A Brief History of the Sanitarian

A Brief History of the Rise of the Sanitarian Profession: Influences of War, Politics, and Industrialization : 

A Brief History of the Rise of the Sanitarian Profession: Influences of War, Politics, and Industrialization Bob Powitz Sanitarian

With Gratitude and Thanks: 

With Gratitude and Thanks Grace L. Loye, MSPA 1937 The Sanitarian and His Duties George Rosen, MD 1958 A History of Public Health W.W. Sampson, PhD 1967 The History of the National Association of Sanitarians

With Gratitude and Thanks: 

With Gratitude and Thanks Ben Freedman, MD, MPH 1977 Sanitarian’s Handbook John Duffy, PhD 1990 The Sanitarians: A History of American Public Health Suellen Hoy, PhD 1995 Chasing Dirt: The American Pursuit of Cleanliness

Environmental Health Milestones: 

Environmental Health Milestones Circa 3000 B.C. Mosaic Code of Hygiene 1200s London: Smoke abatement law Forbidding swine in streets Keeping fronts of houses clean 1348 Venice: First Board of Health and Quarantine. 1350 France: Sanitary Police program. 1388 England: First English Sanitary Act 1415 England: First Nuisance Act

Environmental Health Milestones: 

Environmental Health Milestones 1486 England: Regulation of slaughter houses. 1495 England: Statute against contagion by fomites (bedding). 1513 First health ordinances in the new world at Santa Domingo 1558 Luigi Cornaro publishes treatise on personal hygiene 1599 Vienna: Temporary prohibition on the sale of milk products.

Environmental Health Milestones: 

Environmental Health Milestones 1610 Virginia: First hygiene law 1692 Massachusetts and Carolina: First nuisance law in North America 1712 Carolina: Establishes first position of “State Health Officer” 1743 Paris: First milk ordinance 1750 Philadelphia: First street cleaning department

Environmental Health Milestones: 

Environmental Health Milestones 1774 Guatemala: First Board of Health 1774 England: Prison reform 1783 Berlin: First meat inspection regulations 1793 Baltimore: First City Board of Health 1798: USPHS established 1799 Germany: Johann Peter Frank published work on public hygiene

Environmental Health Milestones: 

Environmental Health Milestones 1855 Louisiana: First State Board of Health. 1859 Boston: First milk inspector

Age of the Health Reformers: 

Age of the Health Reformers Catharine Beecher (1841) Sylvester Graham William Alcott

The First Sanitarians: 

The First Sanitarians 1844 Dr. John H. Griscom: “Sanitary Conditions of the Laboring Population of New York” 1850 Lemuel Shattuck: “Report of the Massachusetts Sanitary Commission” 1851 Dr. J.C. Simonds: “The Sanitary Condition of New Orleans”

Civil War: 

Civil War “ brought home the idea of the value and economy of health and lives” … and “ the wide extent to which the knowledge and principles of Hygiene” became “popularlized … in civil and military life”

Civil War: 

Civil War Stephen Smith, editor of the American Medical Times (1860 – 1864) and first president of the APHA recognized “The vocabulary of sanitary knowledge” and “the elementary facts of hygiene” had become familiar to every household.

Civil War: 

Civil War Influence of Florence Nightingale “The Apostle of Cleanliness” Notes on Nursing 1859 1861 First women volunteers and establishment of the Sanitary Commission on June 19, 1861 Frederick Law Olmsted appointed CEO Starts inspection of camps Emphasis of prevention over cure

Sanitary Commission: 

Sanitary Commission “The Woman’s War” 20,000 served The title “Nurse” carried cache “Whitewash and women were the best disinfectants” The lessons of cleanliness were brought home from the war.

Post War Advances in Public Health: 

Post War Advances in Public Health Public health laboratories Milk pasteurization Identification of mosquito and tick borne diseases Identification of parasitic diseases Identification of the Tuberculosis bacillus Garbage reduction

Post War Advances in Public Health: 

Post War Advances in Public Health Water treatment and disinfection Mosquito control Identification of fecal borne diseases and control Septic and sewage systems developed

Cleaning of the Cities: 

Cleaning of the Cities 1872: the APHA was founded 1875 Alabama: first rural public health 1879 the National Board of Health created Discontinued in 1893 1881 New York: first effective food control laws in the U.S. 1882 Newark: authorized first dairy inspections

More Public Health Milestones: 

More Public Health Milestones 1900 – 1910 several states enact mandatory licensing for sanitary inspectors 1906 Food and Drug Administration created and Federal Food Laws 1930 California Association of Sanitarians 1937 National Association of Sanitarians June 1938, Volume 1, number 1 The Sanitarian: A Journal of Sanitary Technology

Evolution of the Definition: 

Evolution of the Definition Sanitarian A non-medical practitioner of sanitation An advocate of sanitary measures; one especially interested or versed in sanitary measures. A person who is trained and experienced in the field of sanitary science and technology and who is authorized to carry out the educational, inspectional and enforcement duties in the field of environmental health services.

Current Definition: 

Current Definition A credentialed practitioner in the environmental, sanitary and public health sciences whose vocational efforts are directed towards the evaluation and management of those factors and mechanisms in our environment which impact upon the reduction of risk of disease and injury as well as the improvement in the quality of life.

Epilog: 

Epilog It is the mark of a profession to grow with problems and responsibilities of the times. The horizon of our profession can no longer be limited to the local or even the national community but must extend to the international community. We must strive toward a goal of freedom from disease, want and fear.

Epilog: 

Epilog Finally, we must strive to enhance our craft and hand on the noble legacy that has come down to us. And, may the outcome be a happy one!