Peoples health Early Modern 1500-1750

What was the average life expectancy?

41

Food at this time ?

Country side - same as middle ages

Towns- same as middle ages, wealthy had more access to meats, trade meant more vegetable and fruits became available, sugar

Housing at this time ?

Countryside- manky oak framed with thatched roofs, slowly replaced with stone

Towns- oak frame with thatched roofs, slowly replaced with stone
- houses one room wide and 3 stories high with overhanging jetties
-many houses overcrowded draughty and damp
-people cooked on open fires as coal was cheap but caused dust, soot and smoke

Water and drink at this time ?

Countryside- every village near stream, at least one well in village
- some streams polluted
- ale, fermentation process killed germs

Towns- drunkenness became common
- early conduits built by church but later maintained by church council
- water sellers
- fountains and conduits
- some wells
- lead pipes carries water
- hot chocolate, tea and coffee. 1700 there was 500 coffee houses

Waste at this time ?

Countryside- midden at end of gardens
- cesspit
- human waste sometimes used to fertilise fields

Towns- rakers collect waste piles from people's house
- dung hills outside of town gates
- 1596 first flushing toliet
- privies over rivers
- most uses privies over cesspits
-poor had to clear own dung

What was the plague ?

A disease that carried by fleas that killed half of the population during the Early Modern
Started in 1500-1667 killing between 70,000 and 100,000 Londoners

Attitudes/beliefs about the plague ?

Miasma
4 humours unbalanced
Gods punishment
Dirty clothes/fur of cats or dogs
Contagion- close contact with victim

Impact of the plague ?

Death within 5 days
1/5 people who had it survived

Reactions to the plague ?

Running away
Prayer
Very few flagellants
Closing up houses
Violent attacks of outsiders
Physicians wore heavy cloaks, hoods and leather beaks stuffed with herbs
Burning tar barrels
Herbal remedies
People tried to find a cure
People stuck together

Local government response to the plague ?

Aldermen in York introduced watch men to stop infected people entering city
Local houses built pests houses for plague victims
Plague orders from London 1665

National government response to plague ?

1518-Henry VIII ordered isolation of victims, straw hung out of window of infected house for 40 days, anyone who left the house who had a plague victim in had to carry a white stick so people avoid them

1578 Elizabeth I- plague orders printed, streets and alleyways had to be thoroughly cleaned ,Clothes of victim had to be burnt,Infected houses to be closed up for at least 6 weeks with watchmen outside , special prayers said to asks for gods forgiveness

No dogs, cats , pigeons on streets

1604- city and town watchmen could be punished to enforce policy of isolation, harsher punishments if victim left isolation (could be hung)

Local government in Early modern (York and London)

York- pigs kept in a sty
-house hold waste not put out for rakers until 7pm
- people fined for throwing waste into street at night
- people not allowed to block gutters that run down Yorks main streets

London- many streets paved with stone
- Hugh Middleton built reservoir in 1609 to bring water to London
- by 1750 several water companies in London piped water into wealthy houses for annual subscription

What is the gin craze ?

1720-1751 serious issue
Gin was imported from Holland and in late 1680s it became cheap as it started to be made in England
1720- gin made big social and health problems "drunk for a penny, dead drunk for 2"
1729- gin act, distillers had to pay tax of 5 shillings on each gallon and licensing cost sellers £20
1743- sale of gin was restricted to ale houses
1751- anyone caught selling gin illegally was imprisoned and whipped for second offence, third offence transportation which worked