John Hoskins Griscom (August 14, 1809 - April 28, 1874) was an influential American physician and sanitarian who made significant contributions to public health reform in 19th-century New York City.
[1] His most significant work, "The Sanitary Condition of the Laboring Population of New York" (1845), correlated higher morbidity rates among the working class with their poor living conditions in overcrowded, unventilated tenements.
This report was instrumental in laying the foundation for urban public health reform in the United States.
He refused to blame the poor for their living conditions, instead focusing on systemic issues such as lack of fresh water and adequate sanitation.
Throughout his life, Griscom remained committed to improving public health through education, legislation, and reform.