Report to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State For the Home Department, from the Poor Law Commissioners, on an Inquiry Into the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain; With AppendicesChadwick, Edwin
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Report to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State For the Home Department, from the Poor Law Commissioners, on an Inquiry Into the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain; With Appendices
Chadwick, Edwin
Housing -- Great Britain; Public health -- Great Britain
The detailed statements which we received from the Boards of Guardians,
and the Union medical officers, were too voluminous for insertion at
length in the present Report; but we have caused them to be carefully
examined, and some of the most important results which they contained
have been extracted in the manner which we shall presently explain.
It will be observed that the inquiry which we were directed by Lord John
Russell to make, in accordance with the address of the House of Lords,
was limited to England and Wales. Subsequently, however, we received
instructions from the Marquis of Normanby, dated 28th January, 1840,
directing us to extend our inquiries to the causes of disease and
destitution amongst the working classes in Scotland.
On the receipt of these instructions, we caused a circular letter to the
medical practitioners to be sent to the provosts of all the Scotch
burghs, with a request that they would put us in communication with the
officers of the medical charities and establishments within their
jurisdiction. In the same letter we stated fully the objects of the
inquiry, and requested to be informed as to the general state of the
main sewers, drainage, &c., of the several towns. (Appendix, Nos. 4 and
5.)
In Scotland, with a few exceptions, none of the medical profession are
engaged in the public service as medical officers; and we were therefore
compelled to rely on the exertions of the private medical practitioners,
from whom we received extensive, zealous, and efficient aid. The
President of the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh communicated to us a
resolution passed by that body, recommending that all members and
licentiates of the college should give every aid in their power to the
inquiry into the sanitary condition of the poor. We directed additional
queries to be issued to the members of the college, from some of whom we
received information similar to that obtained from the medical officers
in England.
With respect to the sanitary state of towns and districts in Scotland,
we subjoin the following reports from medical gentlemen:—
A report from Dr. Arnott upon Edinburgh and Glasgow:
One report from Dr. Scott Alison on the sanitary condition of the
colliery population of Tranent, and the adjacent districts:
One report on the condition of the labouring population of Musselburgh
from Mr. Stevenson, surgeon:
One report on the condition of the labouring population of Ayr from
Dr. Sym:
One on the condition of the labouring population, Stirling, from Mr.
W. H. Forrest, surgeon:
One on the condition of the labouring population in Dumfries, from Dr.
M’Lellan:
One on the sanitary condition of the poor of Aberdeen, by Drs. Kilgour
and Galen:
One on the sanitary condition of the town of Lanark, by Mr. John
Gibson, surgeon:
One on the sanitary condition of the city of St. Andrews, by Mr.
Adamson, surgeon:
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