Public Health- History

Black Death

The epidemic that arrived in Britain in 1348, caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis and spread by fleas on rats.

Feudal System

A hierarchical system where the king gave land to barons, who controlled parts of the kingdom for him, while peasants farmed the land.

Miasma Theory

The belief that diseases like the Black Death were caused by bad air or miasmas.

Ergotism

A condition caused by a fungus on rye bread, which led to hallucinations.

Public Conduits

Channels, pipes, or tubes used for conveying water in towns, where few homes had private wells.

Cesspit

An underground chamber designed to collect and contain human excrement and wastewater.

Pesthouses

Isolated buildings set up to quarantine and care for victims of infectious diseases like the plague.

Great Plague of 1665

A severe outbreak of plague that killed approximately 100,000 people in London, about 20% of the city's population.

Plague Orders

Regulations introduced during plague outbreaks requiring isolation of infected homes and streets to be cleaned.

Rebuilding Act of 1667

Legislation that mandated the use of brick, tile, and stone for rebuilding after the Great Fire of London to improve public health.