Benjamin Waterhouse

Benjamin Waterhouse (March 4, 1754 – October 2, 1846) was an influential American physician, professor, and co-founder of Harvard Medical School. He is best known for being the first doctor to test the smallpox vaccine in the United States, significantly contributing to the practice of vaccination.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Benjamin Waterhouse was born in Newport, Rhode Island. He pursued his early education at the College of Rhode Island (now Brown University), where he developed an interest in medicine. Waterhouse continued his medical studies in London and Edinburgh, where he was exposed to the latest medical knowledge and practices of the time. He received his medical degree from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands in 1780.

Career[edit | edit source]

Upon returning to the United States, Waterhouse settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and began his medical practice. In 1782, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Medical School at Harvard University, where he served as the first Hersey Professor of the Theory and Practice of Physic.

Waterhouse's most notable contribution to medicine came in 1800 when he learned of Edward Jenner's work with cowpox as a means of preventing smallpox. Waterhouse obtained the vaccine matter and conducted the first vaccinations in the United States on his own children, demonstrating the vaccine's effectiveness. He became a staunch advocate for vaccination, facing both support and opposition from the medical community and the public.

Throughout his career, Waterhouse published extensively on various medical topics, including the benefits of vaccination, and engaged in public health efforts. He was a founding member of the Massachusetts Medical Society and contributed to the establishment of several medical and scientific institutions.

Later Life and Legacy[edit | edit source]

Despite his contributions to medicine and public health, Waterhouse faced professional controversies and challenges, particularly in his later years. He was eventually removed from his position at Harvard in 1812, due in part to conflicts with colleagues and his outspoken nature.

Benjamin Waterhouse died in 1846 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His pioneering work in vaccination left a lasting impact on public health and the prevention of infectious diseases. Waterhouse's advocacy and implementation of the smallpox vaccine marked a significant advancement in medical science and the practice of immunization.