Matthias Hoffmann ( 1780 – 3 April 1851) was a Canadian physician and health officer. Hoffmann was likely born in Italy. He served as a medical assistant and surgeon with the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

before settling in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

in 1811, working with prisoners of war at Melville Island. Also in 1811 he married Charlotte Mansfield, with whom he would have eight children. He left the navy in 1815 and began working in private practice. He returned to Melville Island in 1831 as one of three physicians operating a quarantine hospital during an outbreak of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

. This marked the beginning of his involvement in

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 ...

: during a later

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

outbreak he was appointed to the new role of "health warden", the duties of which "ranged from supervising the cleaning of yards to the removal of the ill to the cholera hospitals". In 1840 he was appointed health officer after the incumbent died of

typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...

. His tenure was marked by significant struggles around quarantine regulations and management of immigrants. He died in 1851 after contracting typhus from an incoming vessel. In 1843 he was given the honorary title of surgeon general to the Nova Scotia militia. He was also a founding member of the Halifax Medical Society in 1844.

References

{{reflist 1851 deaths Canadian physicians