William Henry Duncan’s contribution to the health and
well-being of nineteenth century Liverpool probably knows no equal. Shocked by
the appalling poverty and living conditions he found amongst his patients
during the cholera epidemic of 1832, he began a lifelong crusade seeking better
housing and sanitation for the poor. It was apparent to him that there was a
clear link between the spread of the disease and the conditions under which the
poor existed and he found himself in a position to tackle the problem when he
was appointed Medical Officer of Health, the first such civic appointment in
the country. The reforms he put in place, coupled with the pioneering work of borough
engineer James Newlands in establishing an integrated sewage system meant that
in due course mortality rates in the city were cut significantly.
Born in Seel Street in 1805, he graduated in medicine from
Edinburgh University, returning to Liverpool to go into general practice. Later
he would work with several of the city’s hospitals and be a key figure in the
formation of the Liverpool Medical Society, which he served as both secretary
and president. He was also active in the formation of the Liverpool Medical
Institution and served as its first secretary.
He is commemorated in a variety of ways around the city. A
pub in St John’s Lane bears his name, as does one of the buildings making up
the University’s medical school. There is a blue plaque on the house where he
was born and a memorial plaque in the Medical Institution.
