People's Health Flashcards
(165 cards)
What was built in medieval times due to the Thames becoming too dirty? Who protected and repaired this?
the “great conduit” was built to bring drinking water into London. Wardens protected and repaired pipes to keep the supply clean
T or F: Public health conditions in medieval towns were better than public health conditions in Roman times and today?
False
What was one of the causes for unsanitary conditions in medieval times?
population growth and urbanisation
Why did disease spread quickly in town in the medieval period?
more people lived in towns, so towns became crowded. People lived close together in houses made of wood and overcrowding meant that disease spread quickly
Why were towns not clean in the medieval period?
Towns were not clean because people did not know that dirt could cause disease and nobody understood germs or bacteria
What was believed to be the cause of illness in the medieval period?
Miasma (bad air) - towns smelt bad, people then got ill so people thought that the bad air made people ill
What two things were rivers used for in the medieval period? What did this mean?
sewage as well as for drinking water. This meant that there was a lack of clean water
What were used for people to throw their liquid waste and sewage into in the medieval period?
cesspits
in the medieval period, houses were used for living in and what else?
houses were also used for business by butchers and barbers
Where was waste and rubbish from butchers and barbers thrown in the medieval period?
rivers and the street
T or F: houses in the medieval period were different in the countryside compared to towns and cities?
True
What two types of houses did peasants live in in the medieval period?
mud huts and strong wooden houses
What was the largest house in the village and who lived there in the medieval period?
the largest house in the village was the manor house where the lord lived
What was grown in the gardens belonging to village houses in the medieval period?
vegetables and fruits
Why were cesspits and rubbish tips useful in village gardens in the medieval period?
human and animal excrement fertilised the soil
What did peasants’ livelihood depend on in the medieval period and why?
their ability to harvest the land because they needed a successful harvest to have enough food
What caused huge problems for peasant communities in 1315-16?
The Great Famine
What else could cause disaster for peasants in the medieval period?
disease among animals
What led to the deaths of 10% of the population in the medieval period?
more bad harvests until 1322
If the weather was damp, a fungus grew on what type of bread made by the poor?
rye bread
Why was the fungus that grew on rye bread bad?
The fungus caused ergotism. This was a disease which caused outbreaks of warts on the skin. People often went mad too.
Why did the rich never catch ergotism?
their bread was made of wheat
T or F: Villagers drank more than those in towns in the medieval period
true
What three other drinks, aside from water, did people drink in the medieval period?
cider made from apples, mead made from honey, and ale which was known as ‘small beer’