One class of workers under them must, however, be excluded from such blame, namely, the Medical Officers of Health. It is not too much to say that the greater part of the sanitary progress which was made all through the period of Vestry rule was directly due to the unceasing labour, the courageous efforts, the insistence of many of these officers. Their recommendations were often ignored, their requests constantly denied, their opinions made light of; but in spite of such discouragement they persevered. And not alone did they bravely stand between disease and the people, but they were ever striving to drive it back, and to destroy its prolific sources and its power; ever urging upon their employers the necessity for action to relieve the people from the worst of the evils they were suffering under. The description given in 1856 by one of them that their work was "a war of the community against individuals for the public good" had been proved to be absolutely true. And in that war, of them generally, it is to be said that there were no sturdier fighters on the side of the community than they proved to be. In 1885 Dr. J. Liddle, "a pioneer of reform," died after thirty years of "unflinching adherence to duty" as Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel. In 1889 Dr. N. Vinen died after thirty-four years' service as Medical Officer of Health for St. Olave, Southwark.[185] In 1895 Dr. J. S. Bristowe passed away after forty years of service as Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell. And there are still in the service men whose labours have extended over prolonged periods. Such men as these, and others of them who gave their best to the service of the community, have indeed a claim to the lasting gratitude of the citizens of London. FOOTNOTES: [174] See General Report of Census Commissioners, P.P. 1904, vol. cviii. [175] See speech of the President of the Local Government Board, Mr. Ritchie, in introducing the Bill in April. Hansard, 1891, vol. ccclii. [176] Statement by the Clerk of the London County Council. [177] See his Report for 1899, p. 63. [178] P.P. 1890, vol. xvii. See fifth Report from the Select Committee of the House of Lords on the Sweating System. [179] See the Order made by the Home Secretary in November, 1892, as to "outworkers." [180] Not much interest appears to have been taken in the proceedings of some of the Vestries. Thus, in 1891, the Vestry of Westminster complained of the lack of public interest in the record of their proceedings. "Only eleven ratepayers out of 8,800 have purchased copies (price 2d.) of the Reports of the Vestry in each of the last three years." (A few years later they reduced their Reports to a few pages.) And in 1896 the Vestry of Kensington complained of the limited demand for their Annual Report, though it only cost 2d. [181] See 3rd Report from Select Committee of the House of Lords on Metropolitan Hospitals, 1891.