3.1 The Impetus For Public Health Reforms

Question 1

Public health

Answer 1

The health of the population as a whole monitored regulated and promoted by the government

Question 2

Population changes

Answer 2

Consequences of industrialisation is population grew from 13 mil to 31.5 mil
Death rate fell - vaccines
Birth rate increased
Population spread 4/5 people living in towns

Question 3

Industrial diseases

Answer 3

Cholera
Typhus
Typhoid
Tuberculosis

Question 4

Typhus

Symptoms, causes, treatments

Answer 4

Abdominal pain joint and muscle pain dull red rash fever dry cough
Louse - spread by rickettsiae
Good living conditions (now we have vaccines)

Question 5

Typhus epidemics

Answer 5

Irish potato famine - 1846 - 1847
Napoleonic wars
WW1 and WW2
Northwest England 1847 10,000

Question 6

Typhoid

Symptoms, causes, treatments

Answer 6

Poor appetite, lethargy, intestinal bleeding or perforation, diarrhoea or constipation
Miasma but William budd though it was poison, but it was in contaminated water
Vaccine was developed in 1896

Question 7

Typhoid epidemics

Answer 7

1897-1898 Maidstone England involving 2000 people 143 died

Question 8

Tuberculosis

Symptoms, causes, treatments

Answer 8

Coughing blood Chest pain night sweats unintentional weight loss
Bacteria spreading
At the time - bed rest Sanitorium now antibiotics for 6 months

Question 9

Tuberculosis epidemics

Answer 9

1 in 4 deaths in early 19th century caused by TB

Question 10

Beliefs about Disease before the 1800s

Answer 10

God sent disease when society or people were being sinful
Miasma
All 4 elements (earth fire air and water) had to be in harmony with no Imbalances
Four humours
Poison

Question 11

Beliefs starting to change about disease during the 1800s

Answer 11

Microbes
Cleaning up the environment would reduce epidemics
Bacteria or germs (germ theory)

Question 12

Facts about cholera

Answer 12

Cholera caused the most fatalities, 40-60% got the disease
There were 30 recorded cholera riots - they believed that doctors were murdering patients so that they could use their body for dissection
Government set up boards of health to advise

Question 13

The moral and physical conditions of the working classes of Manchester 1832 -

Answer 13

dr James Kay made a connections between dirt and disease

Paved the way for other investigations

Question 14

Report on the sanitary condition of the labouring population of Great Britain - 1842

Answer 14

Edwin Chadwick
3 volumes 2 based on questionnaires one from his own conclusions and proposals
Criticised water companies, medical profession and local administration

Question 15

Report of the royal commission into the sanitary condition of large towns and populous districts 1844

Answer 15

Questionnaires sent to 50 towns with the highest death rates 42 had bad drainage 30 had poor water supply
Second report had recommendations on sewage and drainage and water supply

Question 16

Report of the Bradford woolcombers sanatorium committee 1845

Answer 16

1840s 10,000 woolcombers living and working in their own dwellings average death was 14 years
1845 protectionism Be society who appointed their own sanitary committees Bradford

Question 17

What Technology was introduced

Answer 17

Sewage, water supply flushing toilets

Question 18

Social attitudes to public heath

Answer 18

Novelists encouraged people’s attitudes to change as they wrote about people experiences newspaper articles, artists depicted life for paupers, doctors all changed people’s opinions scientific knowledge increased

Question 19

Economic attitudes

Answer 19

People realised that better public health meant less money doing to the poor rate meaning it will be cheaper overtime as they would pay less tax as less people are sick and the workforce is stronger

Question 20

Public health act 1848

Answer 20

Chadwick played an important role
He argued economic attitudes- removal of refuse improved drainage and sewage , clean drinking water and medical officer for each town
Established a central board of health

Question 21

Success of the public health act of 1848

Answer 21

Made suggestions on how to improve PH
Edwin Chadwick - economic argument gets support
Led pressure for more reform
Shows the government is prepared to do something
Little to no opposite

Question 22

Failures of the public health act of 1848

Answer 22

Central board of health no money and limited power
It did not cause action to take place
Permissive Act - did not apply everywhere, not London so not as effective
Vested interests- people who represented in local boards of health were directors of private companies so did not vote for measure that would reduce profit

Question 23

Local government act 1858 and the public health act 1858

Answer 23

568 towns began implementing public health in just 10 yrs
The general board of health was abolished
A country wide medical department was set up,under the privy council directly corresponded with local boards to advise on ph
Local boards of health given powers to take on preventative action

Question 24

The sanitary act 1866

Answer 24

Act made local authorities responsible for the removal of nuisances
Compulsory for the first time towns and local areas had to make sanitary measures
Local authorities given the power to improve or demolish slum dwellings
John Simon became the first medical officer

Question 25

The public health act of 1875

Answer 25

Local authorities given the power to lay sewers and drains build reservoirs and public baths and other conveniences
Every part of the country had to have a public health authority at least 1 medical officer and 1 sanitary inspector
Standards in house building were set

Question 26

The public health act of 1936

Answer 26

By 1935 80% of the population of England and Wales was being supplied with water by local authorities
Control over slaughter houses and food adulteration was local authorities responsibility it also consolidated and extended a range of legislation
Provision of clean water supply and effect sewerage