Health, Civilization and the State

Health, Civilization and the State examines the social, economic and political issues of public health provision in historical perspective. Focusing on Britain, Continental Europe and the United States, Dorothy Porter provides a comprehensive outline of the development of public health care from the ancient world to the modern state. Covering a broad range of historical issues, the book includes discussion of: pestilence, public order and morality in pre-modern times; the Enlightenment and its effects; health care centralization in Victorian Britain; localization of health care in the United States; population issues and family welfare; the rise of the classic welfare state; and current attitudes towards public health as we approach the twenty-first century.