author
Sir Thomas Morison Legge
1863–1932
A pioneer of occupational medicine, this British physician helped push workplace health from an afterthought into a public responsibility. His work as the first Medical Inspector of Factories in Britain made him an important early voice on industrial disease and prevention.
1 Audiobook
Lead poisoning and lead absorption : The symptoms, pathology and prevention, with special reference to their industrial origin, and an account of the principal processes involving risk
by Sir Thomas Morison Legge, Kenneth Weldon Goadby
About the author
Born in Hong Kong in 1863, Sir Thomas Morison Legge was the son of the noted missionary and scholar James Legge. He studied at Oxford and trained in medicine before moving into public health, where he developed a lasting interest in the illnesses and hazards faced by workers.
In 1898, he became the first Medical Inspector of Factories and Workshops in the United Kingdom. In that role, he investigated dangers such as lead poisoning and other industrial diseases, and he argued that employers and factory systems had to control risks at their source rather than leaving workers to protect themselves.
Legge is remembered as one of the founders of modern occupational health. His writing and public service helped shape industrial hygiene in Britain, and his ideas continued to influence workplace safety long after his death in 1932.