Medicine - Medieval public health

Medieval public health

• As Britain separated, most people moved back to the countryside
• Towns began to decay, as did public health systems
• No one had the power or funding to build or maintain public health facilities
• When towns grew in later Middle Ages, so did the problems with public health

Poor hygiene

• People knew about the link between dirt and disease, but not how to solve it
• Rubbish, dead animals and excrement were not removed from the streets
• Water from rivers were contaminated with dumped sewage and rubbish
• Latrines (toilets) were located above rivers or streams
• Because of this, most people drank ale…