*** Welcome to piglix ***

Charles V. Chapin


Charles Value Chapin, M.D. (January 17, 1856 – January 31, 1941) was an American pioneer in public health research and practice during the Progressive Era. He was superintendent of health for Providence, Rhode Island between 1884 and 1932. He also served as President of the American Public Health Association in 1927. His main fields of operation were working in the bacteriological laboratory, organizing public health measures, and publicizing urgent public health needs. His popular reputation came from his strong attacks on popular misconceptions, such as that filth caused disease; that diseases were indiscriminately transmitted through the air, often accompanied by bad smells; and that disinfection was a cure-all for many sanitary evils.

His scientific observations on the nature of the spread of infectious disease gained widespread support. His book, The Sources and Modes of Infection, influenced physicians and public health officials across United States and Europe by demonstrating the central importance of the human carrier who does not have the symptoms of the disease but carries the germs and spreads it. He ignored the public health implications of pollution in the air and water supply, and hazardous chemicals, because germs were not involved.

He was born in Providence, on January 17, 1856. He attended Mowry and Goff School then Brown University. He received his medical education at Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York. He began his medical practice in 1880, but did not have a warm bedside manner. He was drawn more toward theory and statistics. He became the superintendent of health for Providence, in 1884.

He also served as president of the American Public Health Association in 1927. In 1928 he was awarded the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences. He received the first Sedgwick Memorial Medal in 1929. He retired as superintendent of health in 1932.


...
Wikipedia

...