Public Health Reform

Question 1

When was the Public Health Act?

Answer 1

1848

Question 2

What was the catalyst for reform?

Answer 2

The anxiety caused by the new cholera epidemic sweeping Europe

Question 3

What were the acts provision based on?

Answer 3

The findings and recommendation made by Edwin Chadwick in his Report On thé Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring population of Great Britain

Question 4

What did the act create ?

Answer 4

Central General Board of Health

Question 5

What is the central General Board of health ?

Answer 5

A provisional body which would be responsible for advising on epidemics and disease and prevention and had responsibility for local board of healths

Question 6

Why was the General Board of Health ineffective?

Answer 6

It had no power to compel them to implement the provisions of the act

Question 7

An example of an inspection

Answer 7

In Durham, the city council, the cathedral, the university and the medical professions petitioned for an inspection because the morality was too high

Question 8

What was the result of the public health act of 1848?

Answer 8

it established a Central Board of Health whose job it was to improve sanitation and living standards in towns and populous areas in England and Wales

Question 9

The 1848 Public Health Act put the General Board of Health in charge of?

Answer 9

water, sewage, drainage, cleaning, paving, and environmental health regulation

Question 10

Who was Edwin Chadwick?

Answer 10

one of the people behind the 1834 Poor Law, which first led him to investigate the issue of sanitation amongst the poor whilst he worked as a secretary to the Poor Law Commissioners

Question 11

What did Edwin Chadwick argue?

Answer 11

the more the state did to help the poor, the fewer of them would seek out those provisions from the state and especially applied to places of work as much of these state provisions were paid out to families of men who had died due to unsanitary workplaces. In order to benefit long term, the state ought to invest in the short term

Question 12

what were the most important aspects of public health conditions to improve?

Answer 12

• drainage and provisions of sewers
• the removal of all refuse from houses, streets and roads
• the provision of clean drinking water
• the appointment of a medical officer for each town

Question 13

Why was the Public health Act important?

Answer 13

Until 1848, the government intervening for citizens health was not widespread nor commonly agreed upon and although the law was very limited ut can be seen as an ear of public health reforms that were to lead all the way up to the creation of the NHS in the 20th century

Question 14

What did Chadwick’s recommendations mean for rich citizens?

Answer 14

that councils would have to increase the rates and this would be unpopular with the better off citizens

Question 15

In the Cholera epidemic in 1848, how many people died?

Answer 15

• over 3000 people died in Glamorgan
• 350 in Cardiff
• 1389 in Merthyr Tydfil

Question 16

What did Edwin Chadwick suggest about middle class?

Answer 16

Chadwick claimed that middle class people lived longer and healthier lives because they could afford to pay to have their sewage removed and to have fresh water piped into their homes

Question 17

What was the average age of death for the professional class compared to the working class?

Answer 17

In liverpool, average death age was 35 for professional class and 15 for the working class

Question 18

Why did Chadwick criticise private health companies?

Answer 18

Chadwick argued that these services should be supplied by public organisations and pointed out that private companies were only willing to supply these services to those people who could afford them, whereas public organisations could make sure everybody received these services.

Question 19

What did Chadwick propose to do for the sewage?

Answer 19

The government needed to provide a supply of piped water and an entirely new system of sewers

Question 20

Who opposed Chadwick?

Answer 20

• the owners of private companies who in the past had made very large profits from supplying fresh water to middle class districts in towns and cities
• prosperous householders who were already paying higher taxes and were worried that Chadwick’s proposal would mean them paying higher taxes

Question 21

lassiez - faire

Answer 21

a belief that government should not interfere in the free market and argued that it was up to individuals to decide what goods or services they wanted to buy

Question 22

what did George Hudson, the conservative MP state in the House of commons?

Answer 22

‘the people want to be left to manage their own affairs; they do not want parliament… interfering in everybody’s business’

Question 23

What was the Health of Towns Association?

Answer 23

an orgnaisaton formed by doctors who began a propaganda campaign in favour of the Public Health Bill

Question 24

When did the Health of Towns association send parliament a petition in favour of the Public Health Bill

Answer 24

June 1847

Question 25

How many signatures did the Health of Towns Association contain in June 1847?

Answer 25

In 1847, the association sent Parliament a petition that contained over 32,000 signatures -was not enough to persuade parliament and in July the bill was defeated

Question 26

How many people died in 1831 in the cholera outbreak?

Answer 26

over 16,000

Question 27

Board of Health

Answer 27

had the power to advise and assist towns which wanted to improve public sanitation

Question 28

When could local boards of health be established?

Answer 28

when more than 1 tenth of the ratepayers agreed to it or if the death rate was higher than 23 per 1000

Question 29

In September 1848 how many people died of cholera?

Answer 29

80,000

Question 30

By 1864, how many local boards of health had been set up in towns and cities?

Answer 30

400 and had taken up powers granted under the Act E.g. Liverpool and Manchester purchased land in Wales and the Lake District to build dams and ensure a supply of water

Question 31

Civil Registration Act

Answer 31

1837 - recorded deaths which could be analysed for death rates