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| Sir Charles Cameron Freedom Box presented to him in 1910 |
Hidden inside is a compartment that is released by pressing
a concealed lock. Housed within this compartment is the beautifully illuminated
silk-mounted scroll which still retains its splendid bright colours. The extract from the scroll below records Cameron’s devotion to the
people and city of Dublin as their Public Health Advisor
That almost half a century of devoted exertion on his part
to the extermination of diseases and everything inimical to public health
within the City has resulted in a courageous and efficient public health
organisation.
That owing to his ceaseless efforts, Dublin, which at one
time had an unsavoury name, can now boast of comparative freedom from almost
all the malignant diseases which assail mankind.
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| Silk-mounted scroll inside Cameron's Freedom Box |
In the Heritage Collections newspaper archive there are cuttings relating to the vote and decision by Dublin Corporation to award Cameron the Freedom of the City in September 1910. The vote was unanimously passed by all members of the Corporation and Alderman Dr. McWalter remarked after the vote that
It is still more remarkable that the resolution to confer that honour should have been signed by the unparalleled number of 55 members, while complaints had been received from other members that they had not been asked to sign the notice of motion.
The award ceremony took place the following year on 20th February 1911 in City Hall. Below is the photograph from The Times which shows Cameron standing in the centre during his conferring ceremony.
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| The Times 20th February 1911 |
Sir Charles Cameron was born in Dublin on 16th July 1830. He studied medicine in the School of the Apothecaries’ Hall, the Dublin School of Medicine, the Ledwich School and the Meath and Coombe Hospitals. He held numerous lecturing posts including lecturer in Chemistry and Physics in the Dublin School of Medicine in 1856; Professor of Chemistry in Dr Steevens’ Hospital and Medical College in 1858 and in 1867 he held the Chair of Hygiene or Political Medicine in the same college. The area of hygiene and public health is one he continued to work in and devote his life to. He was awarded the Harben Gold Medal in 1892, a medal which had been awarded to other distinguished sanitarians and pathologists. Cameron held the position of Diplomat of Public Health in Cambridge University, Medical Superintendent and Executive officer of Health and Public Analyst for Dublin (1862-1921) and Public Analyst for several other cities and counties.
In a piece written in 1897 entitled Memorandum on the
Condition of Dwellings of the Very Poor Cameron as Superintendant Medical
Officer of Health for Dublin writes
It is impossible to compel the landlords of the lowest
class tenements to keep them in clean and good repair. Nearly 3,000 of the
worst have been closed by magistrates’ orders obtained by the Sanitary
Authority and many more would be closed if there were provision made for the
reception of their ejected tenants – they cannot be turned out into the
streets.
Cameron faced an up-hill struggle as Chief Medical Officer
of Dublin as the level of poverty and disease in the city at the time was one
of the worst in the British Empire. He wrote several reports on the poor
health, sanitation, diet and housing available to the people of Dublin. He
implemented recommendations to improve the sanitation in dwellings; published
papers on proper eating habits and highlighted issues by publishing a short
booklet at his own expense called How the Poor Live (Dublin, 1904). He hoped
its small size would result in easy distribution to the wealthier citizens of
Dublin and perhaps a concern in the people's plight.
Cameron achieved so much in his professional life and was
still carrying out sanitation inspections in places such as Frongoch, a prison
camp in Wales, in 1916 when he was aged 86. He also spearheaded the medical attack on the Spanish Influenza
Pandemic when it hit Dublin in 1918 at the age of 88. Sir Charles Cameron died in
his house on Raglan Road in February 1921. He was 91 years of age.
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| Sir Charles Cameron President of RCSI 1885-1886 |
The Heritage Collections are privileged to house Sir Charles
Cameron’s diaries and soon they will be available to researchers to study.
Lydia Carroll consulted these diaries for her publication In the Fever King’s
Preserves. Sir Charles Cameron and the Dublin Slums (Dublin, 2011). This book
traces Cameron’s life, medical career and astonishing yet forgotten sanitary
and public health achievements especially in relation to Dublin tenements,
slums and standard of living.
In this year of commemoration it is fitting to remember one who has done so much for Dublin but is still virtually unknown to Dubliners.
- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy
In this year of commemoration it is fitting to remember one who has done so much for Dublin but is still virtually unknown to Dubliners.
- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy