Public Health in the Pre- Industrial World pre c. 1750

- Aqueducts - carried fresh water to settlements

- Drinking fountains - in towns for drinking and collecting clean water

- Water pipes - lead or bronze - carried water around settlements

- Bath houses in every town 

- Latrines or toilets - public toilets flush using dirty water from bathouses and drain into sewers

- Sewers carried dirty & waste water from towns

- Healthy army is strong in conquest

- Camps/forts located near fresh water

- Military hospitals built in conquered lands eg: England, Germany, Switzerland & Africa

- hospitals had sewers and segregated depending on diseaase

- Medical officers treated wounded soldiers

- Strength of empire dep. on health of army

- Romans recognised healthy slaves, workers, merchants and traders necessary for maintainence of empire

- Roman Gvts decisive to see health as priority, strong enough to see plans carried out

- Romans had engineering and construction skills, therefore could build facilities

- Vast army of slaves working on construction

- Taxation was used to fund P H projects

- Romans proud of city, therefore built public facilities which showed this esp. when water was such a precious resource

- In bath houses water changed 1 per week therefore could carry disease

- In town sewers often open and tended to block - bad smells and threat of disease common

- Romans unable to stop epidemics and plagues eg: Galen's plague

- Villages - no bath houses or sewers

- When army left to defend Rome, PH facilities fell into disrepair - expertise left with army