Joseph Arkwright

Sir Joseph Arthur Arkwright MA MD MRCS FRCP FRS (22 March 1864 – 22 November 1944) was a medical doctor. He was forced to give up his work due to severe dermatitis. He became a bacteriologist and from 1906 joined the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, first as a voluntary worker, then as assistant bacteriologist from 1908.

Early life and education He was born at Thurlaston, Leicestershire, England, the youngest of the five children of Arthur William Arkwright, a farmer, of Broughton Hall, Astley, Leicestershire and his wife and second cousin, Emma, daughter of John Wolley, of Beeston, Nottinghamshire. His mother died in 1866. His great-great-grandfather was Sir Richard Arkwright the inventor of textile manufacturing machinery.

He was educated at Wellington College and Trinity College, Cambridge. At Cambridge he took the natural sciences tripos in 1884–6 with zoology his major subject. He completed his medical training at St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts), London, qualifying in 1889. He died in King's College Hospital, south London.

Personal life In 1893, he married Ruth (d. 1950), daughter of Joseph William Wilson, a civil engineer. They had three daughters, two of whom became doctors.

Publications The Carrier Problem in Infectious Diseases Authors: John Charles Grant Ledingham FRS and Joseph Arkwright: Original publication c.1923