Overview

The half century between 1885 and 1935 witnessed a significant improvement in the health of the British people and an unprecedented expansion of state-provided preventive and therapeutic services. The book examines this time of change through the ideas and experiences of one prominent participant, Sir Arthur Newsholme, who rose to become a leading public health authority in Britain. Eyler draws particular attention to Newsholme's role in constructing a highly successful local health program; his tenure as the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board in Whitehall, where he launched some of its boldest programs including national health insurance; his post-retirement studies of international health systems; and his statistical and epidemiological studies and their connection to his policy recommendations.