Public health and government pressures Flashcards
Give some of the context behind the developments in public health at this time
The social problems that developed due to industrialisation and urbanisation became more apparent at this time
The Victorian boom did not solve public health issues
Health hazards caused by overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions
Action was required, but strongly held laisses faire views held that it was not the role of government to intervene in welfare
The rapid growth of industrial towns and cities in the preceding decades had created problems in the provision of basic amenities: a constant supply of pure water, proper drainage and sanitation and clean, well lit streets. In working class areas many houses were of inferior quality’ lacking light, ventilation, running water and decent sanitation
Multiple health problems, frequent outbreaks of disease and unacceptably high death rates were the direct result of dirty and unsanitary living conditions
List some of the actions taken to improve public health at this time
Social philanthropists continued to bring pressure on government for better housing conditions and health provision
Lord Shaftesbury worked through societies, such as the Social Science Association dealing with public health. He and Edwin Chadwick were instrumental in persuading Russell’s government to set up a board of health as part of 1848 Public Health Reform
Edwin Chadwick highlighted the problems of disease and poor living conditions in his ‘Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain’ (1842), which provided the blueprint for the 1848 Public Health Act. Chadwick made an economic argument, believing that if attention was given to improving the health of the poor and particularly to address the problems of infectious disease, fewer people would need poor relief. It was therefore sound economics to spend some money on improving public health
It was an outbreak of cholera that finally got health reform legislation on the statute books. The Act set up a General Health Board in London, with three members, Chadwick, Shaftesbury and Lord Morpeth, and Local Boards of Health each run by a medical officer in areas where the death rate was above the national average – 23 deaths per 1,000 was considered unacceptably high.
After the London Public Health Board was disbanded in 1858, its administrative function was placed in the hands of the Home Office, and Dr John Simon was appointed Medical Officer of Health
The Public Health Act set a precedent for the principle of public health reform that continued into the 20th century
In 1871, the Royal Commission on Sanitary Matters recommended that the fragmentary and confused Sanitary Law should be made uniform. As a result, the Local Government Board was set up, which reorganised health administration as an office of central government
List some of the barriers to improvement
Laissez faire attitudes meant that the government often refused to get involved in solving issues. This meant that pressure had to be put on government by individuals and groups
Chadwick’s arguments in support of public health reform were met with opposition from vested interests, which threatened the effect his argument could have
Once the cholera epidemic was over, there was lingering resentment from those who disliked what they saw as state interference in their personal lives
Chadwick was dismissed from the London Health Board in 1854 and the Board was resolved altogether in 1858
As Medical Officer of Health, Dr John Simon only oversaw piecemeal changes, but a strong centralised statutory body was needed to tackle the endemic problems that persisted in the poorer urban areas
In spite of the introduction of the registration of doctors and the passing of the Food Adulteration Act, the problems caused by poor sanitation and a lack of proper water supplies persisted
There was no proper central administrative structure and most local authorities were left wanting. Until these problems were addressed any propaganda campaigns were bound to fail
Were individuals or the government more important for public health reform?
Individuals got the ball rolling, but the government became more and more involved as public health intervention was shown to be a success. This is proven by the fact that the first Public Health Act (1848) was permissive legislation, while the 2nd Public Health Act (1875) was compulsory legislation
Describe the impact of Chartism as something applying pressure for parliamentary reform
Renewed pressure for political reform came from the chartists during a brief period of revival stimulated by the economic depression of 1847 and the influence of revolutions that were occuring across several Eurpean countries at the time
A third Chartist petition was organised
Fired with enthusiasm for the cause, O’Connor drew up a constitution for the British Republic with himself as president
A mass meeting was arranged at Kennington Common in London, before the presentation of the petition (which had 6 million signatures) to parliament
There was real alarm in government circles and troops were deployed in London
O’Connor caved into advice that the petition be carried to parliament by a few representatives, as the planned march would be blocked by government forces
The movement was deflated and fell away
The episodic nature of chartism was a constant drawback to its success and the intermittent apathy of the working class was a feature of that
The majority were illiterate and unable to organise themselves properly, especially at the local level
It was inevitable that a parliament dominated by landed aristocracy and middle-class wealth would reject the Charter
The divisions among the leading chartists did nothing to promote unity
Chartists violence scared away any middle-class support that might have been possible, who could have helped with the serious lack of funds that the chartists suffered from
Lack of funding made it impossible for the chartists to take advantage of the new forms of communication – the railways and the penny post. The penny post was a system of pre-paid postage, through the issue of a stamp, it was the start of the modern postage system
Other, better organised, pressure groups drew away chartist support
A sustained improvement in economic conditions worked against any future revival of the chartist movement. Before the next real depression set in in 1873, a section of the working class had been enfranchised, the qualification to stand as an MP had been removed and the liberal government has passed the Ballot Act, meaning that three out of the 6 original chartists demands had been granted
It is argued that the ultimate achievement of the movement was the achievemment of the five points by 1918, but is debatebale whether this occurred due to the movement’s influence or whether it was a natural part of the process of democratic development
Current thought is that the chartist movement and the anti-corn law league have been given more attention by historians than their significance deserves.
In the context of this period, the strong arm of the state triumphed
Describe the pressure for parliamentary reform at this time
Asa Briggs says that it was a ‘break in economic prosperity’ in 1866-7 that was the main catalyst for radical pressure on the government to introduce reform
Frustration about the failure to extend the franchise
Working classes feeling the effects of a bad harvest of serious disease in cattle, raising the price of bread and meat
All this culminated in the passage of the 2nd GRA in 1867
A financial crisis in London caused businesses to fail and threatened a rise in unemployment
A flurry of worrying socio-economic incidents seemed to awaken an interest in reform by the people and their radical leaders
The series of reform bills introduced between 1851-66 appear to have failed because there was little public pressure on the government. The chartist movement had collapsed and the middle classes, enfranchised in 1832 and enjoying a period of prosperity, were generally satisfied with the existing parliamentary system
