What were the health and sanitation conditions like during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 1

There was a severe lack of hygiene within the industrial revolution. Actually, the factories focused much more on productivity than they did the cleanliness of their employees. Also take into consideration that a majority of the residents within the city were filthy as well.

Answer 2

In the UK, many of the factory workers lived in slums. Contemporary writers described these slums as all being virtually alike. One or two story cottages crowded together on streets often so narrow that people could only pass one another with difficulty. Though the cottages had several rooms, often an entire family would live in a single room. In the most crowded neighborhoods scenes have been described where, indiscriminate of age or gender, 15 to 20 partially or completely unclothed people slept on the floor of a single room. One preacher talking about his parish says, "It contains 1,400 houses, inhabited by 2,795 families, or about 12,000 persons. The space upon which this large population dwells, is less than 400 yards (1,200 feet) square" (Engels).

The streets were generally unpaved, rough, dirty and filled with trash. People would toss out food, animal refuse, and even human excrement. There were often no sewers and "foul stagnant pools" collected to run off into the drinking water. There was very poor ventilation and the smell was overpowering. In some cities, the streets would fill up with mud to the ankles for months on end. Pure rivers running into the city ran out as black stinking sludge, collected from the runoff of factories and dwellings alike. Coal dust often darkened the air (Engels).

With these conditions, it is hardly surprising that disease was rampant. Cholera, typhus, typhoid, and influenza were all prevalent. There were also outbreaks of smallpox and whooping cough. The first outbreak of cholera, which is often spread by water contaminated with fecal matter, was in Sunderland, England, in the fall of 1831. In the course of the outbreak, 52,000 died. From 1837-1838, the leading cause of death by fever became typhus which is passed by lice. In the following four years there were approximately 16,000 new cases per year. Around the same time, an outbreak of smallpox killed tens of thousands, usually infants and children. Together measles and whooping cough lead to 50,000 deaths in England and Wales between 1838 and 1840. It is likely that the number of deaths from food poisoning was extremely high. There was often mineral poisoning in food from bottle stoppers, water pipes and well paint. Various dangerous chemicals were intentionally put in food such as adding alum to bread to whiten it. Also, more than one fifth of the meat sold came from diseased cattleIn the UK, many of the factory workers lived in slums. Contemporary writers described these slums as all being virtually alike. One or two story cottages crowded together on streets often so narrow that people could only pass one another with difficulty. Though the cottages had several rooms, often an entire family would live in a single room. In the most crowded neighborhoods scenes have been described where, indiscriminate of age or gender, 15 to 20 partially or completely unclothed people slept on the floor of a single room. One preacher talking about his parish says, "It contains 1,400 houses, inhabited by 2,795 families, or about 12,000 persons. The space upon which this large population dwells, is less than 400 yards (1,200 feet) square" (Engels).

The streets were generally unpaved, rough, dirty and filled with trash. People would toss out food, animal refuse, and even human excrement. There were often no sewers and "foul stagnant pools" collected to run off into the drinking water. There was very poor ventilation and the smell was overpowering. In some cities, the streets would fill up with mud to the ankles for months on end. Pure rivers running into the city ran out as black stinking sludge, collected from the runoff of factories and dwellings alike. Coal dust often darkened the air (Engels).

With these conditions, it is hardly surprising that disease was rampant. Cholera, typhus, typhoid, and influenza were all prevalent. There were also outbreaks of smallpox and whooping cough. The first outbreak of cholera, which is often spread by water contaminated with fecal matter, was in Sunderland, England, in the fall of 1831. In the course of the outbreak, 52,000 died. From 1837-1838, the leading cause of death by fever became typhus which is passed by lice. In the following four years there were approximately 16,000 new cases per year. Around the same time, an outbreak of smallpox killed tens of thousands, usually infants and children. Together measles and whooping cough lead to 50,000 deaths in England and Wales between 1838 and 1840. It is likely that the number of deaths from food poisoning was extremely high. There was often mineral poisoning in food from bottle stoppers, water pipes and well paint. Various dangerous chemicals were intentionally put in food such as adding alum to bread to whiten it. Also, more than one fifth of the meat sold came from diseased cattle (Douglas).

Public officials of the time were aware that improved sanitation would reduce the spread of diseases and at the prompting of reformers the Public Heath Bill was passed in 1848. This act set up local boards whose duty it was to insure that new homes had proper drainage and that the water supply was clean and dependable. With the Public Health Bill, they also tried to provide better guidelines for the disposal of the dead .

Public officials of the time were aware that improved sanitation would reduce the spread of diseases and at the prompting of reformers the Public Heath Bill was passed in 1848. This act set up local boards whose duty it was to insure that new homes had proper drainage and that the water supply was clean and dependable. With the Public Health Bill, they also tried to provide better guidelines for the disposal of the dead

from: http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/hygiene/review2.php

Answer 3

horrible, the hygiene was rubbish. diseases spreaded and the dirt and filt from the privies or the near by river would get into the rubbish uilt houses causing diseases and early death

Answer 4

it was very easy to catch diseases after the industrial revolution. different diseases were passed on very easily.