Public health 1800's Flashcards
what were towns like?
- growth in towns because people came to work in the factories.
- High death rate
- No toilets
- Crowded
- 1831 Many outbreaks of cholera no one knew what it was or why. Miasma was a theory some streets were cleaned,
edwin chadwick
published the report of the sanitary conditions of the labouring public of Britain 1842 he was commissioned to do so after multiple more outbreaks of cholera.
-The report was given to journalists, government, writers and sold to the public. The conclusions were a medical officer should be appointed to each city. Drainage should be improved. Clean water and air was very important etc. Nothing changed at first.
what were the goverment like during cholera outbreaks?
-The government adopted a laissez-faire (leave alone) approach many thought it was the government’s job to keep law and order not people healthy also parliament made lots of money from rent on slums.
what was the 1st public health act?
a national board of health to be set up which can appoint local boards of health. Local boards of health can charge tax for improvements, insure new houses have drains and toilets and appoint medical officers to do inspections. They were meant to drainage, sewers, rubbish collections and public toilets. Many towns didn’t do this though.
when was the first public health act?
1848
what did john snow do?
surgeon discovered that cholera was contagious. Worked on broad street, saw that people who were getting their water from a particular pump all got ill, removed the handle and people stopped getting cholera. Saw that a toilet was leaking into that pump so it must be contagious not caused by miasma.
john snow life span
1813-1858
when and what was the great stink?
politicians weren’t doing anything about the state of Britain until the great stink. 1858 summer. Due to the enormous amounts of rubbish in the thames a heat wave caused a smell from the thames spreading all over London and near the house of parliament.
who was joseph balgazette?
was in charge of building sewers and pumps all over London to get rid of the waste to the sea. They were finished in 1866.
- 1866 sanitary act
towns must install a proper water supply and sewage disposal and inspectors must check this is done
- 1875 housing act
councils can destroy bad houses and build new ones
- 1875 public health act
local councils must keep the pavements lit, cleaned and paved. Sewers must be clean. Taxes can be increased to do so
- Food and drugs act 1875
the quality control of food and medicine on sale.
when were compulsory vaccintions introduced
1853
what is one of the most important things that led the goverment to improving health?
giving working class men the vote 1967
what was childrens health like?
babies were doped because parents didn’t want to deal with them. Overcrowding, expensive doctors, no knowledge of the correct food to give the baby, neglect, and filthy houses.
1846 what was an improvement for surgery?
Ether was discovered as an anaesthetic by an American dentist William Moston. It had side effects such as vomiting, coughing and irritation of the eyes.
1847 what was an improvement for surgey?
james simpson discovered chloroform a new and untested gas. Opposition to it when it was used in childbirth because pain was thought to be good and sent by god, also the long term effects were unknown. Accepted when queen Victoria used it in childbirth
even though they had anaesthetic why did many operations still lead to death?
Hospitals were still very dirty and people died from blood poisoning and infection
joseph lister
- 1867 joseph lister used carbolic acid as an antiseptic using a pump and spray, this lead to a clean up of hospitals
who first discovered penicillin?
- Joseph lister and john sanderson noticed not much grew near the penicillin mould but didn’t publish any writings about it.
penicillin overview
Paul Erlich found a chemical that killed the bacteria: syphilis, over the next 20 years scientists found other ‘magic bullets’ dyes that worked against germs, they knew some bacteria killed other bacteria especially pencillin. The first antibiotic…
alexander fleming?
he was researching the germs staphylococcus then he went on holiday. Upon arriving back the penicillin bacteria had floated in from a nearby lab by chance, he saw it killed the germ!!
what did florey and chain do?
compiled a list on natural germ killing substances when they discovered penicillin applied to government but didn’t receive enough because they were too interested in ww2 they managed to test on mice, they then made enough barely by using bedpans, baths in their uni etc. Tested on one human it was successful but they ran out and he died. They then mass produced it in America because it was urgently needed for the war. Many peoples lives were saved and it is now very successful.
