Canada's Amazing Health History: Let's Murder the Medical Officer, Part 1

Summary

The video script delves into the historical impact of disease on Canada's development, highlighting how life expectancy has significantly improved over the past century. It discusses the public's resistance to health advancements like smoking cessation, fluoridation, and seat belt usage. The narrative traces the role of diseases like scurvy, smallpox, and typhus in shaping Canada's history, from the challenges faced by early settlers to the devastating effects on indigenous populations. The script also touches on the introduction of vaccines and public health measures, emphasizing the ongoing struggle between scientific progress and societal acceptance.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Canada's current life expectancy is nearly 79 years for women and over 71 years for men, ranking among the best in the world.
• 🚑 Infant mortality in Canada has significantly decreased from a much higher rate five decades ago.
• 🏥 The health of Canadians has seen radical improvements over the last century, despite periods of public resistance to health advancements.
• 🔬 Science has often outpaced public acceptance, with examples like the delayed adoption of life-saving measures like smoking cessation, fluoridation, and seat belt use.
• 📚 Disease has played a significant role in Canadian history, acting as both an obstacle and a factor in population shifts.
• 🛳️ Early colonization efforts were hampered by diseases like scurvy and the transmission of illnesses to indigenous populations.
• 🦠 Epidemics such as typhus and smallpox influenced the outcome of conflicts and the growth of settlements in Canada.
• 🚫 Public and political resistance to health measures like quarantines and vaccinations has historically led to increased disease spread and death tolls.
• 🏘️ The 1832 cholera outbreak in Quebec City and Montreal resulted in a significant portion of the population dying, highlighting the impact of disease on urban centers.
• 🌱 The introduction of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner offered hope against the disease, but its adoption in Canada was slow and met with opposition.
• 📉 Despite the availability of the smallpox vaccine, compulsory vaccination acts faced significant resistance, reflecting ongoing public health challenges.

Q & A

What is the current average life expectancy in Canada?

The average life expectancy in Canada today is nearly 79 years for women and more than 71 years for men.

How has the infant mortality rate changed in Canada over the past five decades?

In the past five decades, the rate of infant mortality in Canada has decreased significantly, to the point where fewer than 1% of babies die today, compared to a time when the rate was seven times higher.

What role has public resistance played in the history of health progress in Canada?

Public resistance has been a recurring obstacle in the history of health progress in Canada, with the public often lagging behind scientific advancements and resisting measures such as smoking cessation, fluoridation, and seat belt usage.

How did disease impact the colonization efforts of France in Canada?

Diseases like scurvy, measles, typhus, and smallpox severely hampered France's colonization efforts, causing high mortality rates among settlers and soldiers, and indirectly influencing the outcome of conflicts with the English.

What was the impact of the 1832 cholera outbreak on Quebec City and Montreal?

The 1832 cholera outbreak killed one-tenth of the population of Quebec City and seventeenth of the population of Montreal, highlighting the devastating effects of disease on the population.

What measures were taken during the 1832 cholera outbreak to try to control the spread of the disease?

Crude quarantine stations were set up, ships were stopped, and human wastes were dumped into the river. However, these measures were not effective, and the disease spread, leading to significant loss of life.

How did the Plains Indians perceive the smallpox epidemics in the 18th and 19th centuries?

Many Plains Indians believed that the smallpox epidemics were part of a deliberate conspiracy to destroy them, leading to increased hostility towards the white man.

What was the turning point in the fight against smallpox in Canada?

The introduction of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner in the late 18th century marked a significant turning point. Reverend John Clinch and Dr. Joseph Bond played crucial roles in introducing the vaccine to Canada.

Why did the compulsory smallpox vaccination act of 1861 face opposition in Canada?

The compulsory smallpox vaccination act faced opposition, particularly in Quebec, where some viewed vaccination as useless, dangerous, and a violation of personal liberty.

How has the historical influence of disease shaped the course of Canadian history?

Disease has played a significant role in shaping Canadian history by impacting colonization efforts, influencing the outcome of conflicts, and affecting the settlement and development of the country.

Outlines

00:00

🌡️ Health Progress and Challenges in Canada

The paragraph discusses the significant improvements in the health of Canadians over the past century, as measured by life expectancy and infant mortality rates. It highlights that the average life expectancy in Canada is nearly 79 years for women and over 71 years for men, which are among the best in the world. However, it also points out that progress has not been smooth, with public resistance to scientific advancements in health, such as smoking hazards, fluoridation, and seat belt usage. The paragraph also delves into historical context, showing how disease has shaped Canadian history, from the challenges faced by early explorers like Cartier, who lost many men to scurvy, to the impact of diseases like measles, typhus, and smallpox on the French and Indian populations. It emphasizes the role of disease in both hindering and facilitating the growth of settlements and the eventual outcome of conflicts between France and England for control of Canada.

05:03

🚑 Epidemics and Public Health Responses

This paragraph focuses on the devastating effects of epidemics on immigrant populations and the public health responses in Canada. It recounts the tragic story of a cholera outbreak in 1832, which was exacerbated by a crude quarantine station that inadvertently spread the disease further. The paragraph also describes the public's initial resistance to scientific solutions, such as cleaning polluted water and disinfecting, which were eventually adopted to combat the spread of disease. The narrative continues with the typhoid epidemic in 1847, which claimed many lives among immigrants traveling on 'coffin ships.' Additionally, it discusses the impact of smallpox on the Plains Indians, who suffered severe population declines due to the disease. The paragraph concludes with the introduction of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner and its slow adoption in Canada, despite opposition and misconceptions about its safety and efficacy.

Keywords

💡Life Expectancy

Life expectancy refers to the average number of years a person is expected to live, based on the year of their birth. In the context of the video, it is used to highlight the significant improvement in the health of Canadians over the last century. The script mentions that the average life expectancy in Canada is nearly 79 years for women and over 71 years for men, indicating a high standard of public health.

💡Infant Mortality

Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births. The video script points out that fewer than 1% of babies in Canada die, a stark contrast to the past when the rate was seven times higher. This change reflects advancements in healthcare and living conditions.

💡Public Health

Public health encompasses the organized efforts of society to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life. The video discusses how public health has evolved, with examples of past resistance to measures like fluoridation and seat belt usage, illustrating the ongoing challenges in public health policy and education.

💡Disease

Disease is a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, that is not caused by physical injury and is typically a response to an infection. The video script uses disease as a central theme, showing its impact on Canadian history, such as how scurvy and smallpox affected early explorers and settlers.

💡Scurvy

Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C. The video recounts how scurvy was a significant health issue for early explorers like Jacques Cartier, who lost many of his crew to the disease during their exploration of Canada.

💡Smallpox

Smallpox is a contagious and often deadly infectious disease caused by the variola virus. The script highlights the devastating effect of smallpox on the indigenous populations of Canada, with epidemics causing massive deaths and contributing to the colonization of the country.

💡Quarantine

Quarantine is the separation and restriction of movement of people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. The video describes the establishment of a quarantine station in Quebec City to prevent the spread of cholera among incoming immigrants, reflecting the historical efforts to control disease outbreaks.

💡Epidemic

An epidemic is the widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time. The video script mentions several epidemics, such as cholera and typhus, that had profound effects on the population and the course of Canadian history.

💡Vaccination

Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to provide immunity to a particular disease. The video discusses the introduction of the smallpox vaccine in Canada and the subsequent resistance to compulsory vaccination, showing the historical challenges in public health initiatives.

💡Colonization

Colonization refers to the action or process of people settling in and establishing control over new territories. The video script connects disease and colonization, explaining how diseases like measles and smallpox, brought by European settlers, devastated indigenous populations and facilitated the colonization of Canada.

💡Indigenous Populations

Indigenous populations are the original inhabitants of a geographic area. The video highlights the impact of diseases like smallpox on the indigenous peoples of Canada, causing significant population decline and altering the course of their history and culture.

Highlights

Life expectancy in Canada is nearly 79 years for women and over 71 years for men.

Infant mortality rate is less than 1%, a significant improvement from five decades ago.

Health of Canadians has improved radically in the last century, but progress has faced public hostility and opposition.

Science has often raced ahead of public acceptance regarding health and disease prevention.

Disease has historically acted as an obstacle and a deflector in Canadian history.

In 1536, Cartier's crew suffered from scurvy, and Native Americans provided a cure.

Diseases like measles, typhus, and smallpox were introduced to indigenous populations by French settlers.

Disease influenced the balance of power between France and England in the battle for Canada.

The French army was significantly reduced by typhus and smallpox, affecting the outcome of the battle in 1759.

Immigrant ships, known as 'coffin ships,' brought diseases like cholera to Canada.

In 1832, a quarantine station was set up in Quebec City to combat cholera, but it was not entirely effective.

Cholera killed a significant portion of Quebec City and Montreal's populations in 1832.

In 1847, typhus aboard immigrant ships led to the death of 20,000 people.

Smallpox epidemics in the 18th and 19th centuries decimated the Plains Indians, altering their resistance.

Disease has been a significant factor in shaping the course of Canadian history.

Edward Jenner's discovery of the smallpox vaccine in the late 18th century offered hope against disease.

Smallpox vaccination was made compulsory in Lower Canada in 1861, despite opposition.

The historical struggle against disease in Canada highlights the challenges of public health initiatives.

Transcripts

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how is the health state of a Nation

measured useful indicators are life

expectancy and infant

mortality average life expectancy in

Canada today is nearly 79 years for

women more than 71 years for men among

the best in the

world fewer than 1% of our babies die

today we have only to look back five

decades to find a time when the rate of

infant mortality was seven times that

high the health of Canadians has

improved radically in the last century

but the progress has never been smooth

never uniform never achieved without

some public hostility and

opposition time and time again science

raced ahead and the public lagged behind

refusing to accept help with the

diseases and conditions that were

killing it

nor has that situation entirely changed

research tells us today that smoking is

hazardous that fluoridation prevents

cavities that seat belts save lives and

yet as a public we smoke resist

fluoridation and drive

unprotected much has changed but much

Remains the Same

for four centuries the pageant of

Canadian history has been played out

against a backdrop of

disease never passive disease acted as

an obstacle a deflector a side cutting

down one group to make way for

another in

1536 Jac car sailed up the St Lawrence

and wintered near modern-day

Quebec that winter over a hundred of his

men fell ill of Mal deter or

scurvy with scurvy killing his crew

Cartier went to the Indians for help

they told him to drink a tea brewed from

hemlock Twigs in bark but for 25 of

Cartier's men The Cure came too

late France's every attempt to colonize

this new land was made grindingly

Difficult by famine and

scurvy robber Val's colony in Quebec

Champlain's eel squa off the coast of

New Brunswick small tow holes achieved

at a great cost in

lives disease hampered the growth of New

France in another

way to their Indian allies the French

swiftly imparted their diseases measles

typhus

smallpox The iqua Who hat the French

avoided these illnesses to some extent

and were able therefore to defeat the

disease weakened

hurons in the long battle for Canada

waged between France and England the

influence of disease favored one side

and then the

other finally it was to the French that

disease dealt a decisive

blow the ships that brought troops to

fight for New France carried extra

passengers typhus and

smallpox repeated epidemics in the

colony and a very high death rate among

the newborn shrank the population of New

France and the army with

it when France was defeated by Britain

on the plains of Abraham in

1759 the French army numbered less than

10,000 without smallpox and typhoid

their army would probably have been

twice that

size the history of Canada could have

been dramatically

[Music]

different after Britain's conquest of

New France epidemics continued to reach

the new world aboard crowded unsanitary

immigrant ships they were called coffin

ships for the mass death that happened

aboard

Them In

1832 news got out that 51,000 British

immigrants were about to arrive in

Quebec from Cola infested

ports on gril below Quebec City a crude

quarantine station was set up and all

the incoming ships were stopped the

human wastes from gross eel were dumped

into the river infecting the drinking

water

Downstream not realizing that people

could transmit illness when they

appeared well the keepers of the

quarantine allowed healthy looking

immigrants to leave gril for Quebec and

Montreal a month and a half after the

first ship arrived chera was raging in

every settlement along Canada's River

transportation system

the people burned tar in front of their

houses in the vain hope that it would

purify the

[Music]

air when the quar

failed communities took steps to protect

themselves club wielding mobs trying to

keep ships with chera aboard from

Landing local Boards of Health also set

out after the cola

Menace they suggested cleaning up

polluted water and giving out free lime

and whitewash for disinfecting Sellers

and privies but politicians and the

public both dragged their heels and the

vicious contagion ran its Court

In

1832 Kera killed oneth of the population

of Quebec City in Montreal 17th of the

population

died the immigration nightmare continued

in 1847 it was typhoid's

turn a 100,000 immigrants left the

British Isles for Canada and 20,000 died

of typhus aboard the crowded coffin

ships the situation was even worse among

the Plains

Indians in the 18th and 19th centuries

wave after wave of small Park swept

across western Canada each epidemic

destroyed at least half the Indian

population of the West many Indians

believed that the small pox epidemics

were part of a deliberate conspiracy to

destroy

them they became increasingly hostile to

the white

man but the smallpox epidemic of 1869

brought a sense that the scourge was too

powerful to fight against anger gave way

to

hopelessness the blind power of disease

first aggravated then repressed the

spirit of rebellion among the Indians

leaving the West generally pacified for

settlement once again disease had helped

to forge the path that Canadian history

followed most of History has been marked

and marred by the futility of man's

efforts against

disease but at the end of the 18th

century Edward Jenner injected cowpox

into the arm of an 8-year-old boy and an

unforseen Hope was at

hand Reverend John clinch of Trinity new

land was a personal friend of Jenner he

received and used anti- smallpox vaccine

perhaps as early as

1798 Dr Joseph Bond introduced it to

Nova Scotia in

1802

1802 and yet Canadians continued to die

of small pox in large numbers for most

of the following

Century in

1861 Lower Canada passed an act making

smallpox vaccination compulsory for

everyone opposition to the ACT grew

steadily particularly in Quebec where

one doctor declared vaccination to be a

useless dangerous and filthy right an

outrage against personal Liberty