You are on page 1of 11

Roman Public health

Roman Public Health: why was it so good? Huge and organized system of slave labour to carry out large-scale building Romans ruled a large empire so many different ideas spread Army had to be healthy to defend the empire so needed public health Roman technology was advanced to produce what was required iron tools, well designed equipment, specialists engineers and practical attitude Strong, well organised central Roman government able to raise taxes to pay for schemes and organise work on a large scale Government took responsibility putting into practice its interest in large practical projects to improve the quality of life in empire

Limitations to public health Fresh water not available to all the people despite good intentions of the Government. Pipe and sewer system did not reach poorer parts of some of the cities including Rome itself With no pump the Romans were unable to solve the problems of supplying fresh water to upper floors of houses, apartments Although dirt-disease link was known it was not understood as no germ theory Pipes for carrying water made of lead or bronze but did not realise lead could cause poisoning Health was not very good in Roman Britain. Half the bodies dug up show rheumatism or arthritis. Average lifespan around 40 years

What the Romans did


What the Romans did for Public Health in Britain Public Health: the Governments responsibility! The Roman Government created high quality Public Health systems across the Empire because it believed it had the responsibility to keep people healthy and they would therefore be happy and hard-working and not likely to cause trouble.
A Clean Water Supply! The Romans developed a System of clean water supply for people with water brought to all settlements along aqueducts (water leaders) and distributed by a system of pipes to the consumers. They supplied clean, fresh water to their settlements because they believed there was a connection between dirty water and disease. Therefore all people in all settlements were given the chance to have clean water so they could stay healthy. Bathing keeps you clean! Public Baths, available to all, were built in all Roman settlements throughout the Empire, so that all classes could bathe and stay clean. They provided Public Baths which all people could go to because they believed there was a connection between dirt and disease. Therefore it was important that all people in all settlements had the chance to bathe and stay clean and healthy.

Getting rid of sewage and dirt Sewage disposal was intended to be available to all, with both public and private water-flushed latrines, drains and sewers to carry waste away. The Romans built systems to dispose of sewage because they believed that bad smells caused disease. Therefore bad smells caused by sewage had to be removed from all settlements. Healthy Army Safe Empire! Military hospitals were built throughout the Empire so that the best health care possible was available to the army. There was also public access to these hospitals in places. These hospitals were built because the defence of the Empire depended on the Army. Clean Streets, Clean Towns! Town planning was an important part of public health. Wide, paved streets were typical of Roman town planning. They had wide, paved streets because they believed there was a connection between dirt and disease and that bad smells caused disease. Therefore it was important to remove dirt and bad smells as quickly and easily as possible.

Why the Romans Took the Steps they did in Public Health

Roman beliefs and attitudes about disease and health were crucial to the steps they took: They believed dirt and disease were linked. They thought bad smells caused illness. They believed it better to prevent illness rather than cure. They knew that disease could spread from person to person. They regarded Army health as very important. The Government saw that it had the responsibility for Public Health.

Public Health in Britain in the Middle Ages


In the 5th century, the Roman Empire broke up and Western Europe was divided into many small kingdoms. Britain was invaded by tribes known as the AngloSaxons and Roman Ideas on matters relating to public health systems were largely lost. The newcomers probably knew the health advantages of keeping clean, but few were in a position to achieve this. Roman technical ideas were lost after the Empire collapsed. Most kings lacked the wealth or power to organise or pay for public health systems, even if they wanted to! As most rulers thought themselves far better than their subjects, they cared little for the poor and took rather than gave.

Why public health was poorer in the middle Ages


In Britain in the Middle Ages, central and local governments took no real or regular responsibility for Public Health, apart from occasional orders to clean the streets. Attitudes were often affected by Class and in the Feudal System of Medieval England there were clear social divisions between rulers and subjects, Scientific knowledge was limited, with no germ theory and no consistent Dirt-Disease link . Medieval Technology was good enough to have built public health facilities, but was applied to the building of castles, churches and monasteries. Only the Rich (Lords, Churchmen) had any organised water supply or sewage disposal schemes.

Key information on medieval public health in Britain


Government did not take responsibility Medieval governments did not think Public Health systems were their responsibility. Society was divided into rich and poor classes, the rich being French and the poor being English. While fresh water supply and sewage disposal systems were found in castles and monasteries, the towns were filthy, unhygienic and unhealthy.
Dirty Water Systems of clean water supply for towns did not exist. Corporations of rich men did not think it was their responsibility. Therefore, although they believed there was a connection between dirty water and disease, they did not spend money on systems to supply clean water. Even the building of an elm- wood conduit to bring water to London from outside the city in 1237 did not provide water clean enough to drink. Dumping of waste Waste disposal was a huge problem. Sewage and rubbish were dumped in the streets and streams, or in shared cesspits. It was unusual for anybody to take responsibility for cleaning up, however, and overflowing cesspits, which turned streets into open sewers, were a major problem in medieval towns. Dirt, smell and disease did go together.

and the results!


Sewage disposal systems in medieval towns were virtually nonexistent, even though people believed that bad smells caused disease. Systems were not provided because corporations did not think this was their responsibility. Therefore most streets and streams became full of sewage which people simply dumped there. This was added to by overflow from cesspits, where some dumped their waste, because nobody took responsibility for clearing it out regularly. Dirty houses Houses were unhealthy places because birds, insects and vermin lived in the roof, walls and reed- covered earth floors of the houses of the poor. Therefore both food and water were often contaminated and the lack of indoor toilets only increased the presence of a wide variety of germs, leading, of course, to regular outbreaks of disease and short lifespans. Dirty people - Public Baths did exist but Open air Public Baths were popular in the Middle Ages because people believed there was a connection between dirt and disease. Therefore it was important that people had the chance to bathe and stay clean. The Church was against such baths because of their links with prostitution, however, and they were run by private business only because corporations did not think this was their responsibility.

You might also like