Dr Ernest Hugh Snell

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

(1862–1940) was a 19th/20th century British barrister-at-law and Medical Officer of Health for Coventry.

Life

He took a general Science degree in London allowing him to enter the course on Medicine qualifying MB in 1889. He gained his doctorate (MD) in 1891. He received a Diploma in Public Health (DPH) from

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

in 1893. His career began as Assistant Medical Superintendent at Paddington Infirmary. He then became Ophthalmic and Obstetric Surgeon at Queen's Hospital in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. In 1897 he became

Medical Officer of Health A medical officer of health, also known as a medical health officer, chief health officer, chief public health officer or district medical officer, is the title commonly used for the senior government official of a health department, usually at a m ...

for

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

remaining in this role for the rest of his working life. In 1897 he also qualified as a barrister. In 1899 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were George Wilson, William Robert Smith, Charles Hunter Stewart and

Alexander Crum Brown Alexander Crum Brown Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (26 March 1838 – 28 October 1922) was a Scottish Organic chemistry, organic chemist. Alexander Crum Brown Road in Edinburgh's King's Buildi ...

. In 1909 he became a Captain (Physician) in the Territorial Army. He was President of the Institute of Public Health 1926/27. He retired in 1930. He died during a German air raid on Coventry on 22 October 1940 when his house at 3 Eaton Road was destroyed by an enemy bomb. He is buried in Coventry's County Borough Cemetery. A memorial plaque was erected to his memory in King's College Chapel in London.Journal of the Royal Sanitary Institute 1940

Family

His first wife died (date unknown) after the birth of their twin daughters, known affectionately as 'Dot' and 'Kiss' in the greater family (actual names unknown). He later married Mary Katharine Reid (date unknown), 'Kate', who came from Edinburgh and she became a loyal mother to his two daughters. She predeceased him at their home on the 29th January, 1939.

Publications

*''The Tenure of Office of the Medical Officer of Health'' (1904) *''Some Aspects of the Housing Problem and Town Planning'' (1908) *''The Utility of the Hospital Isolation of

Diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...

'' (1915) *''Industrial Hygiene'' (1920)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Snell, Ernest Hugh 1862 births 1940 deaths British barristers Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Deaths by German airstrikes during The Blitz British civilians killed in World War II