press was the most significant
reason for public health reforms in
the years 1830 to 1939
Tags
intro:
there were several reasons why public health reforms were driven forward significantly
among them was the influence of writers in the press but there were also other events that
helped drive reform like advancements in scientific understanding, better keeping of
medical records as well as the influence of cholera and the fear it brought
main body:
1) influence of writers and the press was undoubtedly extensive in driving public health reform
authors like Charles Dickens and George Orwell reached thousands with their realistic
and poignant novels of poverty
newspapers continually influenced the country both locally and nationally
Charles Dickens wrote novels such as Oliver Twist and they had massive effects on the
populations news
Dicken's stories were often relatable for many of the nation's poor as he had been
through severe power poverty himself
George Orwells novel the road to Wigan pier explode poverty and destitution after
Dickens 's time which reflects the continued influence of writers throughout the period
Orwell also made his stories relatable by describing what he saw and then
devastating it some more
the press was also massively influential in this period
eg The campaign in 1848 led by the Times newspaper about the great stink which
eventually helped bring about acceptance for Bazalgette’s massive sewer reform
local news also covered diseases such as typhus and scarlet fever which drew attention
to the impact of outbreaks and the effects of disease
2) an alternative influence to bring about reform was an advancement made in scientific
understanding of disease
the influence of writers and the press was the most significant reason for public health reforms in the years 1830 to
1
1939