Port cities have long played a key role in the development, discovery, and fight against diseases. They have been laboratories for policies to address public health issues. Diseases reached port cities through maritime exchanges, and the bubonic plague is a key example. Port city residents’ close contact with water further increased the chance for diseases such as cholera. Analyzing three European port cities, this article first explores the relevance of water quality for public health through the lens of the Dutch city of Rotterdam. It then examines plans and projects for London that were shaped by social Darwinism and stressed the moral failings of slum dwellers as a major cause for their misery. It finally explores the case of Hamburg as the perfect example of a city that cultivated ideals of purity and cleanliness by addressing all issues at stake in public health. This article on urban hygiene in three port cities shows how remarkably rich this field of study is; it also demonstrates that the multifaceted aspects of public health in port cities require further attention.

港口城市长期以来在疾病的发展，发现和斗争中发挥了关键作用。它们一直是解决公共卫生问题的政策实验室。疾病是通过海上交流到达港口城市的，而鼠疫是一个很好的例子。港口城市居民与水的密切接触进一步增加了霍乱等疾病的机会。本文首先分析了三个欧洲港口城市，然后通过荷兰鹿特丹的视角探讨了水质与公共卫生的关系。然后，它审查了由社会达尔文主义塑造的伦敦计划和项目，并强调了贫民窟居民的道德失误是造成其苦难的主要原因。最后，它探讨了汉堡这个城市的典范，该城市通过解决所有与公共卫生息息相关的问题，培养了纯净和清洁的理想。这篇关于三个港口城市的城市卫生的文章显示了该研究领域的丰富性。它还表明，港口城市公共卫生的多方面需要进一步关注。