An environmental pioneer

Environmental activism may be thought of as a relatively recent phenomenon. The Ultra Low Emission Zone now operating in central London is recognition of the deleterious effect on health of particulates from vehicle exhausts that has been well-established through research. In the 19th century the main air pollutant was coal smoke; yet its harmful nature was disputed – indeed some experts even claimed that by virtue of its antiseptic constituents the smoke was beneficial. It took an eminent eye surgeon and campaigning medical journalist to begin to set the record straight.

Ernest Abraham Hart, a dentist’s son, was born in Knightsbridge in 1836. After attending City of London School he began a stellar progression in the medical profession. In 1856, aged 20, he qualified from St George’s Hospital medical school, becoming a junior consultant specialising in ophthalmology at St Mary’s Hospital just two years later. And then, when still only 28, he was appointed Dean of St Mary’s. While he made some original contributions to ophthalmology, such as being the first to describe certain features of iris innervation, a meeting with the campaigner Thomas Wakley had already ignited a passion for social reform.