Department of Community Medicine-KEMU

History of Public Health

1800-1870

The industrial revolution of 18^th century spared of many problems – creation of slums, overcrowding, accumulation of filth in the cities, high sickness rate with high mortality rate and added to this the great Cholera epidemic of 1832, moved Edwin Chadwick a lawyer, to investigate and write a report on “The sanitary conditions of the laboring population in Great Britain” This report focused the attention of people and government on the urgent need to improve the public health. This lead to “great sanitary awakening” with enactment of Public heath Act. of 1848 in England Earlier, Johanna Peter Frank (1745-1821) a health philosopher of his time, conceived public health as good health laws enforce by the police and enunciate the principle that the state is responsible for the health of its people. The public health act of 1848 was a fulfillment of his dream about the state’s responsibility for the health of its people.

Household Survey

1871-1920

A comprehensive piece of legislation was brought into force in England, the Public health act of 1875 for the control of mans physical environment. The torch was

already lit by Chadwick, but the man who was actually responsible for more than any other for sanitary reforms was Sir, John Simon (1816-1904), the first medical officer of health of London He built up a system of public health In England which become the admiration of the rest of the world This early phase of public health (1880-1920) is often called the disease control phase Efforts were directed entirely towards general cleanliness, garbage and refuse disposal. Quarantine conventions were held to contain diseases.

The development of the public health movement in America follows closely the English pattern. In 1850, Lempel Shattuck (1993-1859), a bookseller, published his report on the health conditions in Massachusetts Like Chadwick’s report it stirred the conscience of the American people to the improvement of public health. France, Spain, Australia, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Scandinavian Countries all developed their public health. After the First World War (1920), Yugoslavia, Turkey and Russia. presented the typical picture of the under developed world. Today they are quite advanced in public health.

Development Of Public Health In Indo-Pakistan

A rural setting

1800-1870

The first public health measure in Indo-Pakistan subcontinent dates back to the year 1802 when after the introduction of vaccination against smallpox by Jenner, a Superintendent General of Vaccination was appointed under whose directions medical men used to vaccinate children. The next date of great importance in the history of the advancement of this preventive measure in India is 1827 in the Presidency of Bombay, four European Superintendents of Vaccination with one Indian Vaccinator attached to each were appointed.

Community counseling

1871-1946

By 1875 a Superintendent-General of Vaccination was appointed, in the Punjab. In 1880 by an Act of the Government of India, powers were given to prohibit smallpox inoculation (prior to smallpox vaccination, people were inoculated with variolous materials) and to make vaccination compulsory in certain local bodies.

Following are the five landmarks in the history of public health administration in this subcontinent:

1859 -- Appointment of Royal Commission to enquire into the health of army in India

1904 -- Report of Plague Commission following outbreak of plague in 1896.

1919 -- Reforms introduced by the Government of India Act, 1919.

1935 -- Reforms introduced by the Government of India Act, 1935.

1946-- Health Survey and Development Committee (Bohr committee)