Veganism in Victorian England: Sewers and Meat Consumption
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Reconciling animal Welfare adn Public health: A Response to Dean Weston
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A long-time vegan and former civil engineer challenges Dean Weston’s analogy comparing the government’s animal welfare strategy to Victorian-era approaches to cholera, arguing that Victorian engineers were, in fact, highly effective in combating the disease thru sanitation improvements.
The debate stems from a letter published in The Guardian on December 30, 2025, where Weston criticized the current animal welfare approach as merely addressing symptoms rather then the systemic issues causing animal suffering. The author of this response, a vegan of nearly 40 years, largely agrees with Weston’s concerns regarding animal welfare but disputes his ancient comparison.
The Cholera Misconception
Weston’s assertion that Victorian engineers “treated” cholera with superficial fixes like “a valve hear, a filter there” is inaccurate. Historical evidence demonstrates that Victorian engineers played a pivotal role in significantly reducing cholera outbreaks through large-scale infrastructure projects focused on sanitation. These projects included the construction of comprehensive sewer systems and improved water supplies.
prior to these engineering interventions, cholera was rampant, linked directly to contaminated water sources and inadequate waste disposal. John Snow‘s groundbreaking epidemiological work in 1854, tracing a cholera outbreak in London to a contaminated water pump on Broad Street, underscored the importance of sanitation. Engineers then implemented solutions based on these findings.
| year | Cholera Deaths in London |
|---|---|
| 1848-1849 | 14,137 |
| 1853-1854 | 10,738 |
| 1866 | 5,714 |
| 1893 | 460 |
The “Sewer Itself” as a Solution
The author contends that “the sewer itself” was not the problem, but rather the solution. The construction of effective sewer systems,while not eliminating all disease,dramatically reduced the spread of waterborne illnesses like cholera. This contrasts with Weston’s implication that the infrastructure was a band-aid solution ignoring the root cause.
The analogy to animal welfare, therefore, shifts the focus. If Weston argues that current animal welfare strategies are akin to adding filters to a fundamentally flawed system (factory farming, intensive agriculture), the author’s response suggests that systemic change - akin to building a new “sewer” – is necessary, but not inherently flawed. Improvements within the existing system, while not ideal, can still alleviate suffering.