Nathaniel Burnett Ham (1865–1954), also known as Bertie Ham was an Australian physician. He studied at Guy's in London and became a member of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

and a licentiate of the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of ph ...

in 1896. He obtained an MD from the

Université libre de Bruxelles The (French language, French, ; lit. Free University of Brussels; abbreviated ULB) is a French-speaking research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has three campuses: the ''Solbosch'' campus (in the City of Brussels and Ixelles), the ''Plain ...

in 1900. In Australia he became

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

's first commissioner of public health in 1903, in which role he did important work in the study of

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...

and its relationship with the flea. His findings were published in his ''Report on Plague in Queensland, 1900-07''. He returned to England in 1913 and after service in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

continued his career in England for the remainder of his life.M. John Thearle
"Ham, Nathaniel Burnett (Bertie) (1865–1954)"
''Australian Dictionary of National Biography'', retrieved an
archived
17 January 2012.

References

Australian public health doctors 1865 births 1954 deaths British emigrants to Australia {{Australia-med-bio-stub