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Fighting Fit: the wartime battle for Britain’s health
“We’re on Number 12 platform at Waterloo Station, one of the ten big metropolitan stations that are engaged today (1 September 1939) on the evacuation of London’s schoolchildren,” reads the BBC’s radio announcer to the sound of puffing steam engines.… Continue reading
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Diabetes and public health
The theme for World Health Day 2016 is “Beat diabetes”. How did diabetes become a public health issue? Maybe public health officers from the past can shed some light. Diabetes is a complex condition. We’ve known of its existence for… Continue reading
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Unearthing the health of Victorian London
What can you learn from old bones? Rachel Ives explains what they tell us about the lives and deaths of the dead, and how osteologists use historical sources such as the Medical Officer of Health reports to confirm their findings… Continue reading
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A fresh perspective on the Great Stink?
Summer in London, June 2014. Temperatures are starting to climb, travelling on the London Underground is becoming a sweltering affair and sufferers from hay fever are certainly not enjoying things. Uncomfortable at times but living conditions are not a patch on those… Continue reading
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Tackling infant mortality: the women behind the numbers
According to the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) report from the London County Council for the year 1900, 158 babies out of every 1000 died before the age of one. As a result of such statistics, local authorities began to take… Continue reading
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The work of a 19th century medical officer of health
Dr C. J. B. Aldis (1808-1872) worked as a Medical Officer of Health (MOH) for St George’s, Hanover Square, London, an area that is now part of Westminster City Council. Appointed in 1855, he remained in post until his death 17… Continue reading
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John Simon: London’s first medical officer of health
As the largest city in the world, 19th century London had become also one of the filthiest: as the population grew, so too did its slums, sewage problems and, inevitably infections. By 1848, the stench and bacteria spreading filth was… Continue reading
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Cleaning up the ice cream triangle
During the early 20th century the Medical Officers of Health (MOH) for the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury made a concerted effort to reduce the risk of illness from contaminated ice cream. Dr George Newman was the MOH for the area and the… Continue reading
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Taking ‘London’s Pulse’
We are pleased to announce the launch of London’s Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972, a free online resource for the history of public health. This new website brings together more than 5500 annual reports covering the City of… Continue reading
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Call for participants: testing the Medical Officer of Health reports website
Interested in the public health history of London? Curious about quantifying disease? Enjoy having a chat about websites and how you might use them? We’re looking for 10 people to help us test a prototype of our JISC-funded London Medical… Continue reading