Studying health in Victorian England and the government's response

1. When and why did the government start
caring about the public’s health?
WALT
• To identify and describe the public
health issues that existed in 19th
century Britain
• To analyse how effective the
government was in dealing with
these issues.
WILF
Grade D/F – Identify some of the key health issues affecting people in the 19th century
Grade C/B – Use a range of sources to explain the causes and consequences of these diseases
and how the government responded to them
Grade A/A* Reach a judgement on how effective government strategies were in improving the
lives of working class people.

2. Identify
potential
risks to
health

3. Why were diseases such a problem?
1. What were the living conditions of
this family like?
2. How old was the child the woman
was holding? How old was the
dead child?
3. Are we told why the child had
died?
4. What problems do you think the
family will face in the future
without help?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/sanitation-and-the-
working-poor-in-19th-century-england/11067.html

4. Towns in Britain had grown too quickly – there weren’t any proper services and
conditions were made worse by the smoke and dirt produced from steam power.
• There were no sewers
• Drains were open channels with dead
animals and sewage floating in them.
• People got their water from polluted
rivers or pumps in the street.
• Dozens of people shared toilets
In these conditions disease thrived.
In 1840, one in three children died before
their 3rd birthday. In Manchester, the life
expectancy of a working class man was 17!

5. What were the public suffering from?
Typhoid Smallpox Tuberculosis Cholera
How is it caught?
What were the
symptoms?
How many did it
affect?
Why was it so
common?
How could you try
and prevent it?

6. King Cholera
• In 1831 a disease called cholera was brought to Britain by
soldiers returning from India.
• In 1848-9 over 50,000 people died if cholera, closing many
cemeteries which were now full
• Yet it was 1854 before anyone worked out that cholera were
was caused by dirty water when a London Dr called Snow
found out that all victims of one outbreak got their water
from the same pump in Broad Street
Look at the Source B on the source sheet:
1. Write down at least two things the victims had in common.
2. How do you think victim 6 caught cholera?

7. Edwin Chadwick
In 1842, a civil servant called Edwin Chadwick published a report called
“The Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population”
• It showed how bad things were, blaming the high
death rates on dirty air, polluted water, slum houses
bad sewage systems & poor food.
• The Government finally introduced the “Public
Health Act” in 1848 to encourage local authorities to
improve conditions in their area
• However it was not compulsory unless a town’s death
rate was over 23/1000. Many chose to do nothing
because of the cost to the local ratepayers and fiercly
criticsed Edwin Chadwick.

8. Criticisms of
Chadwick’s
Health Reforms
Source 20 George Hudson
gives a speech to the House
of Commons, 1847
“The people want to be
left to their own affairs;
they do not want
Parliament interfering in
everybody’s business”.

9. Public Health Act - 1875
After another outbreak of cholera in 1865-66, the government were forced to launch
another enquiry into public health, which eventually led to the Public Health Act of 1875.
This stated:
• Local authorities had to appoint Medical
Officers in charge of public health.
• Local sanitary inspectors were appointed
to look after slaughterhouses and prevent
contaminated food being sold.
• Local authorities were ordered to cover
sewers, keep them in good condition,
supply fresh water to their citizens,
collect rubbish and provide street lighting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/government-and-public-
health-1866-1875/3315.html

10. When and why did the government start
caring about the public’s health?
WALT
• To identify and describe the public
health issues that existed in 19th
century Britain
• To analyse how effective the
government was in dealing with
these issues.
WILF
Grade D/F – Identify some of the key health issues affecting people in the 19th century
Grade C/B – Use a range of sources to explain the causes and consequences of these diseases
and how the government responded to them
Grade A/A* Reach a judgement on how effective government strategies were in improving the
lives of working class people.

11. Did the Victorians go far enough?
YES NO

12. Were living conditions the same for all poor people?
How did charities and trusts improve life for some?
HOME LEARNING
Research how the following charities helped to improve life for some of
the East End poor in the 19th century
1. Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes
2. The Peabody Trust
3. Barnardos
Write a short paragraph on each summarising what you found out. How big was
their impact? How many people benefitted? To what extent did they benefit? How
were their lives improved?