John William Tripe

John William Tripe (26 February 1821 – 7 April 1892) was an English physician of the Victorian era and President of the Royal Meteorological Society (1871–72).

He was educated at the Merchant Taylor's School before studying medicine at the London Hospital, where he was awarded two gold medals.

Tripe joined the Royal Meteorological Society as a young man; he was elected a Fellow in 1856, and served on the Council with a break of only a year from 1858 to his death in 1892.

Tripe's obituary was published in the British Medical Journal on 30 April 1892: "The career of Dr. Tripe, whose death at the age of 72 was announced in the British Medical Journal of 16 April, was so distinguished in its relation to the progress of hygiene that we feel it right to record some of his many claims to the esteem of the profession and the gratitude of those amongst whom he worked.

[5] On the passing of Sir Benjamin Hall's Act empowering the several districts of the metropolis to appoint medical officers of health, Dr. Tripe was elected for Hackney.

As might be anticipated, the post of medical officer of health was eagerly sought after by many of the promising young men of the day looking for a start in life when the opportunity presented by Sir Benjamin Hall's Act arrived.

He was one of the distinguished few whose labours justified the Act which created the office, and made public medicine what it is-an integral part of our internal administration.

His annual reports to his vestry were conspicuous for clearness of insight into his duties, and the faithful, efficient, and temperate manner in which his advice was set forth.

The ever-lamented Professor Parkes soon discovered his worth, and associated him in the work of the British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review.

Sir Edward Sieveking says of him: " I think all his articles would deserve reading at the present day, as they show much research and observation."

But, as we have already intimated, his great merit consisted in throwing the light of the allied science of meteorologymore especially on the problems of hygiene.