Johan Peter Hellstrom. One of the Swedish pioneers of occupational health

In Sweden, the first extensive law for the protection of workers' health wa s passed in 1889. Johan Peter Hellstrom, a town physician in the textile ci ty of Norrkoping, was often confronted with the health problems of industri al workers. His concern in this field caused him to publish one of the firs t articles on this topic, in a series for popular education. Hellstrom built on the traditions established during the Enlightenment and on the work of Ramazzini. Hellstrom believed in science as a weapon against social evils. He was also a product of the bacteriological revolution, a p hilanthropist and to some extent influenced by social liberalism. His roots in old traditions exposed themselves in his clearly paternalistic attitude s towards the workers concerning their need for education, guidance and soc ial control. Not surprisingly for that time, his views on gender roles were profoundly patriarchal: women were to stay at home and raise children inst ead of working in the factories. Some of his thoughts point towards the building of the welfare state and th e concept of "social engineering". Hellstrom was one of the many bearers of traditions and an agent who implemented mental and social change - a man o f his time.