Death and disease were common in the 19th century in industrial Leeds due to many factors: overcrowding, poor conditions in the factories and mills and the many infectious diseases that were rife at the time. Children were particularly vulnerable. In this talk by Dr Emma Storr, University of Leeds, she will discuss some of the measures taken to improve working conditions for everyone in the textile industries as well as the role played by physicians such as Charles Thackrah and others which led to early public health interventions and a gradual decline in mortality and morbidity.

A Leeds 400 event from the Thoresby Society