Cholera

• How did cholera spread in the 19th century?

  Cholera spread through contaminated water and human waste.
• What were the symptoms of cholera?

  Symptoms included vomiting, stomach cramps, and yellow diarrhea.
• What was the public's belief about the causes of cholera?

  People believed cholera was caused by miasma, religious punishment, and contagion.
• How did government responses to cholera change over time?

  Government responses evolved from miasma theory to more scientific understandings of disease.
• What were the causes and responses to cholera epidemics in the 19th century?

  Causes:

  • Contaminated water
  • Poor sanitation

  
  

  Responses:

  • Establishment of health boards
  • Quarantine measures
  • Public health reforms
• What was used to purify the air in local government responses to cholera outbreaks?

  Burning Tower in the street
• Why was rubbish cleared from the streets during cholera outbreaks?

  To stop the stench and prevent disease
• What measure was taken to stop poor people from entering towns during cholera outbreaks?

  Quarantine
• What was the purpose of separate hospitals and graveyards during the cholera epidemic?

  To stop contamination
• How did the belief in miasma and contagion influence responses to cholera outbreaks?

  It led to measures aimed at purifying the air and isolating the sick
• What were the continuities in beliefs about disease from medieval times to the cholera epidemic of 1831-1832?

  • Belief in bad air causing disease
  • Use of watches and searches for isolation
  • Similarities between cholera hospitals and pest houses
• What were the major changes in public health policy from the cholera outbreaks to the late 19th century?

  • Shift from miasma theory to germ theory.
  • Increased government intervention in public health.
  • Establishment of sewage systems and clean water supply.
  • Focus on food safety and housing improvements.