Historical perspectives on health: Assessment of national progress in public health in England, 1832-1911

The health of society is the sum of recent public policy and the heritage o f public health and welfare. The degree of improvement in the health of you ng males in the nineteenth century may be gauged by scrutinising changes in the ratio of weight to height(2) (W/H-2). The two variables summate the de velopmental history of individuals, and so are an index of biosocial circum stances for a set of people. Such data are uncommon, and this essay formula tes the ratio for the years 1832 to 1911. The conclusion is that, according to the W/H2 criterion, innovations in public policy produced improvement i n the health of young males.