Stuff You Missed in History Class John Evelyn's 'Fumifugium'
Feb 2, 2026
A lively dive into a 1661 tract that blamed coal smoke for London’s filthy air. The hosts trace one writer’s push to reshape royal image while diagnosing soot, ruined fabrics, and breathing harms. They outline curious fixes like moving polluting trades and planting fragrant belts around the city. The episode follows the pamphlet’s reception and its surprising echoes in later pollution debates.
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Why Coal Spread Despite Smell Objections
- Coal use rose as wood grew scarce from deforestation, and cities lacked tall chimneys to vent denser coal smoke.
- Earlier bans and regulations focused on the monarch's comfort, not public health, shaping policy motives.
Fumifugium As Foundational Pollution Text
- John Evelyn's Fumifugium (1661) is widely considered the first serious treatise dedicated to air pollution.
- Evelyn framed smoke as both a public-health and a reputational problem for Charles II's court.
Pollution Reform As Political Strategy
- Evelyn wrote Fumifugium partly to flatter and rehabilitate Charles II's public image after the Restoration.
- He framed fixing London's air as both public good and a way to showcase royal magnanimity.
