Thomas Shapter LLD MD FRCP (1809–1902) was born in

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, graduated from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, and arrived in Exeter in the year

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 ...

arrived, 1832. Today, Shapter is best known for the account he wrote of this devastating cholera outbreak, entitled ''The History of the Cholera in Exeter in 1832''. He also served one term as

Mayor of Exeter This is a chronological list of the Mayors and Lord Mayors of the city of Exeter, England. The role of Mayor was granted the dignity and style of Lord Mayor by letters patent dated 1 May 2002 as the result of a competition to celebrate the G ...

Career

Shapter developed a medical practice in Exeter and was a member of the governing body of the City, the Chamber, in 1835. As Newton puts it "his early admission into the restricted governing class of a cathedral city is a measure of his personality, as well as of his political and religious orthodoxy". Such ties were further cemented by his marriage in 1840 to the Reverend Samuel Blackhall's daughter. He was later to become

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

(twice) and Sheriff of the City. He was appointed physician in 1847 at the Devon and Exeter Hospital and also worked at the Magdalen Hospital, The

Lying-in Lying-in is the term given to the European forms of postpartum confinement, the traditional practice involving long bed rest before and after giving birth. The term and the practice it describes are old-fashioned or archaic, but it used to be c ...

Charity and St Thomas' Hospital for Lunatics (1845). He led an active public life and was elected

in 1848. When cholera again posed a threat in 1867 he opposed plans to transfer the powers of the Improvement Commissioners to the

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 environment ...

under the 1858 Health Act. He appears to have still believed in the efficacy of the measures and institutions established during the 1830s. He retired from the staff of the Devon and Exeter Hospital in 1876 and later moved to London. Newton states that his departure from the city was under something of a cloud "His reputation seems to have suffered locally from the injudicious acceptance of a legacy from a mental patient under his care". In old age he went blind and died in 1902 aged 93. Apart from his famous work on cholera he also published books a number of other books which included. ''Leprosy in the Middle Ages'' and ''Climate of the South of Devon''. He was also a collector of art which he used to furnish his home at no. 1 Barnfield Crescent.

Cholera

Shapter is best known for his interest in environment and disease through his work "History of the Cholera in Exeter in 1832" which was published in 1849. This account was described in the British Medical Journal of 8 April 1933 as "one of the best descriptions extant of an historical epidemic". It is one of the longest and most thorough of the local cholera histories written and interest in it was probably enhanced by the fact that it was published in the middle of a later outbreak of the disease. The compilation of the book was far from easy as the official records had already been lost by the time Shapter began the book in the 1840s, and he was dependent upon any other sources he could locate plus the reminiscences of those who lived through the disease or were involved in its treatment or prevention. The book describes the arrival of cholera in the city, the reactions of the citizens and authorities to the disease and the efforts of the Board of Health in coping with the outbreak. The book paints a vivid picture of the local conditions which helped to foster the spread of the disease in the city. It clearly describes the problems faced by nineteenth-century towns with their inadequate administrative arrangements, organisation and financial resources in trying to cope with the cholera outbreak. One of the fascinating features of the book are the engravings provided for it by the Exeter artist John Gendall. These were added quite late on in the publication process with Shapter commenting that he was pleased to include "these interesting sketches of old parts of Exeter".

Influence

John Snow John Snow (15 March 1813 – 16 June 1858) was an English physician and a leader in the development of anaesthesia and medical hygiene. He is considered one of the founders of modern epidemiology, in part because of his work in tracing the so ...

is well known for his study of the cholera outbreak in London and his use of a map to illustrate the locality of deaths to a public water source on Broad Street. The so-called "Ghost Map" is cited as a kind of watershed moment in the history of

epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...

and to some extent also in

Information Design Information design is the practice of presenting information in a way that fosters an efficient and effective understanding of the information. The term has come to be used for a specific area of graphic design related to displaying information ...

and

GIS A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...

. The high profile of this work has led to research into the historicity of modern accounts and Thomas Shapter's influence on Snow:

References

Sources

* Graeme Barber (2004
''Thomas Shapter: The History of the Cholera in Exeter 1832 Introduction and background''
* Thomas Shapter (1849) ''The History of the Cholera in Exeter in 1832''. London: John Churchill *

(1849 1st edn) ''On the mode of communication of cholera''. London: John Churchill *

(1855 2nd edn) ''On the mode of communication of cholera''. London: John Churchill * Robert Newton (1974) ''The History of the Cholera in Exeter in 1832, by Thomas Shapter (facsimile reprint of original 1849 ed, with introduction by Robert Newton, Urban History Series, G. H. Martin, ed), SR Publishers

External links

* Ian Maxted (2001
''Exeter Working Papers in British Book Trade History; 12 A history of the book in Devon, by Ian Maxted 56: Couchers and layers: the paper industry in mid 19th century Exeter''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shapter, Thomas 1809 births 1902 deaths Medical doctors from Exeter Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Mayors of Exeter