John Snow

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This is an article about Dr. John Snow, the founder of epidemiology. For other people named John Snow, see:

The British physician John Snow (1813 - 1858) was a leader in the adoption of anaesthesia and medical hygiene, and a pioneer of epidemiology. He was voted in a poll of British doctors in 2003 as the greatest doctor of all time.

Snow was a believer in the germ theory of cholera, as opposed to the then-dominant miasma theory. He was the author of the study of an 1854 outbreak of cholera in London's Soho district. By talking to local residents he identified the cause of the outbreak as the public water pump on Broad Street, and disabled it, thus ending the outbreak. He later used a spot map to illustrate how cases of cholera were centred around the pump. The study was a major event in the history of public health, and can be regarded as the founding event of the science of epidemiology.

In Snow's own words (in a letter to the Editor of the Medical Times and Gazette):

On proceeding to the spot, I found that nearly all the deaths had taken place within a short distance of the [Broad Street] pump. There were only ten deaths in houses situated decidedly nearer to another street-pump. In five of these cases the families of the deceased persons informed me that they always sent to the pump in Broad Street, as they preferred the water to that of the pumps which were nearer. In three other cases, the deceased were children who went to school near the pump in Broad Street...
With regard to the deaths occurring in the locality belonging to the pump, there were 61 instances in which I was informed that the deceased persons used to drink the pump water from Broad Street, either constantly or occasionally...
The result of the inquiry, then, is, that there was been no particular outbreak or prevalence of cholera in this part of London except among the persons who were in the habit of drinking the water of the above-mentioned pump well.
I had an interview with the Board of Guardians of St James's parish, on the evening of the 7th inst [Sept 7], and represented the above circumstances to them. In consequence of what I said, the handle of the pump was removed on the following day.

There is still a water pump on Broad Street, opposite what is now the John Snow public house. However, it is non-functional, and exists only as a memorial to John Snow.

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