HEALTH AND THE VICTORIANS


URBANISATION, OVERCROWDING


1821-31 MANCHESTER GROWS 47%; WEST BROMWICH GROWS 60%; BRADFORD GROWS 70%
1831-41 GLASGOW GROWS 37%; BUT HOUSING STOCK ONLY UP BY 18.5%
BLACKFRIARS; 40% POPULATION GROWTH, NO NEW HOUSES
CHURCH LANE, ST. GILES, LONDON 1841 = 27 HOUSES, 5 ROOMS per HOUSE, 655 PEOPLE. 1847 = 27 HOUSES, 1,095 PEOPLE
24 per HOUSE, 5 per ROOM 1841, 40 per HOUSE, 8 per ROOM 1847.
NOTTINGHAM, 1840, 7-8,000 OUT OF 11,000 HOUSES BACK-TO-BACK


LACK OF SANITATION


CROYDON: 13,000, ONE PRIVY TO 3 HOUSES
SUNDERLAND 20 TONS OF EXCREMENT BEFORE REMOVED
PIPEWELLGATE, GATESHEAD: 2,000 PEOPLE 1841, 3 PRIVIES ( + 31 SLAUGHTERHOUSES)
ST. PANCRAS, LONDON, 1857, 1,400 COWS
MANCHESTER, 1896, 176 COWSHEDS

INADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY

EDINBURGH 1847 27,000 WITHOUT PIPED WATER
1847 WATER CONSUMPTION 1 GALLON per PERSON per DAY
1857 GLASGOW WATER KEY COSTS FIVE SHILLINGS

cf. Number of houses supplied by water-pipes in North-East England (see below)


SEWAGE

1857 250 TONS FAECES INTO R. THAMES per DAY
RIVER THAME AT BIRMIGHAM
1884 SUICIDE IN R. IRWELL, MANCHESTER
1860s BRISTOL DISCHARGE SEWAGE ON NEIGHBOURS


DISEASES OF DIRT

TYPHUS 19,000 DIE 1837-8, 17,000 DIE 1847

TYPHOID P. ALBERT, 1861; P. OF WALES 1871;
GONVILLE & CAIUS, CAMBRIDGE, 1873

TYPHOID DEATHS PER 100,000 BEFORE / AFTER SEWERAGE
MERTHYR TYDVIL
21.5
8.6
CROYDON
15.0
5.5
ELY
10.4
4.5
PENRITH
10.0
4.5
STRATFORD
12.5
4.0

TUBERCULOSIS (CONSUMPTION)
1/3RD OF ALL DEATHS
4,000 LIVERPOOL PAUPERS - 60% DEATHS = T.B.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES

SCARLET FEVER
34,000 DIE 1863, 26,000 DIE 1874, 6,000 DIE 1886
1850s 157 DEATHS per 100,000 EASINGTON,
137 per 100,000 BISHOP AUCKLAND

MEASLES
1830s 53.9 per 100,000 DIE
1840s 47.0 per 100,000
1970s 0.029 per 100,000

DIPTHERIA
1860s KILLS 35 per 100,000

SMALLPOX
1837-40 KILLS 230 per 100,000
1871-80 KILLS 46 per 100,000
VACCINATION - JANNER - 1798
LONDON 1837 73 DEATHS OUT OF 193 UNVACCINATED
10 DEATHS AMONG 128 VACCINATED
VACCINATION COMPULSORY 1853
25 SHILLING FINE, 1871
30% UNVACCINATED IN LONDON IN 1890s


FOOD QUALITY, ADULTERATION

1863 1.2m SHEEP DIE OF DISEASE, 20% BUTCHERED
TROLLOPE ESTIMATES M'CLASS CLERGY SPEND £40 p.a. ON MEAT = 2/3 ANNUAL INCOME OF UPPER W'CLASS.


CHILDBIRTH

PUERPERAL FEVER
20,000 INFANTS (UNDER 1) DIE IN LONDON, 1890s
40,000 STILL BIRTHS

CHOLERA

SUNDERLAND 1831
1831-2 = 32,000 DEATHS
1848-9 = 62,000
1853-4 = 20,000
1866-7 = 14,000


REMEDIES

GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH 1832
LORD ASHLEY (LATER SHAFTESBURY)
1838 POOR LAW REPORTS - KAY, SOUTHWOOD SMITH, ARNOTT
1842 EDWIN CHANDWICK - REPORT ON THE SANITARY CONDITION OF THE LABOURING CLASSES

1848 FIRST PUBLIC HEALTH ACT
NEEDS 1/50TH POPULATION FOR LOCAL BOARD
ONLY 103 TOWNS 1848-58
LANCASHIRE 400,000 OUT OF 2m COVERED
568 TOWNS 1858-68

1850s, 1860s NUISSANCE REMOVAL ACTS

1872 PUBLIC HEALTH ACT
MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH COMPULSORY
ONLY c. 50 IN COUNTRY TILL THEN
EXTENDED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1888
COUNTY MEDICAL OFFICERS
W. RIDING OF YORKS ONLY 5 STAFF 1901

1875 (DISRAELI'S) PUBLIC HEALTH ACT
PUBLIC HEALTH UNDER LOCAL AUTHORITIES
LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD 1871

1875 PURE FOOD AND DRUGS ACT

1875 ARTISANS' DWELLING ACT
ENABLES LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO CLEAR SLUMS


COMPLACENCY ?

EXAGGERATION ?

NATURAL IMMUNITY RATHER THAN SANITARY REFORM ?

MOST REGULATED AREA

PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE ?

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