A Chronology of State Medicine, Public Health, Welfare and Related ...

1903 Cont - 1904
1903 cont Institute of Hygiene, founded for the advancement of knowledge of hygiene and
for establishing a museum of hygiene. In 1937 the Institute amalgamated with the Royal
Institute of Public Health (see 1897).
Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928, town planner and founder of the Garden City
Association) began the development of the first garden city at Letchworth, Hertfordshire. See
1906.
Workers Education Association founded.
School of Sociology and Social Economics established by the Charity Organisation
Society to train social workers; later absorbed into the London School of Economics.
University of Liverpool founded.
Emmeline Pankhurst (1857-1928) formed the Women's Social and Political Union.
The Wright brothers, Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur (1867-1912), American aviators,
made the first powered, sustained and controlled flight in an aeroplane, which they had
designed and built at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA.
Income tax was one shilling and three pence in the pound.
1904 Report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Physical Deterioration, Cd.2175,
(chairman, A Fitzroy) made recommendations on a wide spectrum of health matters, many of
which were gradually implemented during the next fifty years. These included the
appointment of full-time medical officers of health in all areas above a certain size of
population, to be dismissed only with the consent of the Local Government Board; the Board
to fix standards of purity for all food and drinks; registration of stillbirths; health visitors to
be appointed in every authority; periodic medical examination of all school children; defining
standards of overcrowding; enforcement of the laws against smoke pollution; health
education classes in schools, including instruction about the effects of alcohol; and the
provision by local authorities of meals for school children.
Departmental Committee (Scotland) on Poor Law Medical Relief and the Rules and
Regulations for the Management of Poor Houses expressed satisfaction with the larger
poorhouse hospitals; recommended that the sick should always be in a building separate from
the rest of the poorhouse; and that nursing by paupers should be abolished.
Royal Commission on the Relations of Human and Animal Tuberculosis issued an
interim report containing the statement that "after duly considering the matter, we came to the
conclusion that it would be desirable not to begin the inquiry by taking evidence, that is to
say, by collecting the opinions of others (though this might be desirable at a later stage) but to
tackle the problem laid before us by conducting experimental investigations of our own". To
this end the Commission was later provided with money from public funds to employ
scientific staff. The Commission remained active for 10 years. See 1907.
Diphtheria toxoid used for the first time.
WL Mackenzie (1862-1935, later Sir Leslie) appointed medical member of the Local
Government Board for Scotland.
Death of Sir John Simon (see 1848).
"The Psychopathology of Everyday Life", by Sigmund Freud (see 1900), published.
"The Medical Inspection of School Children: A Textbook for Medical Officers of
Schools, Medical Officers of Health, School Managers and Teachers", by WL Mackenzie and
E Matthew, published.
University of Leeds founded.
Trinity College, Dublin, conferred BA and MA degrees on women who had passed the