ceylon.

By 1800, Thomas Christie became a leader for military hospitals. Soon after, he was put in charge of smallpox hospitals in Ceylon. He worked hard to bring vaccination to the island in 1802. This new method slowly replaced an older one called inoculation.

Christie also served during the Candian War in 1803. He spent many years improving medical care across Ceylon. In February 1810, he returned home from the East. He then earned his M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree from Aberdeen.

Fighting Smallpox

Later in 1810, Christie became a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians. This meant he was allowed to practice medicine. He started his own practice in Cheltenham. In 1811, he wrote a book about his work in Ceylon. This book explained how vaccination was brought to the island.

Before vaccination, smallpox was a huge problem in Ceylon. In 1799 and 1800, the disease spread widely. People would leave their villages and the sick behind. Christie once found huts ruined by wild animals. These animals had eaten food and even some bodies. An older method called inoculation was used, but it didn't stop the outbreaks. Many local people did not like this method.

It was hard to get the vaccine at first. But then, active vaccine material arrived from Bombay. It had come all the way from an English surgeon in Baghdad. Christie quickly started vaccinating people. With great care and effort, he spread the practice across the island. By 1806, smallpox was almost gone from Ceylon. It only remained in one area where many visitors kept bringing the disease.

During his work, Christie made an important discovery. He noticed that people with leprosy could still get smallpox. But he found that vaccination protected them. He also saw that vaccinating people with leprosy was safe.

In 1813, a friend named Sir Walter Farquhar helped Christie. Christie became a special doctor to the Prince Regent, who later became King George IV. Thomas Christie continued his medical practice in Cheltenham until he passed away on October 11, 1829.

Images for kids

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  A leader and a Buddhist priest from the Kingdom of Kandy (1821)

See also

• History of smallpox
• British Ceylon