Health and Medicine

Hygiene and Changing Attitudes to Dirt

a) Causes of Illness

• 'Diseased parents'
• Night air
• Sedentary habits
• Anger
• Wet feet
• Abrupt changes to temperature
• Causes of fever
  • Injury
  • Bad air
  • Violent emotion
  • Irregular bowels
  • Extremes of heat and cold
• Causes of Cholera
  • Rancid food
  • 'Cold fruits' e.g. cucumbers and melons
  • Passionate fear or rage

b) Hygiene and Class

• New statistics through investigations by social reformers
  • Edwin Chadwick
  • Initially focused on poor areas and the causes and prevention of contageous diseases.
  • …