You must begin with a clear introduction that clearly states the content of your essay and the overall aims, objectives and argument of the essay.
Then provide some background detail as to the developments in the Nineteenth Century – what was life like in the 19th Century? Discuss living conditions and diseases – cholera, small pox etc. Squalor and the impact on the population in terms of living conditions and consequent problems. This should be brief, because this is not a history essay.
Ideas about the causes of disease may be explored – miasma theory? What was this? You may want to discuss the work of John Snow – Broad Street.
You may then want to discuss the work of Edwin Chadwick – Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population in Great Britain. What did he find and recommend? Was there any opposition to his recommendations? From whom and why?
What sanitation/public health measures were later introduced Public Health Act 1848.
Throughout all of this, you must be answering and referring back to the question. So is it accurate to describe this era as a sanitary era, why or why not? What was the impact? Was this act effective? If not, why not? What did it lead to? Perhaps there were great advances, but relatively, it was still unsanitary. Perhaps this was the beginning of public health as we know it today, so describing the era as a sanitary revolution is very accurate, when compared to what came before. Perhaps the reforms were so minor compared to the future, such as the formation of the NHS, that it would be an inaccurate description. You should be making such arguments throughout the essay. This is not a history essay, make sure that you answer the question.
