While reducing the general death-rate, our recent sanitary legislation has called into existence a class of men who must of necessity be daily exposed to the gravest dangers. To the list of men who, by reason of their avocations, constantly face death to save us from peril, we must add the public disinfectors.
These modest heroes are truly typical of our advanced civilization ; and, as representing the humble rank and file of the army enrolled in the service of science and humanity, deserve as much credit as the bold archers who won the battle of Agincourt.
Their devotion, however, would scarcely inspire the minstrel’s song, it gives but little scope to romance, and the details of the work they perform are of the most prosaic description ; yet it is an undoubted fact that these men daily risk their lives to save the community at large from epidemics.

From 'Street Life in London', 1877, by John Thomson and Adolphe Smith