With steady growth and strong overseas links it became an important mediaeval city, but it suffered from internal tensions, insanitary conditions and disastrous fires.
In many cases, most particularly with ketchup and other condiments, the use of preservatives was often used to disguise insanitary production practices.
Despite the crowded conditions, the mood was good, with improvised poems, singing, music-making and gymnastics, all under the jailors' eyes, but despite this, the prison regime was hard and insanitary.
The annual cycle of cholera outbreaks is linked to insanitary conditions and unacceptable socio-cultural habits, coupled with an infrastructure deficit.
By contrast, the inner city areas were turned into chronically overcrowded centres of insanitary housing unable to cope with the huge influx of people.
Civilians and soldiers end up living in crowded and insanitary conditions, ideal breeding grounds for a range of bacterial, viral and parasitic infections.