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

Final Report of the Royal Commission on the Health of the Metropolis.
The Board of Supervision in Scotland issued rules governing the medical relief of the
poor; all poor persons in need of medical relief were to be punctually attended by a
competent medical practitioner, supplied with medicines, and be furnished with nutritious
diet, cordials, clothing, suitable lodging and sick-bed attendance as may be necessary. For
England and Wales, see 1860.
Dr (later Sir) John Simon (1816-1904, then lecturer in pathology at St Thomas's
Hospital Medical School) appointed medical officer of health to the City of London under the
City Sewers Act (see above). See 1855.
"Lectures on the Diseases of Infancy and Childhood", by Charles West (1816-98,
physician at St Bartholomew's Hospital and later the Hospital for Sick Children, London),
published.
1848 Cont - 1850
1848 cont St John's House, Blandford Square, London, established by the Church of
England for the training of nurses using London hospitals for practical experience.
Elizabeth Jesser Reid (1789-1866) arranged lectures for women in a house in Bedford
Square, London, which in the following year became The Ladies College, and later Bedford
College, London University.
Karl Marx (1818-83) and Friedrich Engels (1820-95) published "The Communist
Manifesto"; and in 1867 the first volume of "Das Kapital" was published.
1849 Cholera epidemic reached its peak in the week ending 15th September, when 3,183
deaths were reported in London.
Nuisances Removal and Diseases Prevention Act (12&13 Vict., c.111) extended the
powers of the 1848 Public Health Act (1848, c.63) and the previous act (1848, c.123) and
brought the state of burial grounds under the supervision of the inspectors of nuisances. See
1855.
Public Health (Scotland) Bill rejected, in part due to reports from a committee of the
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh which expressed doubts upon some of the
measures contained in the English act of 1848. These had not "tended to increase their
expectation of the efficacy of measures, applicable to Scotland, for restraining the diffusion
of epidemics, which may proceed from that source". See 1867.
"On the Mode of Communication of Cholera", by Dr John Snow (1813-58), published.
In this "slender pamphlet", Snow suggested that water was a major mode of transmitting the
causative agent of cholera. See 1854.
Foundation of the London Homeopathic Hospital.
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910) qualified MD at Geneva College, New York State.
She was born in Bristol, England, and emigrated to the USA with her parents in 1832. In
1859 she returned to England and became the first woman to to be placed on the British
medical register. In 1875 she was appointed professor of gynaecology and obstetrics at the
London School of Medicine for Women. See 1865 (Elizabeth Garrett).
1850 Factories Act (13&14 Vict., c.54) amended the act of 1847 by stating the times
between which young people and women could be employed in factories; and increased the
total hours which could be worked by them to 60 per week. See 1864.
Coal Mines Inspection Act (13&14 Vict., c.100) introduced the appointment of
inspectors of coal mines and set out their powers and duties. See 1908.
Public Libraries Act (13&14 Vict., c.65) enabled town councils to establish public