The development of occupational medicine in Ulster--a personal memoir.

At least since the middle ages physicians have been interested in the relationship of man to his work but it was not until the beginning of the nineteenth century in Great Britain that this was recognised in legislation. Following the passing of the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act in 1802, in the absence of a registry of births, doctors were appointed to certify that the apparent age of young entrants to the mills and factories was above ten years and that they were not unfit. Some of these doctors using the opportunities thus presented to them made observations of clinical interest which prompted their social conscience to protest against the abuses of what came to be known as the Factory System. Such a man was CD Thackrah in Leeds, now regarded as the father of occupational medicine in Britain, but there were others in the 19th century such as Andrew Malcolm and a succession of Purdons in Belfast whose names must be added to the roll of doctors who influenced the legislation which mitigated the effect of factory life on the health of workers.' There is some evidence too in the reports of the factory inspectors of the time that a few philanthropic employers did engage the services of a physician to supervise the health of their workers. It would appear, however, that with a few exceptions the certifying surgeons took their work somewhat casually.