Papers of James Burn Russell, Medical Officer of Health, Glasgow 1872-1892
- Reference:GB 243 D-HE5/1
- Dates of Creation:1892 - 1900
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:11 items; 1 bundle
Scope and Content
Russell, James Burn was appointed Medical Officer of Health in 1872, having been put in charge of the city's first municipal fever hospital in 1865, and of the new Belvidere Fever Hospital in 1870. He was the first full time Medical Officer of Health in Scotland and held the post for 26 years.
Russell initially had no medical staff but worked through the sanitary inspectors, particularly the epidemic inspectors, widening the scope of their work. Taking a scientific approach he established a set of small-area health statistics unmatched in Britain, and propounded the law of occupancy, relating death rates to room density. Russell worked closely with a group of enlightened town councillors on the health committee to initiate local legislation on public health and building standards, and he energetically enforced existing laws.
By the time Russell left his post Glasgow was internationally renowned for its public health services; mortality had dropped from 29 to 21 per 1000 and was lower than that of Liverpool and Manchester. Deaths from tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases had declined more sharply than in the rest of Scotland and the city led the fight against childhood diseases.
He was a prolific and influential writer with his lecture ‘Life in One Room’ in particular emphasising to a middle class audience exactly what daily reality was like for the poorer majority.
[Source: Dictionary of National Biography]
These papers were amongst those transferred by the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board Archives. It is not known to what extent the bundle is an artificial series. Reports by Russell can be found at D-HE/1/5 and D-HE/5/2. There are other items with his initials at D-HE/6/7 and these may have been his own copies.
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