poverty, public health, and the state in
Britain c1780 - 1939 Exam Questions
With Complete Solutions
What was the population of Britain in 1781? - Correct Answers: Around 13m
What was the population of Britain in 1939? - Correct Answers: Nearly 48m
When was the most rapid growth in population during this time? - Correct Answers: 1811 - 1841
Why did the population grow so rapidly between 1811 - 1841? - Correct Answers: - production of
better/more food
- smallpox vaccine
- chemical and textile industry produced products to maintain cleanliness
- birth rate rose
- death rate went down
- marriages at earlier ages due to urbanisation = more births
How did the distribution of the population change? - Correct Answers: - there was an influx of middle
class moving out of industrialising cities
- industrial workers moving closer to workplaces
- working class flocking into rapidly growing places to seek job opportunities
Give examples explaining why the rise in population impacted living conditions so detrimentally. -
Correct Answers: - widespread, dense overcrowding
- lack of drainage, sewerage and regular water supply in most housing
- poorly, quickly built housing as not enough houses to house the population
Give 3 disease caused by poor living conditions. - Correct Answers: - typhus fever
,- cholera
- scarlet fever
What caused cholera? - Correct Answers: Infected water supplies or food due to poor sanitary
conditions.
Why did the cholera epidemics of the 1830s have a huge impact on public opinion? - Correct Answers: -
they induced fear due to the high percentage of fatalities (40-60%) and its speed.
- it was believed that cholera victims were taken to local hospitals to provide bodies for dissection.
When were scientists first able to see microbes? - Correct Answers: 1830
Why was Louis Pasteur's theory important? - Correct Answers: - it enabled rapid advance in medical
research as it linked the activity of microorganisms to disease.
- it emphasised the importance of hygiene due to his accurate understanding.
Where did cholera riots occur? - Correct Answers: - Birmigham
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Exeter
- Glasgow
- Leeds
- Liverpool
- London
- Manchester
- Sheffield
How did the government react to the cholera outbreak in the 1830s? - Correct Answers: - in 1831, they
sent two medical commissioners to the outbreak in St Petersburg, Russia.
,- set up temporary Board of Health which advised local government areas to set up own boards of
health
- in 1832, temporary Cholera Morbus Prevention Act became law, allowing some powers to local Boards
of Health.
Why were many of the measures introduced by the government to halt the 1830s' cholera epidemics
ineffective? - Correct Answers: - absence of any knowledge about causes of cholera
- these measures tended to gather information but not prevent or cure disease.
- legality: many didn't think this was an issue of the central government
- temporary nature
- by this time the country was already in the grip of the epidemic however, and it was too late for the act
to have much impact.
When was the Act for 'Lighting with Gas the Town of St Helens' in Lancashire passed? - Correct Answers:
1831-32
What cures were recommended for cholera? - Correct Answers: - removal of excrement
- rubbing self with ointment made from wine, vinegar, camphor, mustard, pepper, garlic and beetles
- patent medicines
- prayer
What was the miasma theory? - Correct Answers: The idea that bad smells from a poisonous gas in the
air caused and spread disease.
What did the introduction of Civil Registration in 1837 reveal? - Correct Answers: A young, fertile and
actively reproducing population in most urban areas.
Outline the findings of James Kay's reports on living conditions in towns. - Correct Answers: - living
conditions contributed to disease due to unclean environments.
- streets were narrow, ill-ventilated, unpaved, with heaps of excrement and stagnant pools
- confined air (miasma theory)
- unclean and empty houses were dilapidated, badly drained and damp
, - ill-fed, ill-clothed, uneconomical population
What conclusions did Chadwick's Report on the Conditions of the Labouring Population in Britain of
1842? - Correct Answers: - disease spread from miasma
- highlighted the importance of ventilation and cleanliness
- pointed out the inadequacy of existing water supplies, drainage and sewage
- blamed vested interests standing in the way of improvements by linking them to overcrowding,
epidemics and death
- linked public health to Poor Law
Why did the Poor Law Commissioners oppose the publishing of this report? - Correct Answers: It
criticised water companies, the medical profession and local administration.
How did the government react to Chadwick's report? - Correct Answers: - the Home Secretary was
reluctant to act on it as it seemed like a largely personal report.
- he set up the Royal Commission on the Health of Towns to investigate more fully the legislative and
financial side of his recommendations.
What were the recommendations of the 1844 Royal Commission's Report into the Health of Towns? -
Correct Answers: - upheld Chadwick's findings.
- led a questionnaire system and published in 1845 report.
- extensive powers should be given to central government to inspect and supervise local work.
- local sanitary districts should be set up with authority over drainage, sewerage, paving and water
supplies.
- local sanitary districts should have powers to raise money for sanitary schemes through local rates
(taxes).
What did Bradford Woolcombers do in 1845? - Correct Answers: They reported on the foul and unfit
conditions in which they were living in in Nelson Court, Holgate Square, Black Adelaide street and Mary
Gate.
What advances were there in the toilet in c19? - Correct Answers: - in 1775, s-trap was invented by
Cummings which prevented foul air coming up from the sewer.
Britain c1780 - 1939 Exam Questions
With Complete Solutions
What was the population of Britain in 1781? - Correct Answers: Around 13m
What was the population of Britain in 1939? - Correct Answers: Nearly 48m
When was the most rapid growth in population during this time? - Correct Answers: 1811 - 1841
Why did the population grow so rapidly between 1811 - 1841? - Correct Answers: - production of
better/more food
- smallpox vaccine
- chemical and textile industry produced products to maintain cleanliness
- birth rate rose
- death rate went down
- marriages at earlier ages due to urbanisation = more births
How did the distribution of the population change? - Correct Answers: - there was an influx of middle
class moving out of industrialising cities
- industrial workers moving closer to workplaces
- working class flocking into rapidly growing places to seek job opportunities
Give examples explaining why the rise in population impacted living conditions so detrimentally. -
Correct Answers: - widespread, dense overcrowding
- lack of drainage, sewerage and regular water supply in most housing
- poorly, quickly built housing as not enough houses to house the population
Give 3 disease caused by poor living conditions. - Correct Answers: - typhus fever
,- cholera
- scarlet fever
What caused cholera? - Correct Answers: Infected water supplies or food due to poor sanitary
conditions.
Why did the cholera epidemics of the 1830s have a huge impact on public opinion? - Correct Answers: -
they induced fear due to the high percentage of fatalities (40-60%) and its speed.
- it was believed that cholera victims were taken to local hospitals to provide bodies for dissection.
When were scientists first able to see microbes? - Correct Answers: 1830
Why was Louis Pasteur's theory important? - Correct Answers: - it enabled rapid advance in medical
research as it linked the activity of microorganisms to disease.
- it emphasised the importance of hygiene due to his accurate understanding.
Where did cholera riots occur? - Correct Answers: - Birmigham
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Exeter
- Glasgow
- Leeds
- Liverpool
- London
- Manchester
- Sheffield
How did the government react to the cholera outbreak in the 1830s? - Correct Answers: - in 1831, they
sent two medical commissioners to the outbreak in St Petersburg, Russia.
,- set up temporary Board of Health which advised local government areas to set up own boards of
health
- in 1832, temporary Cholera Morbus Prevention Act became law, allowing some powers to local Boards
of Health.
Why were many of the measures introduced by the government to halt the 1830s' cholera epidemics
ineffective? - Correct Answers: - absence of any knowledge about causes of cholera
- these measures tended to gather information but not prevent or cure disease.
- legality: many didn't think this was an issue of the central government
- temporary nature
- by this time the country was already in the grip of the epidemic however, and it was too late for the act
to have much impact.
When was the Act for 'Lighting with Gas the Town of St Helens' in Lancashire passed? - Correct Answers:
1831-32
What cures were recommended for cholera? - Correct Answers: - removal of excrement
- rubbing self with ointment made from wine, vinegar, camphor, mustard, pepper, garlic and beetles
- patent medicines
- prayer
What was the miasma theory? - Correct Answers: The idea that bad smells from a poisonous gas in the
air caused and spread disease.
What did the introduction of Civil Registration in 1837 reveal? - Correct Answers: A young, fertile and
actively reproducing population in most urban areas.
Outline the findings of James Kay's reports on living conditions in towns. - Correct Answers: - living
conditions contributed to disease due to unclean environments.
- streets were narrow, ill-ventilated, unpaved, with heaps of excrement and stagnant pools
- confined air (miasma theory)
- unclean and empty houses were dilapidated, badly drained and damp
, - ill-fed, ill-clothed, uneconomical population
What conclusions did Chadwick's Report on the Conditions of the Labouring Population in Britain of
1842? - Correct Answers: - disease spread from miasma
- highlighted the importance of ventilation and cleanliness
- pointed out the inadequacy of existing water supplies, drainage and sewage
- blamed vested interests standing in the way of improvements by linking them to overcrowding,
epidemics and death
- linked public health to Poor Law
Why did the Poor Law Commissioners oppose the publishing of this report? - Correct Answers: It
criticised water companies, the medical profession and local administration.
How did the government react to Chadwick's report? - Correct Answers: - the Home Secretary was
reluctant to act on it as it seemed like a largely personal report.
- he set up the Royal Commission on the Health of Towns to investigate more fully the legislative and
financial side of his recommendations.
What were the recommendations of the 1844 Royal Commission's Report into the Health of Towns? -
Correct Answers: - upheld Chadwick's findings.
- led a questionnaire system and published in 1845 report.
- extensive powers should be given to central government to inspect and supervise local work.
- local sanitary districts should be set up with authority over drainage, sewerage, paving and water
supplies.
- local sanitary districts should have powers to raise money for sanitary schemes through local rates
(taxes).
What did Bradford Woolcombers do in 1845? - Correct Answers: They reported on the foul and unfit
conditions in which they were living in in Nelson Court, Holgate Square, Black Adelaide street and Mary
Gate.
What advances were there in the toilet in c19? - Correct Answers: - in 1775, s-trap was invented by
Cummings which prevented foul air coming up from the sewer.
