public health

• Why was there an increase in disease

  • more people were crowded into factories to work
  • houses were built closer together
  • in these horrible conditions diseases could spread more easily and rapidly
• What was the battle to improve public health

  • some people believed that the government should force the local council to clean up their town
  • however some believed that the government should not interfere which was called Laissez-faire
• Who was Edwin Chadwick?

  • in 1842 he was asked by the government to report on the living conditions and the health of the poor
  • he said that poverty was caused by ill health which was caused by the poor conditions that the people lived in
  • so he made a report on the sanitary conditions
• What was in the report on the sanitary conditions

  • he said that industrial towns should organise drainage and refuse collections
  • provide a pure water supply
  • an appointment a medical officer of health
• What lead to the public health act

  • In 1848 that was an outbreak of cholera, which put pressure on parliament to do something
  • so it was reluctantly agreed to pass the public health act but it was not compulsory
  • a board of health was set up to encourage local authorities to improve conditions
• What were given to the local authorities but what actually happened?

  • the local authorities money if they wanted to improve conditions in their area
  • but only a few took small measure
  • by 1872, 50 medical officers of health had been appointed
• Who is John snow?

  • he proved their was a link between cholera and also water which was done through his research
  • he discovered that death took place near the water pump, whilst the people near the brewery had there on water pump so they did not get contaminated
• What did Snow discovered and who did he put pressure on?

  • it was discovered that a cesspool had cracked so contents contaminated the water
  • snow put pressure on the water companies to clean up their water supplies
• who is Joseph Bazalegette?

  • be built and extensive system of sewers and drains
  • because human waste which was dumbed into the river Thames caused the great stink
• The second public health act?

  • the 1975 actually forced local authorities to take action
  • which included clean water
  • proper drainage and sewage
  • appointmenting a medical officer of health
• What were the outcomes on the second public health act?

  • improved standard of housing
  • stopped the pollution from rivers
  • shorten working hours in the factories