ABSTRACT
The superior body of the health care system was the General Board of Health, established in 1803 to replace its antiquated predecessor. The Board was directly controlled by the central government and was located in Copenhagen. The population in Copenhagen, for example, climbed from 138 000 to 240 000. It is important to bear in mind that Denmark was actually made up of three parts: the capital of Copenhagen, the provincial towns and the rural districts. Urbanisation continued and eventually there were more beggars on Zealand than there was room in the hospitals in Copenhagen. A leading lay official, the Lord Lieutenant of Zealand, was appointed as chairman of the committee which was to investigate the entire poor relief system. It was said that the main reason for the failure of poor relief was the principle of voluntarism concerning the subscription.
