David Davies (physician)

David Davies (1792-1841) was a Welsh physician known for his work on pulmonary tuberculosis and the health of the working class in London.

Davies was born in Llandyfriog, Cardiganshire. He studied medicine at Guy's Hospital in London, and subsequently qualified as a physician.

He gained recognition for his research on tuberculosis, publishing his findings in Lectures on the Diseases of the Lungs and Heart (1835). This work was significant in its time for providing detailed clinical observations and attempting to understand the pathology of the disease.

Beyond his contributions to medical science, Davies was also deeply concerned about social conditions. He conducted extensive research into the health and living conditions of the working class population of London, focusing particularly on poverty, sanitation, and occupational hazards. His findings highlighted the detrimental effects of these conditions on public health and contributed to the growing awareness of the need for social reform. His publications shed light on the squalor and disease rampant amongst the poor, and provided evidence for the link between social and environmental factors and ill health.

David Davies's work contributed both to the understanding of pulmonary diseases and to the burgeoning public health movement in 19th-century Britain. He died in 1841 at the relatively young age of 49.