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“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
'Dudley Street, Seven Dials', 1872; showing a Victorian slum in the City of Westminster, London.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Industrial Yards Privy Night soil Epidemic Cholera Tuberculosis Typhus -
to do with how people make things
an enclosed courtyard
a toilet
toilet waste
a disease that is spreading out of control
an disease of the intestine, causing diarrhoea
and vomiting and then death within 48 hours
a lung disease that prevents you breathing
a killer disease caught from flea and lice bites
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 1 - What peoples’ houses were like
Houses often shared a privy
Houses had no running water
Houses were built back to back
Most houses did not have sewers
Houses were built close to factories
Houses were built of the cheapest materials
Some rooms did not have any light or ventilation
Sometimes a whole family lived in a cellar or a single room
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 1 - What peoples’ houses were like
Houses often shared a privy
Houses had no running water
Houses were built back to back
Most houses did not have sewers
Houses were built close to factories
Houses were built of the cheapest materials
Some rooms did not have any light or ventilation
Sometimes a whole family lived in a cellar or a single room
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 1 - Reasons why housing was poor
Houses had to be built close to the factories because workers had long
hours and they had to walk to work.
Houses were built of the cheapest materials because the workers were not
paid enough to afford better houses.
Houses were built back to back because it was cheaper and the workers
could not afford better houses.
Houses were built without a water supply and proper drains because these
things cost extra money.
Houses were overcrowded because workers were not paid enough to afford
to rent a whole house.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 1 - Reasons why housing was poor
Houses had to be built close to the factories because workers had long
hours and they had to walk to work.
Houses were built of the cheapest materials because the workers were not
paid enough to afford better houses.
Houses were built back to back because it was cheaper and the workers
could not afford better houses.
Houses were built without a water supply and proper drains because these
things cost extra money.
Houses were overcrowded because workers were not paid enough to afford
to rent a whole house.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 2 - What water supply and sewerage were like
Houses had did not have p...d w...r.
People had to queue at st...pipes to get w...r.
Water had to be bought from street s….rs or collected from a well or a r...r.
There wasn’t enough water for dr….ng, cooking and w….ng.
The water was not clean, sometimes it contained s….e.
Pr….s were overflowing and not connected to sewers.
There were du…..ls and overflowing cess...s in some areas.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 2 - What water supply and sewerage were like
Houses had did not have piped water.
People had to queue at standpipes to get water.
Water had to be bought from street sellers or collected from a well or a
river.
There wasn’t enough water for drinking, cooking and washing.
The water was not clean, sometimes it contained sewage.
Privies were overflowing and not connected to sewers.
There were dunghills and overflowing cesspits in some areas.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 2 - Reasons why there was poor water supply
sewage
and
Town Councils did not think it was their job to make sure that houses had
piped water and to clean up the sewage, because it cost money.
Town councils had no powers to force houses to be built with proper water
supply, drains and sewage.
Builders did not think it was their job to make sure that houses had piped
water because they cost money.
Nobody knew about the connection between dirt and disease.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 2 - Reasons why there was poor water supply
sewage
and
Town Councils did not think it was their job to make sure that houses had
piped water and to clean up the sewage, because it cost money.
Town councils had no powers to force houses to be built with proper water
supply, drains and sewage.
Builders did not think it was their job to make sure that houses had piped
water because they cost money.
Nobody knew about the connection between dirt and disease.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 3 - How people were affected by disease
People died in their thousands.
People caught epidemic diseases like typhoid and cholera.
People died of tuberculosis and typhus.
Poor people were more badly affected than the rich.
People died of diseases that can be easily cured today.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 3 - How people were affected by disease
People died in their thousands.
People caught epidemic diseases like typhoid and cholera.
People died of tuberculosis and typhus.
Poorer people were more badly affected than the rich.
People died of diseases that can be easily cured today.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 3 - Reasons why disease was so common
Doctors did not know that germs and bacteria existed.
Doctors believed in the “miasma” theory. This meant that they thought that
diseases were caused by bad smells.
When some doctors showed the connection between dirty drinking water
and cholera, nothing was done because it would have cost money to
solve the problems.
Local councils did not have the powers to clean up the towns and they
didn’t think is was their job.
The government did not believe that it was its job to do anything about
public health.
Broadwater School
History Department
“A perfect wilderness of foulness”
Why were towns so unhealthy?
Step 3 - Reasons why disease was so common
Doctors did not know that germs and bacteria existed.
Doctors believed in the “miasma” theory. This meant that they thought that
diseases were caused by bad smells.
When some doctors showed the connection between dirty drinking water
and cholera, nothing was done because it would have cost money to
solve the problems.
Local councils did not have the powers to clean up the towns and they
didn’t think is was their job.
The government did not believe that it was its job to do anything about
public health.
Broadwater School
History Department