Erin ’s Reviews > The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper > Status Update

Syphilis had no successful treatments until 1910 with the introduction of Salvarsan and later antibiotics.

A certain degree of violence within the home was thought to serve a disciplinary function. Husbands felt no remorse for administering a slap, while wives were often made to feel they had "asked for it".

Virginity did not hold a real significance for the working class, "Virginity was a rarity at fourteen years olds".

Until 1864 extramarital sex and illegitimate pregnancies were punishable by Swedish law.

The question as to whether Elizabeth Stride was murdered by the Ripper or by someone else has long been a subject of debate among experts.

Whereas Scarlet Fever, a flu like streptococcal illness characterized by a red rash, predominantly affected children, typhus attacked both young and old alike.

Laws prohibited vagabonds from returning to the same shelter within a 30 day period.

Everyone who lived on the street was viewed as a nuisance.

"Self help" proponents held that a person's own choices and behavior were the cause of poverty and problems such as alcoholism; tough mindedness and grit could overcome them.

For at least 2 centuries, Whitechapel had been a destination for immigrants from many parts of Europe.