Public Health in Medieval Towns and Cities Flashcards

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In history, what does public health in medieval towns and cities mean?

It means how shared town conditions, like water, waste and housing, affected people’s health.

Towns grew crowded, so more people, animals and rubbish were squeezed into small, tight spaces.

Town streets were busy and cramped, with more waste, foul air and dirty water than in villages.

They used wells, streams, rivers and stone conduits that brought water from nearby springs.

Water sources were often near latrines and rubbish, so waste could leak in and pollute them.

A cesspit was a deep pit in the ground where people’s toilet waste was stored.

People threw waste into streets or rivers, or kept it in cesspits until workers removed it.

They were paid workers who cleared rubbish from streets and emptied cesspits and latrines.

They made local laws, fined people for dumping waste, and sometimes paid for paving and pipes.

Towns had little money, weak councils, and no germ theory, so laws were hard to enforce.