Previously, many common diseases, such as cholera, were spread when wastewater was allowed to contaminate drinking water. It became obvious that many diseases were spread through drinking contaminated water and something had to be done. This change in water quality was partially due to the fact that human faeces and urine were taken from the water system and given to farmers to be used as fertilisers. As previously raw sewage had been flowing in open drains through the street, disease had been free to spread. With the new closed drain system people did not come into direct contact with raw sewage, for this reason disease was controlled.
Improvement in drilling techniques led to the use of underground lakes to provide water for the people of London and other major cities. This water was available from pumps on the streets.
The price of coal reduced, with this many people were able to heat their houses, making them warmer and dryer.
The development of anesthetics and antiseptics made operations possible without disease. These factors combined led to an increase in the hygiene of the population as a whole. Edward Jenna created a vaccine against smallpox, this dramatically reduced the rate of death by smallpox.
This was all possible because the people were represented by a Member of Parliament, who fought for the public’s rights. All of this helped to increase the population.
Agricultural Revolution
The Agricultural revolution began with the introduction of the Enclosure Act. At this time, the traditional strip farming and common land methods of farming were abolished in favour of private enclosed fields. This resulted in many poorer farmers loosing their land because they couldn’t afford to own them. These farmers then had to move to the cities in search of jobs, thus forming the work force for the industrial revolution. As a result of enclosure there were many changes in farming methods. With these new methods of farming came increased productivity and profit. With the loss of smaller landowners, farm sizes increased and farming became a business. As the fields were privately owned, experimentation was possible. As fields were privately owned, crop rotation was possible. This involves crops being rotated around different areas, this was effective because certain crops use particular levels in the soil, thus helping crops obtain the nutrients they require.
As these fields became enclosed, many farmers became involved in selective breeding. This involved only breeding from the best livestock, this resulted in individual animals producing more meat, wool or milk. As selective breeding was becoming more popular, the average weight of livestock increased. From seventeen fifty to nineteen hundred, the average weight of livestock doubled. With this selective breeding came more profit, as fewer animals were needed to produce a certain amount of meat. This was because there was more meat per animal. This is all relevant when talking about the demographic change as it moved many people to the cities in search for jobs, and made food readily available for the public. The change of transport in this period was of great significance to the agricultural revolution as it transported the food from rural to urban areas.
Industrial Revolution
