People's Health Early modern 1500-1750 Flashcards
(22 cards)
Give three key features of early modern Britain
Bad harvests could still lead to hunger, but by 1750, improvements in farming methods meant more people could be fed
In 1500, the country was still catholic but by 1750 it was all protestant
By 1750, parliament had become more powerful than the monarch
In 1600 Robert Hooke developed a powerful microscope
By 1750, new products such as sugar and tobacco came to Britain from America and the Caribbean
What was the diet like for the rich and what were the effects of this?
They ate meat and fish
New foods from overseas
Drinking of wine and ale
Their diet was 80% protein so this led to digestive problems
Gout (severe joint pain)
What was the diet like for the poor and what were the effects of this?
Bread
Vegetables
Pottage
This was a healthier diet but lacked vitamin C and iron
What were some hidden health dangers during this time period?
Meat would rot quickly
Animals roamed the street leaving their excrement
Respiratory diseases were caused by burning wood and coal
How did rich people receive water?
Water sellers
Companies piped water to houses
How did rich people keep clean?
Bathtubs
Soap was made from olive oil for use on skin
How did poor people receive water?
Collected water from conduits
Water sellers
How did poor people keep clean?
Bathed in a river
Used brushes on their skin, dry washing
How did towns deal with the household waste problem and was this effective or not?
Dunghills were used outside towns
This was very effective, household waste was dealt with and rakers sold the waste to market gardeners
How did towns deal with the urine and excrement problem and was this effective or not?
The flushing toilet was invented in 1596
Privies emptied into rivers
The flushing toilet was expensive and could only be used by the rich
Privies and cesspits polluted rivers
When was the most serious outbreak of plague in this time period?
1665
What are some examples of continuity when it comes to people’s beliefs of the causes of plague
People still believed that disease was god’s punishment for sin
Give two national laws that were made in this time period to combat the plague and explain their effectiveness
1578: Plague orders- seventeen orders including recording the spread of the disease, plague sufferers were quarantined. This was effective in reducing the spread of the disease, the connection between dirt and disease was made.
1604: The plague act supported sick families
There were harsher sanctions if a victim left isolation. The punishments reduced the spread of the disease, people still did not know that the plague was spread by fleas and rats
Give two examples of local government reactions to the black death.
The village of eyam quarantined itself in 1665 to stop the disease spreading to Sheffield. Sheffield was saved but 75% of eyam died
Cambridge only allowed people in if they had a certificate of health
Give two individual responses to the plague
People went to church
People tried to find a cure- plague doctors used sweet-smelling posies to fight against the miasma
People avoided those who were sick
Give two examples of how authorities in towns tried to improve the urban environment
People in York were told to clean the area outside their houses and not to put waste outside for scavengers until 7pm
People in York were fined for throwing human waste into the street
Give two examples of how towns were improved but mainly for the rich
Water companies piped water into rich people’s homes
Streets were paved
Local authorities built big houses
Give an example of how towns were not improved for the poor
Privies and cesspits were still a typical feature of life
How long did the gin craze last for?
From 1720-1751
Give two examples of why gin was so popular
Advertising made it seem cheap- “drunk for a penny, dead drunk for two pence”
Gin was a cheap buzz and distraction from difficulties of life
Give two examples of the negatives of the gin craze.
Increase in crime
Increase in death rate
Some women drank while pregnant- became known as “mother’s ruin”
One famous incident in 1734- woman called Judith Defour killed her two year old daughter, Mary so she could sell her clothes to buy gin
Give two national government initiatives to stop the gin craze and explain the effectiveness.
Gin act 1729- £20 licence fee for sellers
This was impossible to enforce because of the number of small gin shops
Gin act 1751- harsh punishments on anyone selling illegal gin- fairly effective- consumption of gin fell
