The nineteenth century was a period of economic, technological and demographic growth. These changes have created problems in everyone's daily lives. Two examples of things that affected the lives of many were disease and sanitation. Disease and unsanitary conditions led to high mortality rates in nineteenth-century England. This relates to Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South as it is set in 19th century England and several characters supposedly died from disease. In North and South by Victorian writer Elizabeth Gaskel, the cities in the book were given different names than they were. in England during the 19th century. Population growth, disease, and sanitation were similar across England, however most research focuses on London, England, as London is one of the largest cities in England. The nineteenth century was certainly a time of population growth, and England was no exception to population growth. According to economics professor Nicola Tynan, in 1801, the metropolis of London had a population of 959,000. By 1851, the population had grown to 2.3 million residents and then by 1900 the population had reached 4.5 million (Tynan, 76). People in the area simply wanted to move to the cities for the new jobs available in industry and to change their lives. These statistics refer to the London metropolis, but the same population growth was occurring in many cities in northern England. In North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell examines the Hale family as they moved from Helstone to Milton. The family moved because Mr. Hale felt he could no longer faithfully fulfill his position in the village, so the family went to town for a change and a fresh start. (Gaskell...... center of sheet...... South". Penguin Books. England. 2003. Print.Jenson, Jane. "Getting to sewers and sanitation: doing public health in Nineteenth-Century British Citizenship Regimes." Politics and Society. Volume 36. No. 4 532-556. December 2008. Web.Pooley, Marilyn E. and Pooley, ColinG. "Urban Disease and Mortality in Nineteenth-Century England. Pages 158-159.Thorsheim, Peter. “The Corpse in the Garden: Burial, Health and the Environment in Nineteenth-Century London” 16.1 (2011): 38-68 Web. Tynan, Nicole “Water Supply of Nineteenth-Century London: Processes of Innovation and Improvement.” Mortality in Nineteenth-Century England. 1984. Great Britain Press.