In Scotland, with a few exceptions, none of the medical profession are engaged in the public service as medical officers; and we were therefore compelled to rely on the exertions of the private medical practitioners, from whom we received extensive, zealous, and efficient aid. The President of the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh communicated to us a resolution passed by that body, recommending that all members and licentiates of the college should give every aid in their power to the inquiry into the sanitary condition of the poor. We directed additional queries to be issued to the members of the college, from some of whom we received information similar to that obtained from the medical officers in England.
With respect to the sanitary state of towns and districts in Scotland, we subjoin the following reports from medical gentlemen:—
A report from Dr. Arnott upon Edinburgh and Glasgow:
One report from Dr. Scott Alison on the sanitary condition of the colliery population of Tranent, and the adjacent districts:
One report on the condition of the labouring population of Musselburgh from Mr. Stevenson, surgeon:
One report on the condition of the labouring population of Ayr from Dr. Sym:
One on the condition of the labouring population, Stirling, from Mr. W. H. Forrest, surgeon:
One on the condition of the labouring population in Dumfries, from Dr. M’Lellan:
One on the sanitary condition of the poor of Aberdeen, by Drs. Kilgour and Galen:
One on the sanitary condition of the town of Lanark, by Mr. John Gibson, surgeon:
One on the sanitary condition of the city of St. Andrews, by Mr. Adamson, surgeon:
One on the sanitary state of the town of Greenock, by Dr. Laurie:
One on the sanitary condition of Tain and Easter Ross, by Mr. James Cameron, surgeon.
We have likewise received a report on the sanitary condition of the labouring population in Inverness, from Mr. Anderson, solicitor; and one on the sanitary condition of the Old Town of Edinburgh, by Mr. William Chambers.
As our inquiries led us to believe that considerable doubt exists as to the provisions of the existing law of Scotland upon matters concerning the public health, and as there is not in Scotland any local administrative machinery similar to that of the English unions which can exercise a superintendence over the health of the working classes, we obtained the services of Mr. J. H. Burton, advocate of Edinburgh, to report on the legal provisions existing in that city and in other parts of Scotland, and on the additional legislative measures which appeared, from the reports of the medical gentlemen, to be expedient for the improvement of the sanitary condition of the population of that part of the empire.