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

Branding and slavery imposed as the punishment for persistent vagrancy, and "foolish
pity and mercy" for vagrants condemned (1 Edw.VI, c.3).
1549 - 1559
1549 Act of Uniformity forbade the use of the Catholic Mass, and enforced the use of the
first prayer book of Edward VI. See 1559.
1551 Outbreak of "sweating sickness" began in Shrewsbury with 900 deaths within a few
days. John Caius (1510-73, physician and the second president of the Royal College of
Physicians) described the disease in a book published the next year entitled "A Boke, or
Conseill, against the Disease commonly called the Sweate, or Sweating Sicknesses". The
symptoms were sudden in onset with profuse sweating and prostration, death or recovery
occurring within 24 hours. This was the last recorded epidemic of the disease in England.
Part I of "A New Herbal" by William Turner (1510-1568, physician and botanist)
published; Parts II and III published in 1562 and 1568; marked the start of scientific botany in
England.
1552 Parishes were ordered to register their poor (5&6 Edw.VI, c.2); onus for the relief of
the poor was placed on parish councils; and the parson was to exhort his parishioners to show
charity to their neighbours. Each parish, Parliament suggested, should appoint two collectors
of alms to assist the churchwardens after service on Trinity Sunday to "gently ask and
demand of every man or woman what they of their charity will be contented to give weekly
towards the relief of the poor". The collectors had to receive the weekly payments and
distribute the money to the registered poor of the parish. See 1555 and 1562.
Refounding of St Thomas' Hospital, London (see 1106, 1215 and 1530).
Founding of Christ's Hospital (see 1530).
c.1553 Founding of Bridewell Hospital, London (see 1530-40).
1555 An Act (2&3 Phil.&Mary, c.5) empowered wealthy parishes in corporate towns to help
their poorer neighbouring parishes; extended the 1530 Act and introduced "rate in aid". See
1562.
Highways Act (2&3 Phil.&Mary, c.8) required parishioners to provide for or put in
four days labour for maintenance of highways and to appoint a "surveyor of highways" or
overseer. See 1562.
1556 The Royal College of Physicians of London started to issue licences to practise
medicine in London and for seven miles around to those not eligible to become fellows of the
College but who had passed examinations set by the College. See 1632.
1557-59 Malnutrition and epidemics of typhus and influenza followed a poor harvest in
1556. There was a high mortality due to "a threefold plague - pestilence, want of money and
dearth of victuals" (John Stowe, 1525-1605, chronicler and antiquary). There had also been
poor harvests in 1555, 1550, 1527 and 1520.
1559 Second Act of Supremacy (1 Eliz. c.1) (see 1534) repealed legislation passed during
Mary's reign and restored to the Crown jurisdiction over the Church as well as the Realm. A