The Connection Between the Poor Law an Public Health
1837 - 1838 london was hit by a typhus epidemic
Reports published as appendices to the anual report of the Poor Law Commission
governmnet auditors disallowed this expenditure
As a result numbers applying for poor relief increased dramatically
Ergo East London Poor Law Guardians spent money from the poor rates on;
removing filth from the streets
prosecuting negligent landlords
They acted on the connection between epidemics and living conditions
Home secretary reffered the matter to the Poor Law Commission
Argued forcefully that, because disease caused pauperism, the prevention of disease and so the prevention of pauperism
Ergo fell within the competence of the Poor Law Commission
The Poor Law Commission agreed with Chadwick
They authorised a piolot study on the connection between th enviroment with disease, Chadwick was to set it up
All three produced reports
Their reports backed up what James Kay found in Machester in 1832, but also suggested improvements
Ergo thier conclusion were brought to the attention of Parliament
Chadwick chose three doctors who had previous experience in snitary invetigations
Health conditions could not be acived under existing circumstances
overcrowding, poor ventalation and inadequate water supply and lack of refuse control caused disease
Edwin Chadwick, now had ammunition to make a case for full- scale poor Law enquiry
started in 1839 to be published in 1842
Poor Law commission refuse it to be publised because it cricised;
Chadwick had the whole thing published in his name and at his own expense
