London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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St Giles (Camberwell) 1890

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell]

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309
have reason to believe that the services of such an officer
could not be obtained for less than £300 a year, if for so
little.
3rd. It was suggested in Committee, and after full
consideration commended itself to the Committee, that the
Vestry should endeavour to secure the services of some
young medical man, who had been trained specially in
sanitation, who had acquired the Diploma in Public Health
of one of our Universities or Licensing Bodies, and who
thus added to his ordinary Medical attainments a thorough
knowledge of sanitary science, including chemical analysis
and the sanitary construction and arrangement of houses,
house drains, &c. The advantages of having such an officer
would be, that, like a trained Inspector of Nuisances, he
would have full knowledge of the law and practice of
sanitation in all its ramifications; that he would (in virtue
of his being a medical man) be able to perforin duties which
no other such officer could perform, such as those under the
Inland Revenue Act, in respect of tenement houses, and
those connected with the Notification of Infectious Diseases
Act; and, further, that from his education and position he
would be likely to command that respect from his subordinates,
and that influence over them which it is so
eminently important that such an officer should possess. I
may add that he would be able to act for the Medical Officer
of Health in emergency and during his holidays. Such an
officer would combine in himself the qualities of a Sanitary
Inspector, of a Sanitary Engineer, and of a Medical man.
I confess that I was at first disposed to think that
no young medical man with the suitable qualifications
would be likely to become a candidate for such a