Public Health Flashcards
What were towns like in the Middle Ages?
Towns were much smaller and there were less towns, they were very unhealthy places.
What were houses like in Middle Ages?
The houses were crowded together and there was limited sanitation.
What did people do to help with hygiene?
There were some attempts at hygiene’s in monasteries and towns.
What is the definition of public health?
Public health refers to the health and well being of the population as a whole.
Name 3 factors that affected public health in towns:
Water supplies Toilets State of streets Keeping clean Bad smells Industry
What were 3 things that town authorities did to improve sanitation in towns?
They made local butchers clean up their rotten guts from the street.
They introduced a fine for throwing litter in the street.
They installed wood pipes that ensured a clean supply of water.
They employed teams to rake up dung from the streets.
They made segregated areas where butchers could throw out blood and guts
What were monasteries and abbeys like in the medieval ages?
Monasteries and abbeys were very wealthy and they tended to be built away from towns
Why were monasteries built away from towns?
Monks believed that the townspeople were sinful but the isolation also kept them safe from epidemics.
What was sanitation in monasteries better because of monks?
Monks learned from he Ancient World that a basic principal of good sanitation was to separate the supply of clean water from the waste water from the toilets.
What did monks have that normal townsfolk didn’t?
They were more educated and disciplined and they had books which allowed knowledge of healing.
Where is fountains abbey situated?
Fountains abbey is situated in an isolated place and is near to a river
What was the river in fountains abbey used for?
It was actually not used for drinking but it was used to supply mills and deliver water to kitchens, bakeries and brew houses. Since their river flows west to east it took dirty water away from the toilets which were positioned over the river.
What did monasteries have that helped keep them clean?
They had pipes that led to wash basins in a lavatorium room. They had filtering systems that could remove impurities from the water.
What is a privy?
Privies were toilets with potties underneath that could collect urine.
What was the urine used for?
Urine was used for tanning and bleaching.
