Sydney Arthur Monckton Copeman K.St.J FRS FRCP (21 February 1862 – 11 April 1947) was a British medical doctor and senior medical officer in the

Ministry of Health Ministry of Health may refer to: Note: Italics indicate now-defunct ministries. * Ministry of Health (Argentina) * Ministry of Health (Armenia) * Australia: ** Ministry of Health (New South Wales) * Ministry of Health (The Bahamas) * Ministry of ...

. He was the eldest son of Rev Arthur Charles Copeman, Vicar of St Andrew's Norwich. He was educated at Norwich School and

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th century ...

from which he graduated in 1882. He went on to undergo medical training at

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 Foun ...

, London, qualifying in 1886. He obtained a post-graduate MD at Cambridge University in 1890. In 1891 he became a medical inspector with the Local Government Board. In 1898, he was awarded the

Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh The Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh is awarded by the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine to a person who has made any highly important and valuable addition to Practical Therapeutics in the previous five ye ...

. When the Ministry of Health replaced the board in 1919, Copeman became a medical officer with the ministry, retiring in 1925. He was an authority on vaccination, and is credited with the development of glycerinated lymph. In 1898 he delivered the

Milroy Lecture The Milroy Lectures are given on topics in public health, to the Royal College of Physicians, London. They were set up by money left by Gavin Milroy, who died in 1886. List of lectures To 1900 *1888 Robert Lawson, ''Epidemic Influences'' *1889 J ...

on ''Vaccination – Its Natural History and Pathology'', published as a book in the following year. and was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1899. In 1903 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1925 was awarded the

Edward Jenner Medal The Edward Jenner Medal is awarded occasionally by the Royal Society of Medicine to individuals who have undertaken distinguished work in epidemiological research. The award was founded in 1896 by the Epidemiological Society of London (1850–190 ...

of the Royal Society of Medicine. Following his retirement from the Ministry of Health, Copeman entered local government. He was a member of

Hampstead Borough Council Hampstead was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in London, England. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, governed by an administrative vestry. The parish was included in the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Boa ...

, where he was chairman of the public health committee, and was elected to the London County Council as a Municipal Reform Party councillor representing

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

in 1934. He died in Hove,

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

, in April 1947, aged 85. Copeman's son

W. S. C. Copeman William Sidney Charles Copeman (1900 – 24 November 1970) was a British rheumatologist and a medical historian, best remembered for his contributions to the study of arthritic disease. As a rheumatologist, Copeman was influential in the ...

became a prominent rheumatologist and

medical historian The medical history, case history, or anamnesis (from Greek: ἀνά, ''aná'', "open", and μνήσις, ''mnesis'', "memory") of a patient is information gained by a physician by asking specific questions, either to the patient or to other peo ...

. He had married Ethel Margaret Boord, daughter of Sir Thomas William Boord. They had one son and two daughters.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Copeman, Sydney Arthur Monckton Knights of Grace of the Order of St John Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians 1862 births 1947 deaths Members of London County Council People educated at Norwich School Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Municipal Reform Party politicians Members of Hampstead Metropolitan Borough Council