'Dudley Street, Seven Dials', 1872; showing a Victorian slum in the City of Westminster, London.

“A perfect wilderness of foulness”Why were towns so unhealthy?

Broadwater School History Department

“A perfect wilderness of foulness”Why were towns so unhealthy?

Industrial - to do with how people make things

Yards - an enclosed courtyard

Privy - a toilet

Night soil - toilet waste

Epidemic - a disease that is spreading out of control

Cholera - an disease of the intestine, causing diarrhoea and vomiting and then death within 48 hours

Tuberculosis - a lung disease that prevents you breathing

Typhus - 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 likeHouses 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 likeHouses 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 poorHouses 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 poorHouses 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 likeHouses 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 likeHouses 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 and sewage

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 and sewage

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 commonDoctors 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 commonDoctors 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