Public health in the Middle ages. Flashcards
What public health problems existed in the medieval towns ?
Sewers
Environment
Water
Animals
Government
Epidemics
Why were sewers a problem?
There was no underground sewers. Open sewers or drains ran through the streets
Why was the environment a problem ?
Rubbish and human excrement were thrown on the streets. Towns were very over crowded and houses were built close together. Meaning that disease was spread rapidly.
Why was water a problem?
There was a lack of clean drinking water.
Cesspits for human waste were sometimes built near water supplies.
People threw rubbish ( including jamb excrement) into the rivers that were used as a water supply.
Why were animals a problem?
Cattle, sheep and pigs roamed the streets. Horses were used for transport. These animals left dung on the street. Also butchers threw animal remains onto the street to rot.
How was the government a problem?
The government did implement some measures to try improve public health. But not enough to deal with the scale of problems. Less were not fully enforced, and not enough people were employed to keep the streets clean.
What public health improvements are introduced?
In Exeter, aqueducts were built to bring fresh water into the town.
Rakers were employed to clean streets and remove animal dung.
Night carts collected human waste from cesspits.
Cesspits were lined with brick or stone so they didn’t leak into water supplies.
Laws were passed to punish people for throwing human or butchers’ wastes into the street.
What were the
key features of public health in monasteries?
Monasteries were wealthy because rich people gave them money in return for prayers.Allowing monasteries to install water supplies and
latrines(toilets)
They were expected to keep clean
They washed their clothes regularly
Monasteries were built close to rivers , giving them a fresh water supply. But were built far away from town centres.
what is the black death? Where did it come from? When did it reach England?
It was spread across Europe after arriving from asia, reaching England in 1348. It was a combination of two diseases.
What were the two diseases that made up the plague?
Bubonic plague
and
Pneumonic plague
What caused the Bubonic plague and what was it ?
It was carried by rats and spread by the fleas biting people. Victims felt cold and tired, then got painful swelling called buboes ( as big as eggs ) on their neck and in their groin or armpits. These were quickly followed by high fever, severe headache , then usually death after three days.
What caused the pneumonic plague and what was it ?
The epidemic was made worse by the pneumonic plague - spread by people coughing over others. Victims coughed up blood and died within a day or two from this plague.
How did people try to prevent the Black death from spreading?
King Edward 111 wrote to the mayor of london, ordering him to clean the streets. He said the bad odour (Miasma) from rubbish were causing the disease to spread.
Bishops ordered daily processions and church services to ask for God’s help.
People carried sweet- smelling herbs or lit fires to over power the bad air. (Miasma)
People after to show they were sorry for their sins.
People punished themselves in public and begged for forgiveness. For example, flagellanta walked through the streets of london, whipping themselves to show God that they repented their sins.
Doors and windows were shut and sealed.
How did people try to treat the Black death?
Prayers for sufferers to recover - God
Hold charms around the neck of the sick - the supernatural
Leeches to bleed patients - The Theory of the Four humours
As a patient has a fever, cold baths were used - The Theory of the Opposites
What were the short- term consequences of The Black Death?
Killed over one-third of the population in 12 months. It affected both the rich and the poor.
Towns and ports were hit the hardest. Remote villages and farms avoided it.
