In “Raw Material” Cicely Fox writes about her an experience in her childhood in “How We Used to Black-Lead Stoves.” At the end of the story, she boldly asserts that “we all still go into the oven. Then, it was back to the earth of which all these powders and pomades had been so lovingly extracted” (175). This ironic statement brings many inquires about the state of Miss Fox’s living conditions while in Sheffield and Manchester. Here is some information about the toxic living conditions that children had to endure at that time.
Many poor children were exposed to hazardous conditions in factories, although by the middle of the l9th century, just breathing the air could be dangerous, depending on where one lived. The tuberculosis rates in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Sheffield were twice as high for women and five times higher for men, compared to those who didn't reside in factory towns. This is partly due to the excessive burning of pure coal, to power the factories and heat the homes. In 1829, the consumption of coal in England and Wales was 3.5 million tons for manufacturing and 5.5 million tons for household use, and this was still just the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Tuberculosis was contagious and further aggravated by the poor respiratory health common to the men, women and children who sometimes spent 14 hours a day in factories. And while T.B. was more fatal to young adults than children, the harbored bacillus in a child would usually cause a far more severe reaction later in life. Poor air quality also increased the incidence of childhood asthma.
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