These views Simon kept steadily before him throughout his official career. The general board of health had been created by government in 1848. It was reconstituted in 1854, and by a further act of 1855 the board was empowered to appoint a medical officer. Simon accepted the post in October 1855. The board was subject to successive annual renewals of its powers, and the new office was one of undefined purpose and doubtful stability (see a consolatory letter from Ruskin to Simon dated Turin, 20 July 1858, in vol. xxxvi. of Ruskin's Complete Works, p. 286). In 1858 the board was abolished, its duties being taken over by the lords of the council under the Public Health Act (1858), which to disarm opponents was framed to last for a single year. Simon thus became medical officer of the privy council. The act of 1858 was only made permanent in 1859 in face of strong opposition. Simon always held in grateful remembrance Robert Lowe [q.v.], then vice-president of the council for education, whose promptitude and vigour saved the bill (see his English Sanitary Institutions, chap. xii. p. 277 seq. ; and for his appreciations of Lowe, Patchett Martin's Life, ii. 185-98, 501-14).
Simon made to the general board of health several valuable and comprehensive reports : on the relation of cholera to London water supply (1856), on vaccination (1857), on the sanitary state of the people of England (1858), and on the constitution of the medical profession (1858). These are reprinted in full in his 'Public Health Reports' (vol. i. 1887). As medical officer of the privy coimcil he instituted in 1858 annual reports on the working of his department, treating each year special subjects with broad outlook and in terse and graphic phrase. The most important parts were reprinted in 'Public Health Reports' (vol. ii. 1887). During this period (1858-71) Simon was implicitly trusted by his official superiors, was allowed a free hand, and rallied to his assistance a band of devoted fellow-workers, who helped to make the medical department a real power for good.
In August 1871, in accordance with the report of the royal sanitary commission which was appointed in April 1869 to consider means of co-ordinating the various public health authorities, the old poor law board, the local government act office (of the home office), and the medical department of the privy council were amalgamated to form one new department, the local government board. Simon became chief medical officer of the new board in the belief that his independent powers would be extended rather than diminished. But neither (Sir) James Stansfeld [q. v. Suppl. I], president of the board, nor (Sir) John Lambert [q.v.], organising secretary, took his view of his right of initiative and administrative independence. Simon protested in vigorous minutes and appeals, which were renewed when George Sclater-Booth [q.v.] became president in 1874. In the result, after a fierce battle with the treasury, his office was 'abolished,' and Simon retired in May 1876 on a special annual allowance of 1333l. 6s. 9d. He was less than sixty years old, and his energies were undecayed, so that the cause of sanitary progress was prejudiced by his retirement.
Simon received the inadequate reward of C.B., and was also made a crown member of the medical council, on which he did much good work until his resignation in 1895. In 1881 he was president of the state medicine section of the International Medical Congress held in London. With his friend, J. A. Kingdon, F.R.C.S., he was mainly responsible for the establishment by the Grocers' Company of scholarships for the promotion of sanitary science. Simon took an active part in the affairs of the Royal College of Surgeons ; from 1868 to 1880 he was one of the college council, from 1876 to 1878 was vice-president, and during 1878-9 acted as president. He filled also various honorary offices in professional societies. In 1887, on the occasion of Queen Victoria's first jubilee, he was promoted K.C.B. At the end of his career he received the first award of two medals which had been founded for the purpose of recognising eminence in sanitary science — the Harben medal of the Royal Institute of Public Health (1896) and the Buchanan medal of the Royal Society (November 1897). He was made hon. D.C.L. Oxford (1868), Med. Chir. Doctor Munich (1872), LL.D. Cambridge (1880), LL.D. Edinburgh (1882), and M.D. Dublin (1887).
In addition to professional and official acquaintances, Simon had many literary and artistic friends, including Alfred Elmore, R.A., Sir George Bowyer, George Henry Lewes, Mowbray Morris, (Sir) Edwin Chadwick, Thomas Woolner, R.A., Tom Taylor, Arthur Helps, and in particular John Ruskin [q. v. Suppl. I]. Simon first became acquainted with Ruskin and his parents through a chance meeting in Savoy in 1856, and the acquaintance ripened into a very warm friendship. Simon became in Ruskin's
