The Peckham experiment: a pioneering exploration of wellness.

Abstract

The Peckham Experiment, under the direction of Williamson and Pearse, was an attempt to study health rather than disease. This study was conducted through the mechanism of the Pioneer Health Centre which provided recreational opportunities and annual physical examinations to a large membership of apparently healthy individuals. In many ways, both the wellness movement and the family practice movement were foreshadowed by their family-centered approach and their finding that most of the apparently well individuals actually suffered from some detectable disorder.