5.1.5
Government
Government
Government
The government played a major role in generating progress in public health.
Government strength
Government strength
- The stronger the government, the better able it was to intervene in health affairs. When the Ancient Roman government was strong, it was able to provide better health services for people.
- Strong local government also brought health progress. After the Black Death in 1348, local government officials, wore special suits, improved quarantine and got better at disposing of bodies.
- Conclusion: The stronger a government, the better it was at improving public health.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations
- The British government gave Edward Jenner £10,000 for his vaccination research in 1802. The government made the smallpox vaccination compulsory in 1853.
- Conclusion: Governments played a particularly important role in making medicine and vaccinations widely available.
Opposition
Opposition
- Edward Jenner faced opposition to his smallpox vaccine from the Church and the Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League.
- When the NHS was created after WW2, there was opposition from some doctors and members of the public.
- Conclusion: Opposition to government action often slowed down the process of health reform.
Government inaction
Government inaction
- Sometimes the government did not intervene when it should have done. Taxpayers often did not want to pay more to improve others' health.
- The government did not always know what to do. This was the case with cholera epidemics in the 1800s.
- Conclusion: Governments were not always able to bring about progress in health and medicine.
Legislation (laws)
Legislation (laws)
- Later in the period, the government was able to pass laws to improve public health e.g. Public Health Act 1848.
- Living conditions improved most when government passed meaningful laws.
- Conclusion: One of the strongest ways government could act was through legislation (laws).
Laissez-faire to welfare state
Laissez-faire to welfare state
- Over the course of the period, government became more and more involved in attempts to improve health.
- Before the late 19th century, the government was 'laissez-faire' (it did not do much directly to improve people's lives).
- The development of the welfare state in the 20th century was influenced by the reports of Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree.
- Conclusion: Those outside government were also able to influence public health.
1Medicine Stands Still
1.1Ancient Egyptian Approaches to Medicine
1.2Ancient Greek Medicine
1.3Medieval Medicine
1.4Religion & Medicine
1.5Public Health in the Middle Ages
2The Beginnings of Change
2.1The Impact of the Renaissance on Britain
2.2Treating Illnesses in the Renaissance
3A Revolution in Medicine
3.1The Development of Germ Theory & its Impact
3.2A Revolution in Surgery
4Modern Medicine
4.1Modern Treatment of Disease
4.2New Diseases & Treatments in the 20th Century
5Themes in Public Health
Jump to other topics
1Medicine Stands Still
1.1Ancient Egyptian Approaches to Medicine
1.2Ancient Greek Medicine
1.3Medieval Medicine
1.4Religion & Medicine
1.5Public Health in the Middle Ages
2The Beginnings of Change
2.1The Impact of the Renaissance on Britain
2.2Treating Illnesses in the Renaissance
3A Revolution in Medicine
3.1The Development of Germ Theory & its Impact
3.2A Revolution in Surgery
4Modern Medicine
4.1Modern Treatment of Disease
4.2New Diseases & Treatments in the 20th Century
5Themes in Public Health
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