Problems and improvements in British public health Flashcards
Why were many workers moving to industrial towns
Changes in farming and rapid development of factories during the industrial revolution
What was collecting water in industrial towns like
20-30 families shared a pump
How many people shared a toilet in industrial towns
100 approximately
How many people lived in a room
a family
What illnesses were common in industrial towns
Cholera, typhus and typhoid fever all three caused by contaminated water or body lice
Why was Edwin Chadwick appointed as a leader in a report on Public Health
A cholera epidemic in 1842
Who was Edwin Chadwick
A lawyer and social reformer
What did Chadwicks report say
dire living conditions of the poor. It emphasized the link between unsanitary conditions and the spread of diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever.
What made Chadwicks report convincing
he said workers who were unwell couldn’t be productive. Implying bad health was costing the nation during the industrial revolution
What was Chadwick’s solution for the issues of British’s public health in 1848
Board of health with power to wash streets and supply of fresh and clean water
Did the government like the suggestions made by Chadwick
No, as it would have to be paid by taxes. They also had a laissez faire approach that the people should have minimal government interference. That’s why it wasn’t passed initially
Why did the Public Health Act of 1848 pass
After the cholera epidemic of 1848 killing 14,000 people the government passed Chadwick’s suggestions
Why was the impact of the act limited
- It was only a temporary act lasting 5 years
- It wasn’t enforced by local authorities as it was a choice
- Chadwick believed in miasma and order all human waste to be dumped in the River of Thames and through which it found its way into drinking water and washing sources.
Who was John snow
a physician who suggested in 1849 cholera was directly linked to polluted water
How did John Snow construct his arguement
- He removed a pump handle from an area where many were dying from cholera, then no one else died.
- A lady died from cholera away from that area but then he found that she had her water delivered from the pump in that area
- A local brewery in the area wasn’t affected by cholera at all as they had their own water supply and workers drank the free beer.
