Medieval Public Health

• What was public health like?

  • towns were crowded, dirty and smelly
  • waste was leaked from cesspits
  • public latrines built in wealthier areas
  • was attempts to improve, triggered by diseases or royal orders
• Where was public health the best?

  • monasteries and abbeys were built in isolated areas and access to water
  • monks followed strict hygiene rules based on religious beliefs
• Black Death 1348

  • killed around 1/3 of population
  • blamed miasma, astrology, God
  • attempts of preventions included quarantine, good smells, flagellation