Joseph Adams M.D. F.L.S. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1756 (1756) |
| Died | 20 June 1818(1818-06-20) (aged 61–62) |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Medical career | |
| Institutions | St Bartholomew's Hospital Guy's Hospital St George's Hospital |
| Research | Vaccinations |
| Notable works | Observations on Morbid Poisons, Phagedaena, and Cancer |
Joseph AdamsFLS (1756 – 20 June 1818) was a Britishphysician andsurgeon.[1]
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Adams was born in 1756 to Joseph Adams (c. 1725-1783), anapothecary of Basinghall Street, London, and Susannah, daughter of Timothy Rogers.[2] His father was a rigid dissenter who, because of his religious beliefs, would not allow his son to attendOxford or Cambridge.[citation needed] He, however, received a good classical education and, having been apprenticed to his father, became a member of theSociety of Apothecaries. He studied under Dr. Pitcairn and Mr. Pott atSt Bartholomew’s, Dr. Saunders at Guy's, and Mr.John Hunter at St. George's hospitals.[3]
In 1790, he became a member of the Corporation of Surgeons, and in 1795 published a small volume on Morbid Poisons. On the basis of that work, theUniversity of Aberdeen awarded him an M.D. The following year, he left London forMadeira, where he resided for eight years, practising medicine and conducting research. He visited thelazaretto nearFunchal, and learned aboutleprosy,yaws, and other diseases. This work contributed to the second edition of his work on Morbid Poisons, which he is principally known for. He has the merit of having introduced thecowpox into Madeira.
He returned to England in 1805, and was admitted as an extra-licentiate (without examination) to the LondonRoyal College of Physicians. When Dr. Woodville died in 1806, he succeeded him as physician at the Smallpox Hospital. At this time, the practice ofvaccination was slowly recovering from numerous unfounded attacks. A general report authored under Adams' inspection and circulated by the committee of the hospital, helped remove alarm and inspire confidence. This, with a second report, was communicated to the College of Physicians, printed and circulated, and passed through thirteen editions. The produce of the sale was given to the hospital, with a net balance of cash, amounting to 1517l. 16s. 8d., being invested.
Dr. Adams believed (erroneously) that cowpox andsmallpox were the same disease. This opinion was shared by Dr.Edward Jenner. Dr. Adams drew his arguments in favour of their identity from the near resemblance of the most favourable kinds of smallpox to the cowpox, and presumptive proofs deduced from the laws of other morbid poisons, that the variolous and vaccine is the same. He contended that the character of the disease might change depending on the pustule used as a vaccine source, and that inoculations from cases of what he called pearl smallpox caused mild affections difficult to distinguish from those cowpox.
In 1804, Adams received an inheritance that allowed him to indulge his taste for study, and also philanthropy. His attachment to his profession was ardent. He delivered several lecture courses, and edited the London Medical and Physical Journal for many years.
He died on 20 June 1818, at the age of 62, following a compound fracture of the leg. He is buried inBunhill Fields, with the simple motto, "Vir Justus et bonus," inscribed on his tomb.[4] He was survived by his widow, Ann (1765/6–1838).[5]
Adams has been described by science historians as a forgotten founder ofmedical genetics and the first clinical geneticist.[4][6] In 1814, he authoredA Treatise on the Supposed Hereditary Properties of Diseases, based on years of clinical research. Adams was an early (albeit forgotten) anticipator ofevolution. AnthropologistKenneth M. Weiss has written:
Darwin and Wallace were, to the best of my knowledge, wholly unaware of Adams, though in many ways he was ahead of them in time. He had a clearer understanding of the nature of the hereditary mechanisms underpinning evolution, even if, as a physician, he did not discuss the transmutation of species.[7]
He published the following works:
Rose, Hugh James (1857)."Adams, Joseph".A New General Biographical Dictionary. Vol. 1 AA–ANS. London: B. Fellowes et al. p. 95.
