Scientific Advice to the Nineteenth-Century British State / Roland Jackson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jackson, Roland, 1954- author.

Series:

Science and Culture in the Nineteenth Century Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public health.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (444 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Pittsburgh, PA : University of Pittsburgh Press, [2023]

Summary:

In twenty-first-century Britain, scientific advice to government is highly organized, integrated across government departments, and led by a chief scientific adviser who reports directly to the prime minister. But at the end of the eighteenth century, when Roland Jackson's account begins, things were very different. With this book, Jackson turns his attention to the men of science of the day-who derived their knowledge of the natural world from experience, observation, and experiment-focusing on the essential role they played in proffering scientific advice to the state, and the impact of that advice on public policy. At a time that witnessed huge scientific advances and vast industrial development, and as the British state sought to respond to societal, economic, and environmental challenges, practitioners of science, engineering, and medicine were drawn into close involvement with politicians. Jackson explores the contributions of these emerging experts, the motivations behind their involvement, the forces that shaped this new system of advice, and the legacy it left behind. His book provides the first detailed analysis of the provision of scientific, engineering, and medical advice to the nineteenth-century British government, parliament, the civil service, and the military.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Acknowledgments

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Part I. The Rise of Science

1. Foundations

2. The Royal Society and the British Association

Part II. Empire and War

3. Admiralty and Navy

4. War Office, Army, and Ordnance

Part III. Food

5. Agriculture

6. Fisheries

Part IV. Infrastructure and Transport

7. Transport Infrastructure and Engineering

8. Ships, Lighthouses, and the Board of Trade

Part V. Industry

9. Factories, Nuisances, and the Home Office

10. Coal, Gas, and Electricity

Part VI. Social Conditions and Public Health

11. Water, Sanitation, and River Pollution

12. Infection and Disease

Part VII. Revenue and Standards

13. Chemical Analysis, Excise, Customs, and Inland Revenue

14. Weights, Measures, and Coinage

Conclusion. Constraints on Influence

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780822990055

0822990059

OCLC:

1405191369