Preliminary report on the object and duties of the medical officer of health / by F.W. Pavy.

  • Pavy, F. W. (Frederick William), 1829-1911.
Date:
[1856]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Preliminary report on the object and duties of the medical officer of health / by F.W. Pavy. 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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    London. Our great and prime object is to be practical in all that is effected, and until we have had time to gain experience ourselves, it will be wise to work upon the ex- perience of others. According to the expression of the Act; one portion of the duties of your Officer of Health, will be “ to inspect and report periodically on the sanitary con- “ dition of your Parish, to ascertain the existence of dis- “ eases, more especially epidemics increasing the rate of “ mortality, and to point out the existence of any nuisance “ or other local causes which are likely to originate and “ maintain such diseases, and injuriously affect the health of the Inhabitants; and to take cognizance of the fact of the existence of any contagious or epidemic diseases, and to point ont the most efficacious mode of checking or preventing the spread of such diseases.” The intention here implied, is the practical application of one of the main principles of our medical art, that has been hitherto so much neglected in this Country. Your Parish, like other Parishes, — has Officers, but too assiduously engaged in alleviating sick- ness and combating disease amongst the poorer classes in the densely populated Lanes and Alleys of their districts. Much of this sickness — many of these diseases owe their origin to sanitary evils, — to causes, in fact, which \ are of a preventible nature. And, however attentive, however successful my professional brethren may be—and I do not scruple to say they are—in their treatment: yet, we all must acknowledge, we all must assent to the truth of the old adage that “Prevention is better than cure.” Until now,no one has been professionally retained, except upon a temporary occasion,for bringing about so desirable an end. Your Parish, it is true, has had the advantage of an active Sanitary Committee, and much good has doubtless been effected by its labours. But, for the com- prehensive application of Sanitary measures, an intimate