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

1773 – 1779
1773 An Act (13 Geo.III, c.82) for the better Regulation of Lying-in Hospitals, and other
Places appropriated for the charitable Reception of pregnant Women; and also to provide for
the Settlement of Bastard Children, born in such Hospitals and Places.
General Turnpike Act (13 Geo.III, c.84) consolidated and amended numerous acts
referring to individual roads. Between 1760 and 1774, 452 separate private turnpike acts were
passed. See 1835.
Medical Society of London founded by JC Lettsom (see 1770).
1774 Act for Regulating Private Madhouses (14 Geo.III, c.49) followed the report of a Select
Committee of the House of Commons (published in 1763); introduced licensing, in London
by Commissioners elected by the Royal College of Physicians, and elsewhere by justices at
Quarter Sessions. The Act had many weaknesses, not least that the Commissioners had no
power to revoke licences on the grounds of ill-treatment or neglect of patients. See 1807.
Westminster General Dispensary opened in Gerrard Street, Soho, and provided
medical, surgical and midwifery services to the local poor for the next 182 years - until 1956.
John Howard (1726-90, philanthropist and prison reformer) described to the House of
Commons the appalling conditions in British prisons. His name and work are perpetuated by
the Howard League for Penal Reform. See 1777.
1775 Outbreak of the American War of Independence; continued until 1783.
1775-8 Series of Select Committees investigated poor relief and vagrancy. See 1782.
1776 "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of the Nations" by Adam Smith
(1723-90, Scottish economist) published; advised that Governments should not attempt to
control and regulate the nature and direction of economic development, although they had
important duties to protect the weaker members of society and to provide certain services,
including education, which private enterprise of its own was unlikely to offer. Smith
observed, inter alia, that "people of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment
and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some
contrivance to raise prices".
The Old Town Dispensary, Edinburgh, founded, became the Royal Public Dispensary
in 1818.
J Strutt (1726-97, cotton miller) built houses for his employees at Belper, Derbyshire.
See 1784.
1777 London and Surrey dispensaries opened, followed in 1778 by the Middlesex
dispensary.
"State of the Prisons" by John Howard (see 1775) published (third edition, 1784). See
1824.
1778 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh founded from the Guild of Surgeons, which
had been formed in 1722 from the Incorporation of Barber Surgeons (see 1505/6).
1779 First volume of "System einer Vollstandigen Medicinischen Polizey" by Johann Peter
Frank (1745-1821, professor of medicine at various continental universities, finally at