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| Death In Victorian Farnham. Occasional Publication. Brigid Fice. 2009. (Page 35) |
The average life expectancy for people living in Britain in the Victorian era was 40 or below, a figure a lot lower then today's expectancy. This would have been because of the poor living conditions and high rates of disease such as tuberculosis and cholera. The next chart shows the life expectancy once the child has past the age of five; many children would not make it past this age. Much like the siblings of 'Pip' in 'Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations'. Deaths would not be registered like they are today as it was not a requirement until 1847. (Fice, 2009). Many causes of death were determined by the registry if the deceased hadn't previously seen a doctor. Some causes of death were determined as 'Dropsy', 'Syncope' or 'Palsy'. Dropsy was a large quantity of water found in the body, Syncope was caused by a sudden loss of blood pressure leading to consciousness. Lastly, Palsy was the loss of muscle control. Symptoms which would be easily treatable today would have caused death in others. It shows just how much medical science has developed over the years.
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| Death In Victorian Farnham. Occasional Publication. Brigid Fice. 2009. (Page 36) |
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