▁of ▁h yg ien ic ▁reform ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁France ▁to ▁relate ▁h yg ien ic ▁reform ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁social ▁reform . ▁He ▁conducted ▁numerous ▁early ▁studies ▁on ▁social ▁ep ide mi ology , ▁the ▁health ▁dispar ities ▁among ▁classes ▁in ▁correlation ▁with ▁w ages ▁and ▁living ▁conditions , ▁using ▁his ▁knowledge ▁as ▁a ▁phys ician ▁to ▁incorpor ate ▁data ▁analysis ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁social ▁investig ations ▁of ▁the ▁working ▁class . ▁He ▁even ▁conducted ▁studies ▁that ▁related ▁mort ality ▁rates ▁with ▁income . ▁He ▁was ▁described ▁by ▁Belg ian ▁poly math ▁Ad ol phe ▁Qu ete let ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁who ▁has ▁thrown ▁most ▁light ▁upon ▁this ▁important ▁subject ." ▁He ▁is ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ers ▁of ▁ep ide mi ology . ▁ ▁Vill erm é ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁establishment ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 9 ▁of ▁what ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁journal ▁of ▁urban ▁studies , ▁Ann ales ▁d ' hy gi ène ▁pub lique ▁et ▁de ▁médec ine ▁lég ale ▁( An n als ▁of ▁Public ▁H yg iene ▁and ▁For ens ic ▁Medicine , ▁ 1 8 2 9 ). ▁As ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁edit ors , ▁he ▁advoc ated ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁statistics ▁as ▁a ▁tool , ▁and ▁published ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁statist icians ▁from ▁France ▁and ▁other ▁countries . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁being ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Ac adémie ▁royale ▁de ▁médec ine , ▁Vill erm é ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Ac adémie ▁des