John Snow (1813–1858) and Benjamin Ward Richardson (1828–1896): A Notable Friendship

The main sources of information on the life of Richardson are: the brief biography written by his daughter, Mrs George Martin, and published in his book Disciples of Aesculapius ⁶; and Sir Arthur S MacNalty's more detailed study ². For John Snow the main source is Benjamin Ward Richardson's biographical memoir, first published in Snow's book On Chloroform and Other Anaesthetics, but now more readily available in reprints of Richardson's Disciples of Aesculapius ⁶.

The death certificate of Mary Richardson (Benjamin Ward Richardson's mother) records her husband's occupation as “grazier”.

MacNalty AS . A Biography of Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson. London: Harvey and Blythe, 1950: 2–3.

Lancet, 27 July 1850: 134.

Ellis RH , ed. The Case Books of Dr John Snow. Medical History Supplement No. 14. London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1994: xiii.

Leaman A . John Snow MD — His early days. Anaesthesia 1984;39: 804.

Richardson BW . Disciples of Aesculapius. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1900: 240–1.

Richardson BW . Disciples of Aesculapius. London: Hutchinson & Co., 1900: 236.

The exact date of his move to Sackville Street is not known. However, the Medical School Library at St George's Hospital, Tooting, holds a letter written by Snow to a patient. He gives his address as 18 Sackville Street and the letter is dated 22 December 1852.

Richardson BW . (op. cit. ref. 6): 235.

Richardson BW . (op. cit. ref. 6): 235.

Snow J . Lancet, 16 February 1865, p. 184.

Snow J . BMJ, 1 August 1857, p. 654.

Richardson BW (op. cit. ref. 6): 236.

Sir D'Arcy Power, who wrote the article on John Snow for the Dictionary of National Biography, states that the Institute awarded Snow a substantial prize, but this is incorrect — see Edwards G . John Snow and the Institute of France. Med Hist 1959;3: 249–50.

Richardson BW . Vita Medica. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1897: 449.

Richardson BW . BMJ, 21 May 1859, p. 415.