Cholera

What is cholera?

Cholera is a potentially deadly disease that causes severe sickness, diarrhoea and dehydration.

What was cholera's nickname?

Cholera was nicknamed 'the blue death' as it ruptured blood vessels, and skin turned blue as people became dehydrated.

When were there outbreaks of cholera?

Cholera first arrived in Britain in 1831. There were further outbreaks in 1848, 1853, and 1865.

How many people died in each outbreak of cholera?

The number of deaths varied in each outbreak:

• ❖ In 1831-32, London suffered 5,275 deaths. In total, the outbreak killed 21,882 across Britain.
• ❖ In 1848-49, 53,292 people died.
• ❖ In 1853-54, 20,097 people died.
• ❖ In 1865-66, 14,378 people died.

Who discovered the causes for cholera?

A doctor called John Snow.

How did John Snow discover the cause of cholera?

Snow studied deaths from cholera and made a map of them. He traced the source of the outbreak to a water pump on Broad Street, London.

When was the cause of cholera discovered?

The cause of cholera was discovered in 1854.

What did John Snow think about the causes of cholera?

As many of the victims of the 1854 outbreak lived near a water pump on Broad Street, Snow theorised that cholera could not be caused by miasma and was instead spread by contaminated water.

What was done to prevent the spread of cholera?

The government had a laissez-faire attitude, which meant that they stayed out of public health issues. As a result, people tried 2 main ways to prevent cholera:

• ❖ Many thought it was caused by miasma, so tried to prevent it by cleaning up dirty streets.
• ❖ In 1848, the first Public Health Act suggested that towns and cities provide clean water supplies. However, as it was not compulsory, its impact was limited.

Why was there opposition to John Snow's discovery of the cause of cholera?

Some doctors disagreed with Snow's findings. Pasteur's germ theory had not been published so Snow's idea that cholera was transmitted through contaminated water, rather than through miasma could not be proven.

How was the cholera outbreak of 1854 ended?

Snow asked for the handle of the Broad Street water pump to be removed, so people could not use it. The outbreak quickly ended, proving the disease had come from the water in the pump. It was later found that a cesspit had been leaking into the well.

Why were Snow's cholera findings important?

John Snow had 2 main impacts.

• ❖ In 1855, he presented the results of his investigation to Parliament, and suggested that a new sewer system was built, something the government later agreed to.
• ❖ Snow proved that cholera was not carried through the air like a poisonous gas or miasma.