Living conditions
Houses in the cities had been built quickly to satisfy demand and were often not fit for living in. The housing in Glasgow and Dundee was mostly tenements which were cheaply built and crammed together with no building regulations or regard to safety. They were damp and cold, while fire was a constant risk.
Overcrowding was common and large families were forced to live in small spaces â often with up to 12 people in one âhouseâ. Many people lived in âsingle endsâ (houses consisting of one room only). Other more prosperous immigrants lived in aâroom and kitchenâ.
The tenements lacked washing facilities and toilets. These were usually shared and located in separate buildings and water was collected from a shared standpipe on the street.
Disease spread due to the lack of sanitation and overcrowding. Water was frequently contaminated with sewage and refuse and as a result, cholera was common. Diseases such as typhusA bacterial disease usually passed from rats, cats, etc. to humans via lice, fleas and ticks. It spreads in areas of poor sanitation and through close contact between people. Possible complications include loss of hearing, organ damage and gangrene. and tuberculosisA bacterial infection (also known as TB) spread through breathing in tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person. spread quickly as people lived so close together and fresh air was lacking.
Middens (heaps of refuse) were located behind the houses - they created foul air and attracted rats.