The Victorian era...

Great Expectations was originally set in the Victorian era, during which life was extremely different to how it is now in the 21st century. 

The life of those who were poor left little to be desired for anybody. The living conditions in which they lived were destitute and often lead to many infections and often or not death as the health care was minimum. Although those who were of a higher class also died around the age of 40 or so and that in itself was considered an achievement. 
Living in the Victorian age you would be faced with many diseases that weren't curable by the antibiotics or such things. People would die of the common cold and sewage laced the streets covering any clothing in it. 

Diseases:

• Cholera: caused by contaminated water, it causes the circulation to slow down in the body and eventually it will lead to death, in the victorian age people even stopped eating fruit and veg in a hope to dodge the disease.
• Diphtheria: This is something that was highly contagious and caused a mucus in the throat which made breathing a difficulty, and again often lead to death
• Consumption otherwise known as tuberculosis which is caused by bacteria that begins to attach to all organs and shut them down, its was found that only direct sunlight would help with this, but more often than not ended in death and was the common cause.

This era was also known for the gothic architecture, an industrial revolution and many expressive novels just like Great Expectations. 

When considering this for my characters i need to create i should consider that the skin may be dull, and pale. It could have a blue or yellow discolouration to the skin to show that they may have a disease, also i could include things such as boils, or sores that may be caused by scratching of bites from flies and rats due to the extremely low standards of hygiene in which surrounded them.

Available: http://logicmgmt.com/1876/overview/medicine/diseases.htm

Last accessed: 5th Febuary 2014

Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era#Culture
Last accessed: 5th February 2014