Public health in Tudor England / Sanford V. Larkey.

  • Larkey, Sanford V. (Sanford Vincent), 1898-
Date:
[1934]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Public health in Tudor England / Sanford V. Larkey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    by the towns and cities for the purpose. The unsanitary conditions of streets was considered an important factor in plague epidemics, and rules for cleaning streets are embodied in the Plague Orders. It was realized that pure and whole¬ some food was essential to health. As Elizabeth stated in a proclamation: “ We must provide . . . foode, and other like necessaries for mans life upon reasonable prices, without which no citie can long continue,” and, as an¬ other proclamation says, “ food should be good, sweete, sound, and wholesome for mans body?’ The standards and quality of food products were regulated by various laws, such as the Assize of Bread. The government proceeded strenuously against anyone selling bad or tainted food, and in one case the punishment certainly fitted the crime: any dealer who sold bad pork was to be put in the pillory in the market place and the rancid flesh burned in his face. The problem of adequate food supply in times of dearth was a serious one, and in 1577 John Dee, Queen Elizabeth’s phy¬ sician, suggested that the government establish stores of grain to meet such emergencies. This was done in a small way by various municipalities, and in 1623 James I carried it out on a large scale. One of the reasons he gives for his action will strike a sympathetic note today. He says: “ The Kings most Excellent Majestie, observing that in times of dearth His loving Subjects (especially the poorer sort) are pinched with the great want and deere prices of Corne, and that the Treasure of the Kingdome, in those times is much ex¬ hausted, in providing Corne from for- raine parts, and againe, that in times of plenty, the Farmour and Husbandman, by the low prices, and want of vent of their Corne, are hardly able to support their necessary charge nor the Landlord to uphold his rent.” He hopes to stabilize prices by gathering stores in various parts of the kingdom, where, in times of famine, corn will be sold at a fixed fair price. The rapidly increasing population of London was a cause of great concern to the government, as it realized the dangers from disease in such a con¬ gested area. As Elizabeth herself put it, in a proclamation of 1580 against tenements: “ Yet where there are such great multitudes of people brought to inhabitate in small roomes, whereof a great part are seene very poore, Yea, such as must live of begging, or by worse meanes, and they heaped up together, and in a sort smothered with many families of children and servantes in one house or small tenement, it must needes followe (if any plague or popular sicknes shoulde by Gods permission, enter amongst those multitudes) that the same would not only spread it selfe and invade the whole city and confines, as great mortalitie should ensue to the same.” The aim of this law was to pro¬ hibit any new buildings within the city area, or the subdivision of existing houses into tenements. Elizabeth’s Stuart successors at¬ tempted to- further these plans, but they met with vigorous opposition from selfish private interests, who put their own gain before the health of the com¬ munity. Both James I and Charles I had very extensive schemes for city planning, regulating all phases of build¬ ing. Among the proposals of Charles was this—“ The windowes of every whole story to be of more height than breadth to the end the Roomes may receive ay re for health.” In light of the recent survey of the present living con¬ ditions of the London poor, emphasizing the fact that large numbers still inhabit ill-lighted and unsanitary basement rooms, it is amazing to find that this law of Charles I prohibited cellars being used as lodgings. It is a sad commen¬ tary upon civilization that such far see¬ ing plans were discarded under the laissez faire system.