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

1870 Cont - 1871
1870 cont Parliament approved the inclusion in the Privy Council's estimates of an annual
sum of £2000 for "scientific investigations" into health and disease.
The National Society for the Sick and Wounded in War (later the British Red Cross
Society) founded.
Civil Service opened to entry by competitive examination. See 1918.
From 1870 to 1873 there were widespread outbreaks of smallpox. About 44,000
people in England, 10,000 of them in London, died from the disease. There was also an
influenza pandemic during 1870.
Cardiff Medical Society founded.
1871 Census (2 April) found the population of England and Wales to be 22.7 million, with
37 per cent under the age of 15 years, half under the age of 21, four fifths under 45 and 4 per
cent aged 65 or over. For the first time the census asked a question about mental handicap
("imbecile or idiot" or "lunatic"); this question together with later additions about blindness
and deaf and dumb were abandoned after the 1911 census. The census in Scotland asked
about speaking Gaelic.
Local Government Board Act (34&35 Vict., c.70) set up, following the
recommendation of the Royal Commission (see below), the Local Government Board with a
minister as president. Public health, poor law administration and the supervision of local
government were brought together. Simon was appointed chief medical officer to the Board,
retired in 1876. The Board continued until it was replaced by the Ministry of Health in 1919.
See 1874.
Factory and Workshop Act (34&35 Vict., c.104) transferred some duties regarding
inspections from the local authorities to the factory inspectors, and modified some other
provisions. See 1874.
Trade Union Act, (34&35 Vict., c.31) legalised trade unions and required their
registration with the Registrar of the Friendly Societies. See 1912.
Criminal Law Amendment Act (34&35 Vict., c.32) made illegal intimidation, violence,
obstruction and picketing against an employer or other employees.
Vaccination Act (34&35 Vict., c.98) improved the organisation of vaccination against
smallpox and introduced compulsory appointments of vaccination officers. See 1874.
Bank Holidays Act ( 34&35 Vict., c.17) laid down that Easter Monday, Whit Monday,
the first Monday in August and 26th of December (if a weekday) should be official holidays.
The Royal Sanitary Commission which had been set up in 1869 with CB Adderley
(1814-1905, later Lord Norton, politician) as chairman reported (C.281). The medical
members were Sir Thomas Watson (1792-1882, physician, Middlesex Hospital), Sir James
Paget (1814-1899, surgeon St Bartholomew's Hospital, later president of the Royal College of
Surgeons and vice-chancellor of London University), Sir Henry Acland (1815-1900, regius
professor of medicine, Oxford University and later president of the General Medical
Council), Robert Christison (1797-1882, professor of medicine, Edinburgh University) and
William Stokes (1804-1878, professor of medicine, Trinity College, Dublin). The
commission inquired into the operation of the various current laws for promoting the public
health and preventing epidemic diseases. The report recommended a central government
department under a minister who should be responsible both for the poor law and public
health aspects of national health; consolidation of the sanitary law; and, that "all powers
requisite for the health of towns and country should in every place be possessed by one local
authority" with a medical officer of health. Simon, later, expressed his disagreement with the