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

Buckinghamshire. Florence Nightingale, in a letter to her nephew, Sir Frederick Verney
(chairman of the North Buckinghamshire Technical Education Committee) outlined her ideas
for health missionaries who would "take health into the home ... It seems hardly necessary to
contrast sick nursing with this. The needs of home health-bringing require different but not
lower qualifications and are more varied ... She must create a new work and a new
profession." Two years later Florence Nightingale set out the role of health visitors as giving
instruction in the sanitary conditions of the person, clothes and bedding, and the house; and
the management of the health of adults, women before and after confinements, infants and
children. See 1892.
Dense fog in London from December 20th to 25th.
"A History of Epidemics in Britain", by Charles Creighton (1847-1927, pathologist,
researcher, medical writer and historian), published. The second volume was published in
1894.
Volume 1 of "Life and Labour of the People in London", by Charles Booth (1840-
1916, shipowner and writer on social conditions), published. The last of the 17 volumes was
published
1891 Cont - 1893
1891 cont in 1903. The volumes gave a very detailed account of poverty and ill-health in
London at the turn of the century.
1892 Shop Hours Act (55&56 Vict., c.62) repeated and strengthened the requirements of the
1886 act about the employment of young persons in shops; and placed the responsibility for
inspection on the councils of the counties and county boroughs. See 1911.
Burgh Police Act (55&56 Vict., c.55) in addition to police matters, required all burghs
to appoint medical officers of health and sanitary inspectors and laid down regulations
regarding housing, sewerage, provision of water, dairies and slaughter houses.
Report of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on Metropolitan Hospitals,
(chairman, Lord Sandhurst) considered that the voluntary hospitals were generally well run;
criticised the London medical world for its wasteful rivalries, and the concentration of
facilities north of the Thames; and recommended the establishment of a central board to coordinate
the management of hospitals in the capital. Henry Burdett (see 1883) had opposed
the setting up of the Committee in 1890 arguing that "more cash and less criticism" was
needed. See 1986.
International Sanitary Convention on cholera adopted.
Buckinghamshire County Council appointed the first whole-time health visitor (see
1862 and 1891). See 1908.
Diphtheria antitoxin isolated by Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915, German medical scientist).
"Journal of State Medicine" first published by the British Institute of Public Health (see
1886).
First volume of "A Treatise on Hygiene and Public Health", by Sir Thomas Stevenson
(1838-1908, public analyst and medical officer of health for St Pancras) and SF Murphy
(1849-1923, later Sir Shirley, medical officer of health for the London County Council),
published. The third and final volume was published in 1894.
"The Hygiene, Diseases and Mortality of Occupations", by JT Arlidge (see 1868),
published.
1893 Isolation Hospitals Act (56&57 Vict., c.68) enabled provincial county councils to
establish isolation hospitals. See 1901.