Research Idea Abstract --- B. Gerstman --- 10/20/05
In reading Rosen (1993), I was drawn to early developments about the collection of population-based health statistics. Several names were mentioned, including John Graunt (pp. 87 - 88) and William Petty (pp. 88 - 89). I already know a bit about Graunt, but want to learn more. Graunt was one of the first demographers and epidemiologists. His work Natural and Political Observations up the Bills of Mortality (1662) is available on the web and has been the subject of much scholarly research.
I know very little about William Petty, but did complete an initial Google search . I was surprised to find large amounts of high quality information on this man. Petty was a physician who and a merchantalist. Mercantilism is an important theme in Chapter IV of Rosen (1993). My understanding of mercantilism is primitive, but has to do with viewing populations (i.e., people and their health) in terms of their financial worth. It was therefore not surprising to find Petty mentioned as an inventor of econometrics. It seems to me that if I studied Petty, I'd have to be prepared to do an analysis of public health, economics, and politics.
John Graunt (1620-1674) (http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Graunt/bills.html) | William Petty (1623-1687) (http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/profiles/petty.htm) |
References
Fonseca, G. L. Sir William Petty, 1623-1687. Retrieved October 19, 2005, from http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/profiles/petty.htm
Graunt, J. (1662). Natural and political observations mentioned in a following index and made upon the bills of mortality (Web Reprint). Retrieved October 20, 2005, from http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Graunt/bills.html
Rosen, G. (1993). A History of Public Health (revised ed.). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.