Epidemiological Society, for the Investigation of Epidemic Diseases.

  • Epidemiological Society of London.
Date:
[1852]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Epidemiological Society, for the Investigation of Epidemic Diseases. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    FOR THE INVESTIGATION OP EPIDEMIC DISEAS'ES. *. * *!iZ- REPORT OF THE PUBLIC MEETING, FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SOCIETY, HELD AT THE HANOVER SQUARE ROOMS, Tuesday, July 30th, 1850, LORD ASHLEY (now the Earl of Shaftesbury) in the Chair. (Copiedfrom “The Lancet,”/or.Imj. 3rd, 1850J A public meeting was held at the Hanover Square Rooms on Tuesday evening last, for the establishment of this Society, the formation of which has been in pro- gress for the last six months, under the management of Mr. Tucker (with whom it originated), together with other zealous promoters of the scheme. Lord Ashley occupied the chair, vacating it in an advanced stage of the proceed- ings, after which it was occupied by Dr. Babington, the president-elect of the Society. The meeting was most respectably and numerously attended, nearly 200 gentlemen being present, among whom we observed many of the most distinguished members of the profession. The interest excited in the objects of the Society appeared to be unusually great, and the meeting would doubtless have been much larger, but that there happened to be a dinner of the Apothecaries’ Society the same evening. The speeches delivered on the occasion were eloquent and appropriate, and were listened to with mute and undivided attention on the part of the audience. The whole of the proceedings were conducted with the utmost propriety, and a spirit of harmony and cordiality prevailed, not less gratifying to the promoters of the Society than honourable to the profession. The meeting was, in fact, an appeal from the pro- fession to the public for help and encouragement in effecting a mighty effort for the public weal. The necessity for further investigation into the nature of epidemic visitations, together with the imperfection of our present knowledge of the subject, was candidly admitted by the professional speakers, and even forced upon the atten- tion of the laity, who, on their part, received the appeal with sympathy, and responded to it in a most grateful tone of encouragement and generosity. The Chairman opened the business of the meeting in an eloquent oration, which he commenced by alluding to the appalling fact, that upwards of 12,000 persons died annually in the metropolis of epidemic diseases,and that they appeared to be dependino- upon causes always more or less in operation, and probably to a great extent preventible'’ provided the conditions of their prevalence were better understood and more carefully anticipated. The object of this institution was to remove this opprobrium, an object which commends itself to all minds in all nations; for it was not a mere question of theory or taste, but the discovery of truth, and the application of that truth to the great benefit of mankind. He regarded it, not only in its medical, but also in its rnoral and social bearing. Epidemics and their e.xisting causes, bad drainage, defi- cient supplies of water and ventilation, and the overcrowding of habitations, tended to produce widows, orphans, pauperism, licentiousness, and intemperance. His lordship alluded to the tendency of the day to the aggregation of large masses of the people to carry out the application of the advancing science of the times to useful arts and commerce, thus, in the jiresent slate of things, augmenting the influence of epidemic diseases. One object of the Society would be, to inquire how this aggre-