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

National Association for the Promotion of Social Science founded; concerned chiefly
with discussion and publicising the need for reform of the law, penal organisation, education,
public health and local government. The Association dissolved itself in 1886.
"British Medical Journal" first published (see 1840).
The Statistical Society (see 1834) published a report on hospital costs.
Thames River Board established under a private act.
Dr F Ogston appointed the first professor of forensic medicine at Marischal College,
Aberdeen; in 1862 he was appointed the first medical officer of health for the City.
1858 Public Health Act (21&22 Vict. c.97) ended the General Board of Health and
transferred its medical duties with some other important duties to the Privy Council, and
some of its duties to the Home Office. John Simon (see 1848) was appointed medical officer
to the Privy Council. The act authorised the Privy Council to make enquiries into any aspect
of public health in any area, and empowered its medical officer to report to the Council.
During the subsequent years Simon put in hand numerous investigations of wide scope and
scientific integrity. These included field studies of diseases causing excessive mortality,
involving social surveys of housing, nutrition and child care; the effects of industry on health;
and investigations of epidemics. In this work Simon had a team of medical men of
outstanding abilities; eight of them became fellows of the Royal Society, five censors of the
Royal College of Physicians of