Cambridge, Nicholas Anthony; (2002) The life and times of Dr. Alfred Carpenter (1825-92). Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis highlights Alfred Carpenter's contribution to the public health debate from 1852-92. New sources have been used including the Croydon newspapers and Carpenter's correspondence with Edwin Chadwick and four Archbishops of Canterbury. Carpenter worked as a general practitioner in Croydon from 1852-82 and then became a consulting physician. He never became a Medical Officer of Health or hospital consultant. His interests included sewage irrigation, infectious disease and temperance. Carpenter sat on the Croydon Local Board of Health and introduced many important reforms. On the national stage he belonged to, and held office with the British Medical Association, Society of Arts, National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, the Sanitary Institute of Great Britain and the Medical Society of London. He became a friend of Edwin Chadwick. Carpenter regularly corresponded with the BMJ, Lancet. The Times and the local newspapers. Carpenter promoted sewage irrigation as the best method of sewage disposal. In 1881 he placed Croydon on the international stage when 200 members of the International Medical Congress visited the Beddington sewage farm. Carpenter continued to advance his sanitary knowledge and was awarded the Certificate of Sanitary Science from Cambridge University by examination (later called the Diploma in Public Health). He became lecturer in Public Health at Thomas's Hospital and published a book about his lectures. Carpenter was an examiner in public health for the Universities of London and Cambridge. He was an examiner for the Society of Apothecaries and sat on a Hospitals' Commission for smallpox and fever hospitals. Carpenter was medical attendant to four successive Archbishops of Canterbury. His correspondence with the Archbishops provides us with both medical and non-medical information. Carpenter had a philanthropic nature; he gave 10% of his income to the poor and held annual parties for the children from the Ragged School. He raised Testimonial funds for national and poor figures alike. Carpenter's failures were few: he was not elected on to Croydon's first School Board; he never became Croydon's Mayor or a Member of Parliament. Carpenter was never far from controversy: he was involved in two high profile court cases against him; he was burnt in effigy behind Croydon Town Hall; in Reigate he was thrown into a pond by the publicans during his abortive parliamentary campaign.

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