A treatise on the public health, climate, hygeine [sic], and prevailing diseases, of Bengal and the North-West Provinces / By Kenneth Mackinnon.
- MacKinnon, Kenneth
- Date:
- 1848
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A treatise on the public health, climate, hygeine [sic], and prevailing diseases, of Bengal and the North-West Provinces / By Kenneth Mackinnon. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![and efficient executive government of this country, the services of the Civil Surgeon should not have been a]i|)licd to other duties than those merely of a strictly ])rofessionul character, the latter being on most occasions such as scarcely to occupy an hour of his time daily. 'J'he .ludge, the Magistrate, the Collector, and the Assistants of the two last, when they have them, are avowedly overwhelmed with duty; whilst the Medi- cal Officers well educated, of mature age, covenanted to Go- vernment for zealous and honorable service, and generally ex- j)erienced in the country, is left with scarcely any duty at all. He might surely with great propriety relieve the Magistrate of the detail of managing the internal economy of the jail, a sub- ject with which he must he more conversant, and he would in this way, I feel quite sure, greatly improve the health of th« ]>risoners. If he had the control of the labor of the convicts, subject, if need he, to the magistrate’s supervision, he could at once adopt such measures as his judgment suggested for improving the salubrity of the civil station, and its vicinity, and he would have much more time to look after their labor on the roads, than the Magistrate can possibly have. But this is not the only branch of public duty for which 1 think the Civil Surgeon might be employed, with advantage to the public service, and to the furtherance of the objects of good police, a knowledge of the statistics of the country, and improved general health. The investigation into all matters which are embraced by the office of Coroner in England, might, 1 think, with very great propriety, be made part of the duties of a Medical Officer.* It may be said, without disparagement to the cival service, that its members, even the most experienced, cannot have much know- ledge of medical jurisprudence, an intricate branch of law and medicine which is made part of the education of a medical man. To the above duties might be added with great pro- * I was once asked, when being examined on oath by a Ses- sions Judge, whether by the extensor tendons of the fingers I meant the Tendo Achillis.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2870874x_0081.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
