Why did attitudes to publci health reforms change? (3.1)

Writers and journalists

reported on housing conditions
Charles Dickens - focused on London, where he had first-hand experience of poverty
his books were widely available and enjoyed by many

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reported on public health matters
locla outbreaks of scarlet fever and typhoid were reported in local newspapers such as the Leeds Mercury
occasionally connections were made between poor living conditions and disease
national newspapers had the greatest impact on chnaging the attitudes of those with the power to bring about change
The Times headed a campaign for effective sewerage of London as a result of the 'Great Stink' of 1858

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improved their record-keeping facilities
enabled the production of statistical eveidence to illusrate the connection between population density and overcrowding and death and disease
there was increasing scientific knowledge and understanding about the causes of water-borne and sanitaion-related diseases
increased public awareness
1844 - Health of Towns Association established to carry out a propaganda campaign for public health legislation
Governments set up Royal Commissions to investigate the living conditions of the poor and authorised a range of investigations

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the cost of public health reforms could be calculated against the cost of losing a productive worker to one of the so called 'dirty' diseases
one problem was deciding which sections of society would be paying for clean water and drains for all
the initial costs of connecting a house to a water supply and to sewerage systems fell upon the householder
the government would have to increase rents to cover costs, and the very poor could not pay

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