John Snow (1813-1858)

and cholera
• John Snow is considered the
father of epidemiology.
• He went door to door in
London and realized that
people who were contracting
cholera were getting their
water from a contaminated
source and he eventually
convinced city officials to
remove the handle from the
pump, which helped end the
cholera epidemic.
Two competing theories

Miasma Theory Germ Theory

• Most people and • Took a while to be
scientists held to this. accepted.
• Disease is caused by
“bad air.”
• John Snow went house to house and
interviewed people about their water-drinking
habits. He discovered that the majority of the
deaths came from people who had drunk
from the Broad Street pump, which was
supplied by a different water company than a
nearby pump. The water was being
contaminated with sewage. This led to the
development of a sewer system in London.