Revolutionary implications of the 1848 Public Health Act

This week's issue marks the 150th anniversary of the Public Health Act 1848, and three articles discuss its implications. On p 587 Christopher Hamlin and Sally Sheard present a historical perspective, arguing that Edwin Chadwick's act marked the start of a proactive approach to public health, with the state guaranteeing standards and providing means for local government to act. Though the act was a compromise, the authors are struck by its practical wisdom and revolutionary implications. In their look to the future Iqbal Shram and John Ashton point out that Chadwick's claim that major threats to human health originate from the environment is now widely accepted (p 592). Since Chadwick's act the role of the state in public affairs has grown considerably, and Shram and Ashton suggest a further development, a standing independent public health commission to evaluate the public health implications of all government policies. Finally, the outgoing chief medical officer, Kenneth Calman, gives a personal view of the influence of the act on his thinking about public health (p 596).


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Relevant Articles

Revolutions in public health: 1848, and 1998?
Christopher Hamlin and Sally Sheard
BMJ 1998 317: 587-591. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Millennium report to Sir Edwin Chadwick
Iqbal Sram and John Ashton
BMJ 1998 317: 592-596. [Extract] [Full Text]

Personal paper: The 1848 Public Health Act and its relevance to improving public health in England now
Kenneth Calman
BMJ 1998 317: 596-598. [Extract] [Full Text]

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