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A System of Complete Medical Police: Selections From Johann Peter Frank

1976; American Medical Association; Volume: 236; Issue: 22 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1001/jama.1976.03270230069047

1538-3598

Lester S. King,

Health Promotion and Cardiovascular Prevention

Johann Peter Frank (1735-1821) was one of the great pioneers of public health as well as of what we now call social medicine. His great contribution was a mammoth work of six volumes, the first of which was published in 1779, the fourth in 1788, and the last two volumes appearing in 1812 and 1817-1819, respectively. The title is misleading to the modern reader, for the word "police" meant the science of administering the state, and medical police concerns the relationships of the state to health problems. It involves a patriarchal or paternalistic attitude closely akin to the welfare state of today. Frank covered more or less systematically various aspects of hygiene and public health as well as selected aspects of medicine. He gave vivid descriptions of the conditions at the time and of the great need for reform and regulation if the people were to achieve a healthy status.