In November 1892, the village of Stonefield, Blantyre, was gripped by several alarming cases of typhoid fever. Though not enough to be classed an epidemic, the “fever van” was a too-familiar sight on local roads, and two tragic deaths sparked widespread concern.
The newspaper at the time wrote, “During the past few weeks there have been quite a number of cases of typhoid fever reported in the village of Stonefield, and while the number is not sufficiently large to form an epidemic, the fever van has become too common a sight in the public roadway, and two prominent fatal cases have caused some talk in the neighbourhood. The question of sanitation naturally follows, and a very superficial glance over the district does much to impress the casual observer that much still requires to be done in this direction, both by landlords and tenants. In several instances the insanitary condition of houses is perfectly disgraceful, while overcrowding seems to be a matter wholly “winked at.”
It’s a sobering reminder of how poor living conditions once shaped daily life in our community — and how hard-fought public health improvements really were.
💭 Can you imagine how frightening it must have been to see the fever van coming down your street in those days? #Blantyre #ScottishHistory #Lanarkshire #Typhoid #VictorianBlantyre #PublicHealth
Ai imagines the scene to illustrate the article.
