A brief history of public health in Edinburgh In 19th century Scotland many poor families lived in squalor and overcrowded conditions. Diseases such as smallpox, typhus and cholera were rife - but awareness was growing of the link between social environment and disease. In 1865 Edinburgh's first Medical Officer of Health - Henry Duncan Littlejohn - published a 'Report on the sanitary conditions of Edinburgh'. This report drew a link between poverty, poor living conditions and ill health. In 1884 Louis Pasteur visited Edinburgh and was shocked at the public health situation in the city. He met with local businessmen John Usher and Alexander Low Bruce and discussed with the brewers the new science of microbiology and the possibility of disease prevention presented in his research. In 1893 Alexander Low Bruce left a legacy in his will to assist in founding a Chair of Public Health at The University of Edinburgh. This legacy was added to by others including John Usher. In 1898 John Usher funded a laboratory and classrooms for the teaching of Public Health to be named the 'John Usher Institute of Public Health'. Professor Charles Hunter Stewart became the first 'Bruce and John Usher Chair of Public Health'. The Usher Institute continues to thrive today, working collaboratively to improve health locally and globally. Image This article was published on 2024-09-24
