Class, Health and the Proposed British Anthropometric Survey of 1904

This article examines the state of anthropometric knowledge in the late nineteenth century, and the genesis and rejection of the 1904 survey. It reviews the political, medical and moral opinions which were cited both for and against its implementation, focusing particularly on the perceived reluctance of the working class to be measured. The decision of Campbell-Bannerman's government to institute only school medical inspections suggests that this was an area in which Liberal values ultimately prevented too close an interference with British bodies.
Source: Social History of Medicine - Category: History of Medicine Authors: Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research