Topic 3.1
The Impetus for Public Health Reform
Why Did Reforms to Public Health Become Such a Pressing Issue From c.1780?
Public Health Problems Caused by the Industrial Revoluton
Between 1781 and 1871 Britain grew from 13m to 31m with the populaton working in the
new factories, clustered in cites
The Rising Populaton
The Death Rate Fell:
The medical industry created a smallpox vaccine
The agricultural industry created more and beter food
The chemical industry produced cheap soap
The textle industry created cheap, easy to wash coton cloth
The Birth Rate Rose:
Lower child mortality meant that more people survived to have children
These children too survived in greater numbers than their parents
The Marriage Rate Rose:
Farmers employed fewer live-in servants making it easier for couples to start a
life together
Unskilled workers replaced skilled crafsmen meaning people began to earn
more, earlier
All of this led to more children
The Mobile Populaton
Urban Dwellers:
1801: 33%
1851: 50%
1891: 72%
1900: 80%
This was due to internal migraton from the countryside to the cites
In the cites, the birth rate was far higher both than in the country and the death rate
It was the rate of this growth (not the growth itself) that created serious problems for
public health in cites
The Impact on Living Conditons
As thousands of people moved to towns and cites the existng accommodaton flled and
became overcrowded
The housebuilding industry could not keep up with the infux, nor could LAs provide the
infrastructure for proper sanitaton at the rate it was required
This meant that people lived too closely together in accommodaton that lacked basic
sanitaton
Therefore, diseases like Diphtheria, Typhoid, TB, Scarlet fever, and Cholera were
widespread
Housing
Bad housing was not exclusive to the Industrial Revoluton, but it was exacerbated by it
People let out ‘free spaces’ like cellars and atcs as sperate dwellings
These were commonly hugely overcrowded
The new housing varied in type and quality, but as all housing had to be within walking
distance of the factory, it was usually compact, cheap, and hastly built
Sanitaton
Although the house was important, it was the lack of sanitaton that caused the
problems
Few had drainage, sewage, or running water
Privies were outside and empted into cesspits which would be empted every so ofen
The Impetus for Public Health Reform
Why Did Reforms to Public Health Become Such a Pressing Issue From c.1780?
Public Health Problems Caused by the Industrial Revoluton
Between 1781 and 1871 Britain grew from 13m to 31m with the populaton working in the
new factories, clustered in cites
The Rising Populaton
The Death Rate Fell:
The medical industry created a smallpox vaccine
The agricultural industry created more and beter food
The chemical industry produced cheap soap
The textle industry created cheap, easy to wash coton cloth
The Birth Rate Rose:
Lower child mortality meant that more people survived to have children
These children too survived in greater numbers than their parents
The Marriage Rate Rose:
Farmers employed fewer live-in servants making it easier for couples to start a
life together
Unskilled workers replaced skilled crafsmen meaning people began to earn
more, earlier
All of this led to more children
The Mobile Populaton
Urban Dwellers:
1801: 33%
1851: 50%
1891: 72%
1900: 80%
This was due to internal migraton from the countryside to the cites
In the cites, the birth rate was far higher both than in the country and the death rate
It was the rate of this growth (not the growth itself) that created serious problems for
public health in cites
The Impact on Living Conditons
As thousands of people moved to towns and cites the existng accommodaton flled and
became overcrowded
The housebuilding industry could not keep up with the infux, nor could LAs provide the
infrastructure for proper sanitaton at the rate it was required
This meant that people lived too closely together in accommodaton that lacked basic
sanitaton
Therefore, diseases like Diphtheria, Typhoid, TB, Scarlet fever, and Cholera were
widespread
Housing
Bad housing was not exclusive to the Industrial Revoluton, but it was exacerbated by it
People let out ‘free spaces’ like cellars and atcs as sperate dwellings
These were commonly hugely overcrowded
The new housing varied in type and quality, but as all housing had to be within walking
distance of the factory, it was usually compact, cheap, and hastly built
Sanitaton
Although the house was important, it was the lack of sanitaton that caused the
problems
Few had drainage, sewage, or running water
Privies were outside and empted into cesspits which would be empted every so ofen
