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GCSEHistoryAQAThematic Study (Paper 2: Section A)Exam QuestionsBritain: Health & the People: c1000 to the Present DayExam Skills: Britain: Health & the People

Exam Skills: Britain: Health & the People (AQA GCSE History: Thematic Study (Paper 2: Section A)): Exam Questions

Exam code: 8145

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Exam Skills: Britain: Health & the People

18 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying public health in the 19th century? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

A colour cartoon titled "Let the safety of the people be the supreme law," published in 1832. It shows a man in Roman-style robes (labelled as John Vaughan) sitting on a dome marked “Source of the Southwark Water Works” in the middle of the River Thames. He holds a staff in one hand and raises a cup in the other. Around him, the river is dark and polluted, with people bathing on the left and a crowd gathered on the right shouting phrases like “Give us clean water!”, “We shall all have cholera”, and “It makes me sick!”. In the background are buildings, including a labelled “Southwark Water Works,” and smoke rising from chimneys. A bridge crosses the river behind the central figure.

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28 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying the methods of treating disease in the 18th and early 19th centuries? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

A monochrome cartoon from 1809 showing a group of men surrounding and treating a distressed patient who is seated on a stool. The patient is labelled "John Bull" and represents Britain. The men around him, who appear to be doctors or quacks, are offering a variety of treatments including "Quinine", "Leeches", "Opium", "Emetic", "Diet Sauce", and a bottle marked "Milk". One man holds a large syringe, while another brandishes a saw. A guillotine labelled "Guillotine" is visible to the left, and the scene is chaotic and crowded, with exaggerated facial expressions. The image was published in The Satirist magazine.

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38 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying surgery in the late 18th and early 19th centuries? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

A coloured cartoon from 1793 showing a chaotic surgical scene in which a distressed male patient is having his leg amputated while seated on a chair. Several surgeons crowd around him, with one using a large saw on his leg. The patient appears to be in pain, gripping another person’s hands. Surgical instruments are scattered on the floor. A skeleton is depicted on the back wall. A sign reads “Qualified surgeons” with fictional names: Samuel Sawbone, Launcelot Slashmuscle, Paul Purge, and Abraham Abscess. A label on the wall says “The Surgery.”

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48 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying the work of the National Health Service? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

A public health poster from the NHS produced in 2017. It shows the silhouette of a pregnant woman holding a lit cigarette. Smoke from the cigarette rises and forms the image of a fetus within it. The poster includes the NHS logo and the campaign name “SMOKEFREE.” Text on the poster reads: “EVERY CIGARETTE HARMS YOUR BABY INSTANTLY.” Below this, additional text explains that smoking restricts oxygen to the baby, making its heart work harder, and promotes a free pregnancy support DVD to help people quit smoking.

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58 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying issues in the modern treatment of disease? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

A hand points to a bowl of mixed pills and sweets. The text warns against antibiotic misuse and advises consulting a healthcare professional. World Health Organisation logo.

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68 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying the cholera epidemics of the 19th century? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

A black and white cartoon from 1852 titled “A Court for King Cholera.” The image shows a densely crowded street scene in a poor area. People of all ages, including many children, are shown in unsanitary conditions. There are open drains and a large heap of waste in the foreground, with children playing near it. The buildings are run-down, with signs reading “Good Beds” and “Lodgings for Travellers.” People look sick or poor, and the street is chaotic and dirty. The image is highly detailed and was drawn by John Leech for Punch

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78 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying treatments in Medieval England? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

Source A: A drawing in Practica chirurgiae (Practice of Surgery) in around 1230 by Roland of Parma, an early 13th-century surgeon.

Roland of Parma's commentary became the standard surgical textbook in the West for the next three centuries.

A medieval manuscript illustration shows a medical scene. On the left, a figure dressed in dark robes and a head covering is performing a medical procedure, likely bloodletting, on a seated patient in a red robe. The patient holds out their arm, and red drops are visible. On the right, another person in greyish-green robes holds a white cloth and a bowl, possibly to assist with the procedure. The scene takes place under an arch with decorative columns, and Latin or medieval script is written above and below the illustration.

Source courtesy of the Casanatense Library, Rome, MiC. Casanatense volume Ms. 1382

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88 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying methods of disease prevention in the 21st century? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

Source A: One of a series of posters produced by the National Health Service in 2020.

It was published jointly by the UK government and the NHS to raise awareness of how the public could help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The poster was part of a national media campaign that ran during the early months of the pandemic.

Source A cannot be reproduced due to copyright restrictions.

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98 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying progress in surgery during the Second World War? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

Source A: A photograph taken by the Queen Victoria Hospital during the Second World War showing a burn victim being treated in a saline bath.

A black and white photograph shows a medical treatment scene. A burn patient sits in a bathtub with their head, face, and torso heavily bandaged. Two medical personnel in white gowns, masks, and gloves attend to the patient. One person is holding a hose, possibly rinsing the bandages, while the other is applying or adjusting a bandage on the patient’s head. Nearby medical equipment and a table with bandage supplies are also visible. The scene appears to be in a hospital setting with tiled walls and a large window.

Image courtesy of the East Grinstead Museum

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108 marks

How useful is Source A to an historian studying developments in the understanding of anatomy during the Renaissance? Explain your answer using Source A and your contextual knowledge.

Source A: A drawing by Andreas Vesalius from his book On the Fabric of the Human Body, published in 1543.

It shows a detailed anatomical drawing of the human body, with labelled organs, nerves, and internal systems.

A historical anatomical illustration showing a detailed diagram of the human body and internal organs. The central figure is a full-body anatomical drawing displaying the nervous system and internal structures. Surrounding it are smaller illustrations of individual organs including the heart, stomach, intestines, liver, lungs, and others. The image is labeled in Latin with text annotations down the left-hand side. The artwork appears to be from a Renaissance-era medical textbook.

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