Medical Controversies In British Public Health Movement During The Period Of 1830s-1840s

With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, public health problems had become increasingly serious. Under the attack of epidemics, the public began to pay close attention to public health problems. Some reformers, doctors, and civil societies played the leading part in making the public opinion and the ideas of public health reform, as well as promoting the public health legislation. During the process, Chadwickian sanitary ideas gradually held a dominant position, and became the basis for making the public health reform policy. But these ideas were questioned by many people. These controversies were not only aimed at Chadwickian plan, which also show different understandings and visions of the public health from the varied social groups, political parties, and individuals.The article focused on controversies about medical theory and the public health administration. Through the analysis, this paper tried to explore the relationships among the medical concepts, prevention measures and the distribution of authority, meanwhile rethinking the Chadwickian sanitary ideas.In addition, this article also suggested that the medical controversies reflected Chadwickian plan was not the only and unquestioned solution in the early public health period, there were other options. Chadwick’s plan would dominate the early public health were related to three aspects: the influence of reform forces, the demand of the social transition and the level of medical development. Although, many medical suggestions did not implement, they had influenced the dominance of the public health transferred from Chadwick to the medical profession. And they had a profound impact on considering social and economic factors in the public health.