Health in towns and monasteries

Question 1

what were houses usually made of?

Answer 1

wood, caused fire issues a lot.

Question 2

where was waste chucked?

Answer 2

into the streets or the rivers to be washed away

Question 3

where did sewage from latrines go?

Answer 3

leaked into the ground and got into wells - contaminating the water

Question 4

give 4 forms of waste

Answer 4

• overflowing cesspits
• toilets situated on the bridge which flowed to river
• animals wandered streets leaving their manure
• no rubbish collection

Question 5

how did water often get contaminated?

Answer 5

-sewage system may be near wells and then contaminate the water

Question 6

how did food often get contaminated? (give 3 ways)

Answer 6

• butchers didn’t clean where they butchered food leading to animal excretion contaminating food.
• lack of refrigeration led to meat decomposition
• flies would contaminate the food hung up outside

Question 7

what did Coventry do to improve health standards?

Answer 7

-created business out of farmers buying the human waste for fertiliser meaning it wouldn’t end up on the streets

Question 8

what did coventry do to the rivers?

Answer 8

banned waste being dumped in the river to stop blockage and flooding rather than actually contaminating the drinking sources

Question 9

what did the mayor of coventry announce in 1421?

Answer 9

• every man must clean the street in front of his house every Saturday or he will pay a 12 penny fine.

Question 10

what did the council give permission for William oteley to do?

Answer 10

-collect a penny from each resident and shop on a quarterly basis for his street cleaning and waste removal services

Question 11

what rule did York and London both impose?

Answer 11

-both banned people from dumping waste in the street

Question 12

what did London do about the River Thames?

Answer 12

• banned any waste from being thrown into it

- carters were hired to collect waste and take it out of the city.

Question 13

what did York order over the toxic businesses?

Answer 13

butchers, tanners, fishmongers and dyers had to move outside of the city walls.

Question 14

why did people break these rules imposed?

Answer 14

they didn’t understand the risks

Question 15

what did monasteries do to deal with water?

Answer 15

• separated clean and dirty water

- one supply for cooking and drinking, one supply for drainage and washing

Question 16

where did monasteries tend to be built near?

Answer 16

• rivers

- if there wasnt a river nearby manmade waterways were built to supply clean water.

Question 17

where were latrines put in monasteries?

Answer 17

-they were put in a separate building which were often built over streams of running water to carry it away

Question 18

how did monastery populations help the health and cleanliness?

Answer 18

• they were small and had one leader (the abbot)

- he had sole power to enforce these rules