John Simon 40 Kensington Square blue plaque

Sir John Simon (10 October 1816 – 23 July 1904) was an English

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in th ...

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

and

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

officer. He was the first

Chief Medical Officer Chief medical officer (CMO) is the title used in many countries for the senior government official designated head of medical services, sometimes at the national level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of medical ...

for Her Majesty's Government from 1855–1876.

Biography

John Simon was born in London to Louis Michael Simon, a stockbroker, and Mathilde (née Nonnet). He was the sixth of Louis' fourteen children by two marriages. His medical career began in 1833 when he became an apprentice to surgeon

Joseph Henry Green Joseph Henry Green (1 November 1791 – 13 December 1863) (72 years) was an English surgeon who became the literary executor of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Life Green was the only son of Joseph Green, a prosperous merchant, and was born at the ...

and he was educated at King's College and

St Thomas' Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. It is one of the institutions that compose the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS ...

in London. In 1838 he became a

member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

. In 1845 he won the

Astley Cooper Sir Astley Paston Cooper, 1st Baronet (23 August 176812 February 1841) was a British surgeon and anatomist, who made contributions to otology, vascular surgery, the anatomy and pathology of the mammary glands and testicles, and the pathol ...

Prize for an essay entitled "Physiological Essay on the Thymus Gland"; he was elected as a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

(FRS) the same year. In the mid-19th century, the government took measures to promote

; the Public Health Act 1848 was passed and a

General Board of Health Local boards or local boards of health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate environmenta ...

was created. The same year, Simon was appointed the

Medical Officer of Health for London The medical officer of health for London was a public elected position for the city of London established in 1848. It was the second municipal position of its kind in England, the first being William Henry Duncan for Liverpool. It was soon followed ...

for the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

's commission of sewers; this was only the second health officer appointment in the country (

William Henry Duncan William Henry Duncan (27 January 1805 – 23 May 1863), also known as Doctor Duncan, was an English doctor who worked in Liverpool as its first Medical Officer of Health. Early life and career Duncan was born on Seel Street, Liverpool on 27 ...

had become Medical Officer for Health in Liverpool the previous year). He served in this position until 1855. The General Board of Health was reorganised in 1853, and Simon became the board's Chief Medical Officer in 1855. The General Board only lasted until 1858; on its dissolution, Simon's role as Chief Medical Officer transferred to the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...

. From 1867 to 1869 he was President of the

Pathological Society of London The Pathological Society of London was founded in 1846 for the "cultivation and promotion of Pathology by the exhibition and description of specimens, drawings, microscopic preparations, casts or models of morbid parts." Its first meeting was he ...

. He married, in 1848, Jane O´Meara, daughter of Deputy Commissioner-General Matthew Delaval O´Meara. Lady Simon died aged 85 in London 19 August 1901. Simon died on 23 July 1904 in London and was buried at

Ladywell Cemetery Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries (also known as Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery) were opened within one month of each other in 1858 and are sited on adjacent plots of previously open land. The two component parts are characteristic examples of the ...

Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in the London Plan as one ...

Recognition

John Simon's name as it appears on the LSHTM Frieze

Simon's name features on the Frieze of the

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a member institution of the University of London that specialises in public health and tropical medicine. The inst ...

. Twenty-three names of public health and tropical medicine pioneers were chosen to feature on the School building in Keppel Street when it was constructed in 1926.

Publications

References

;Footnotes ;Sources * *

External links

*
Sir John Simon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, John 1816 births 1904 deaths Medical doctors from London Alumni of King's College London Chief Medical Officers for England English pathologists English surgeons Fellows of King's College London Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons Fellows of the Royal Society Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Local government officers in England

Biography

Recognition

Publications

References

Further reading

External links