The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-30 00:00:00

THE SUN; LONDON, TIMITSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 30, 1869

TAE PUBLIC HEALTH.

The President attached the highest importance to the De-
partment of Public Health, for no amount of individual care,or
of individual skill,can do what is wanted in this matter. "Com-
bined action is necessary to secure to the great masses of our
population the first conditions of a sound sanitary state to
check the propagation of infectious disorders, to prevent
over-crowding in dwelling-houses, to provide an adequate
supply of pure and wholesome water, and otherwise to
bring all the forces of civilisation into play in order to
counteract the evils which civilisetion' brings in its train.
It is much to be regretted that we have not as yet a tho-
thorougly well organised department of the Government,
charged with the duty of superintending our sanitary sys-
tem. Therein, I am convinced, abundance of work for a Mini-
ster of Health. The time is probably at hand when three
new Ministries must be created; a Ministry of Health, a
Ministry of Education, and perhaps (though on this point
I speak with diffidence) a Ministry of Justice. The present
day, however, is the day of Royal Commissions ; that of
Ministries is yet to come. More than one such commission
is now inquiring into questions affecting the public health.
The most impel ;ant is that presided over by Sir Charles
Adderley, which is considering the consolidation of our very
complicated sanitary laws, and the completion ef our system
of sanitary organisation. Those who are in the habit of
paying attention to the connection between the growth of
national habits and the growth of national language, will
not /lave failed to notice the recent introduction among-aes
of the phrase State medicine, a phrase absolutely new to
many of us, and perhaps still imperfectly understood by the
general public. Let me, by way of giving an idea of what
it is, quote the list of subjects which, as a committee of the
General Medical Council inform us, have been suggested as
groper for the examination of candidates desiring to take
out a diploma in State medicine, and to enter the Public
Medical Civil Service. They are : Forensic Medicine,
Toxicoloey, Morbid Anatomy, Psychological Medicine,
Laws el Evidence, Preventive Medicine, Vital and Sanitary
Statistics, Medical Topography, and certain portions of
Engineering Science and Practice. State Medicine, in
short, as a member of the committee well expresses it,
consists in the application of medical knowledge and skill
to the benefit of communities, which is obviously a very
diCerent thing from their application to the benefit of
individuals in private or curative medicine. It is difficult
to assign a limit to the demands which the State might
with advantage make upon the time and intelligence of a
Well-organised Medical Civil Service. These remarks
naturally suggest two reflections. In the first place we
seem to want a body of men able to withdraw themselves
without inconvenience from the engrossing demands of
private practiCe, and to devote themselves to the especial
study of the public questions which require medical
attention. In the second place, when we have got our
Medical Civil Service, bow are we to turn it to
the best account ? If we are to have an organised
medical staff spread over the face of the land,
some kind of local organisation will be required for it ; the
machinery cannot be wholly worked from London. Few
greater advantages could be conferred on England than a
well-considered framework of local self-government,
charged with the administration of most of those matters
of which this association takes cognisance—of justice, of
health, of education, of charitable trusts, and so forth—
subject to due control by the supreme central power."