What was a common practice in the Industrial Revolution to prevent the spread of infectious diseases?

During the Industrial Revolution, cities experienced rapid population growth and urbanization, which often led to overcrowded living conditions and inadequate sanitation. As a result, public health officials recognized the importance of implementing sanitation and hygiene measures to combat the spread of infectious diseases. This included efforts to improve waste disposal, clean water supply, and general public cleanliness.

These measures were vital in reducing disease transmission in an environment where factors like poor housing and limited medical knowledge contributed to outbreaks of illnesses such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. By focusing on sanitation and hygiene, communities aimed to create healthier living conditions, which had a direct impact on controlling infections and promoting overall public health.

While vaccination, mandatory health screenings, and isolation of the sick were also important public health strategies, they were not as widespread or systematically implemented during the early phases of the Industrial Revolution as sanitation and hygiene measures. Sanitation laid the foundation for more advanced public health interventions that would follow as understanding of disease mechanisms evolved.