Public Health In The Uk During The 19Th Century

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PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE 19thcentury 1) What caused the huge public health problem during the first half of the 19th century? 2) Why and in what ways did the situation improve as the century progressed? 1) Today, in the modern world, we all have running water, rubbish collection, vaccinations, healthy diets, ventilation, central heating. There are building regulations and shop regulations as well as health-care. It is the state which is supposed to see to it that its citizens are fit and healthy. But in the early 19th century, none of this existed! There was no health-care, no proper diets, no clean streets... especially in the new industrial towns (Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle...) where the living conditions were worst. The child mortality was enormous. 60% of the children died before reaching the age of five (in the industrial cities)! As an example, here are the average life expectancies in two towns--Liverpool (industrial) and Rutland (rural): In Liverpool, the upper-class (factory owners) had a life expectancy of 35 years whereas in Rutland (land owners), the life expectancy was of 52 years. Still in Liverpool, the middle-class (doctors and lawyers) had a life expectancy of 22 years whereas in Rutland, the life expectancy was of 41 years old. Finally in Liverpool, the life expectancy for the working class was only 15 years while in Rutland (farm laborers), they could expect to live to 38 years old. There were many environmental problems, the first one being housing. When industrialisation started to take place in the 1780s there was absolutely no legislation about housing. Therefore, factories were built anywhere and with the cheapest materials possible, the only interest being profit. What often happened was that the factory owner built the houses as well as the factory. Therefore the houses were of very poor quality too--they were small

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