Health

When and why did the government start caring about the public’s health?

WILF

Grade D/F – Identify some of the key health issues affecting people in the 19th century

Grade C/B – Use a range of sources to explain the causes and consequences of these diseases

and how the government responded to them

Grade A/A* Reach a judgement on how effective government strategies were in improving the

lives of working class people.

WALT

• To identify and describe the public

health issues that existed in 19th

century Britain

• To analyse how effective the

government was in dealing with

these issues.

Identify potential risks to health

Why were diseases such a problem?1. What were the living conditions of

this family like?

2. How old was the child the woman

was holding? How old was the

dead child?

3. Are we told why the child had

died?

4. What problems do you think the

family will face in the future

without help?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/sanitation-and-

the-working-poor-in-19th-century-england/11067.html

Towns in Britain had grown too quickly – there weren’t any proper services and

conditions were made worse by the smoke and dirt produced from steam power.

• There were no sewers

• Drains were open channels with dead

animals and sewage floating in them.

• People got their water from polluted

rivers or pumps in the street.

• Dozens of people shared toilets

In these conditions disease thrived.

In 1840, one in three children died before

their 3rd birthday. In Manchester, the life

expectancy of a working class man was 17!

What were the public suffering from?

Typhoid Smallpox Tuberculosis Cholera

How is it caught?

What were the symptoms?

How many did it affect?

Why was it so common?

How could you try and prevent it?

King Cholera• In 1831 a disease called cholera was brought to Britain by

soldiers returning from India.

• In 1848-9 over 50,000 people died if cholera, closing many

cemeteries which were now full

• Yet it was 1854 before anyone worked out that cholera were

was caused by dirty water when a London Dr called Snow

found out that all victims of one outbreak got their water

from the same pump in Broad Street

Look at the Source B on the source sheet:

1. Write down at least two things the victims had in common.

2. How do you think victim 6 caught cholera?

• It showed how bad things were, blaming the high

death rates on dirty air, polluted water, slum houses

bad sewage systems & poor food.

• The Government finally introduced the “Public

Health Act” in 1848 to encourage local authorities to

improve conditions in their area

• However it was not compulsory unless a town’s death

rate was over 23/1000. Many chose to do nothing

because of the cost to the local ratepayers and fiercly

criticsed Edwin Chadwick.

Edwin ChadwickIn 1842, a civil servant called Edwin Chadwick published a report called

“The Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population”

Criticisms of

Chadwick’s

Health Reforms

Source 20 George Hudson gives a speech to the House

of Commons, 1847

“The people want to be

left to their own affairs;

they do not want

Parliament interfering in

everybody’s business”.

• Local authorities had to appoint Medical

Officers in charge of public health.

• Local sanitary inspectors were appointed

to look after slaughterhouses and prevent

contaminated food being sold.

• Local authorities were ordered to cover

sewers, keep them in good condition,

supply fresh water to their citizens,

collect rubbish and provide street lighting

Public Health Act - 1875After another outbreak of cholera in 1865-66, the government were forced to launch

another enquiry into public health, which eventually led to the Public Health Act of 1875.

This stated:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/government-and-public-health-1866-1875/3315.html

When and why did the government start caring about the public’s health?

WILF

Grade D/F – Identify some of the key health issues affecting people in the 19th century

Grade C/B – Use a range of sources to explain the causes and consequences of these diseases

and how the government responded to them

Grade A/A* Reach a judgement on how effective government strategies were in improving the

lives of working class people.

WALT

• To identify and describe the public

health issues that existed in 19th

century Britain

• To analyse how effective the

government was in dealing with

these issues.

Did the Victorians go far enough?

YES NO

Were living conditions the same for all poor people?

HOME LEARNING

Research how the following charities helped to improve life for some of

the East End poor in the 19th century

1. Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes

2. The Peabody Trust

3. Barnardos

Write a short paragraph on each summarising what you found out. How big was

their impact? How many people benefitted? To what extent did they benefit? How

were their lives improved?

How did charities and trusts improve life for some?