Sir Arthur Newsholme and State Medicine, 1885–1935

The half century between 1885 and 1935 witnessed an unprecedented expansion of preventive and therapeutic services offered by the state through its local authorities. Behind the expansion in public services were also profound changes in attitudes toward poverty and dependency and toward the political and cultural significance of health; changes in social policy and administration; and changes in the understanding of the causes of disease. This book examines this time of change through the ideas and experiences of one prominent participant, Sir Arthur Newsholme. Professor Eyler draws particular attention to Newsholme's role in constructing a highly successful local health programme; his tenure as the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board in Whitehall where he launched some of its boldest programmes 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.

'John Eyler's fine study of Sir Arthur Newsholme's long career in both local and central sanitary administration provides an important analysis of the later period, from the establishment of bacteriology in the 1880s to the coming of National Health Insurance in 1911.' W. F. Bynum, Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 'John Eyler's scholarship is second to none. This impeccable and comprehensive study of Sir Arthur Newsholme's pioneering administrative and investigative work conclusively confirms what we have long suspected. Newsholme was the most impressive and dynamic leading figure in the British public health movement during the period in British history when public health was itself at its most dynamic … Once again, as with his previous, unsurpassable study of W. Farr's work, we are all deeply indebted to John Eyler for an outstanding achievement of historical scholarship.' Simon Szreter, University of Cambridge, 'Now, with John Eyler's scholarly and comprehensive study, this major figure in the development of state medicine has received the biography he so richly merits. I know of no other work that so thoroughly documents the often thorny, often fruitful relationship between local and central public health administrations.' Anthony S. Wohl, Vassar College, ' … a worthy and careful contribution'. Endeavour