Events

Abstract: During the late nineteenth century, British cities witnessed a significant decline in mortality from faecal–oral diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. In contrast, infant diarrhoeal mortality followed a more complex trajectory and later disappearance, with a particularly strong seasonal component. This paper investigates the delayed decline in diarrhoeal deaths and traces how the relationship between hot summer temperatures and infant mortality evolved between the 1890s and the 1930s. We investigate the mechanisms underlying this change, focusing on improvements in sanitary infrastructure, developments in transport, and shifts in infant feeding practices. The analysis draws on the Registrar General’s weekly returns of cause-specific mortality for large towns from 1891 to 1930, combined with daily temperature records and measures of sanitation (including the prevalence of flush toilets), as well as demographic and occupational characteristics. We estimate two-way fixed-effects models following Barreca et al. (2016) to assess how these factors mediated the temperature–mortality relationship over time.

The Oxford Seminar in Economic and Social History series for Hilary Term 2026 is convened by Stephen Broadberry and Victoria Gierok. 

For more information on this or any of the seminars in the series, please contact stephen.broadberry@nuffield.ox.ac.uk.