The public health a public question. First report of the Metropolitan Sanitary Association on the chief evils affecting the sanitary condition of the metropolis, with suggestions for their removal; and containing the proceedings of the public meeting held at Freemason's Hall, Feb. 6th, 1850.

  • Metropolitan Sanitary Association (London, England)
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The public health a public question. First report of the Metropolitan Sanitary Association on the chief evils affecting the sanitary condition of the metropolis, with suggestions for their removal; and containing the proceedings of the public meeting held at Freemason's Hall, Feb. 6th, 1850. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    all agencies inimical to the well-being of men might be removed. He spoke only of their physical state. It could not be too powerfully brought to mind, nor too often impressed upon all public bodies, that everything like withholding light, water, air, or ventilation, was so seriously sub¬ versive of the health of mankind, that, to pass an act to promote their health, yet leaving restrictions on these, was little less than absurd. A life spent in attempting to check disease so engendered was compara¬ tively useless. It was almost as hopeless as the attempt to keep a cul¬ lender filled with water. There was a numerous staff of medical officers employed under the Poor Law for the mitigation of the physical ailments under which the poor suffered, and Government had with considerable liberality proposed to contribute one half the amount of the salaries paid for that purpose, in order to secure increased and efficient regard to the welfare of the poor. Mr. Lord contended, on behalf of the Association, that in the metropolis the money thus contri¬ buted by Government had not been applied to the purposes for which it was intended, namely, an increase in the salaries, and greater efficiency of, the medical officers ;—that the Government would do well to consider how far the public interests required that the sum thus ad¬ vanced (amounting for the metropolis to £5000) should be withdrawn from the boards of guardians, and the comparatively useless work of curative medicine, and be transferred to the General Board of Health, to be expended by them on the same men, or in a similar way, but in the work of 'preventive medicine. Mr. Lord illustrated how much benefit could be conferred on society by the work of prevention, which would year by year lighten the labours of curative medicine; while curative appliances, without measures of prevention, were interminable in their operation, and comparatively hopeless in their results. The Earl of Carlisle then said,—I am sure I need not inform you that all the members of the General Board of Health have listened with great attention and great interest to the statements they have had brought before them. With regard to myself individually, as I bear rather a triple character with reference to these matters—being a member of your own Association, a member of the General Board of Health, and also a member of the Government, I find my own discretion somewhat fettered, and that it is my business more to receive and listen to your statements and suggestions, than at the present moment to give any myself. However, I please myself with thinking that the