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Life In The Victorian Era
In 1837, Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom and ruled for 63 years. During the so-called Victorian era, Britain's empire became the biggest in the world. The Industrial Revolution transformed Britain into a technological powerhouse, and the population skyrocketed.
Between 1815 and 1860, London's population grew three-fold, counting more than 3 million residents.
Unfortunately, the city's rapid growth led to some undesirable side effects. Diseases like cholera spread quickly, and the practice of dumping raw sewage into the River Thames left London foul and polluted.
Population growth wasn't the only change that came at a high price. While the booming railroad business made it easier than ever to cross England, doctors blamed the technology for railway madness, which they defined as a sudden mental break that caused passengers to go mad just because they were riding a train. These so-called "railway madmen" were believed to be driven insane due to the train's sounds and motion.
But Victorians didn't always trust doctors — especially when body snatching was such a common problem. High demand for cadavers in medical schools created an underground market for dead bodies. Eerily enough, some body snatchers didn't even wait until their targets died.
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