Cholera Epidemic In The Ghost Map By Steven Johnson

The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson is a 256 page non-fiction book published by Riverhead Books on October 19, 2006. Johnson describes one of London’s greatest epidemics, the cholera outbreak of 1854, and its investigation by Henry Whitehead and John Snow. Henry Whitehead, a priest from the Soho area of London, began investigating the cholera outbreak days after it first occurred. John Snow, a doctor and anesthesiologist, also began interviewing residents of the area around Soho and the Broad Street well area. Having previously investigated the topic Snow set out to discover how cholera spreads, searching for evidence to prove the disease’s contagiousness. Whitehead also believed the disease was spread through contagion and ignored the miasma

A man named Edwin Chadwick advocated for this miasma theory heavily, and even proposed the dumping of waste into the river Thames to rid the cities of the smell supposedly contributing to cholera. This would only make the problem worse, as cholera is spread through bacteria in the water supply. Keeping this in mind, Snow and Whitehead continued to interview and conduct research until they reached their consensus, that the water in the Broad Street well was contaminated, and anyone who consumed water via the pump would eventually contract cholera. With evidence to back up his claims, Snow urged local officials to remove the handle from the well and his request was granted. Later, committees were formed to investigate the issue further and Whitehead was hired for the case. Upon researching, the once difficult to believe theory of contagion became true. Along with Snow’s collection of evidence, the cholera outbreak case was solved, marking an incredible achievement in both urban and medical

Prior to reading I was not aware of how common diseases like cholera were, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. I found it interesting how placing waste in the wrong area can have such a dramatic effect, and how small actions often lead to large outbreaks of infections or diseases. I feel that now I am much more aware of the growth that cities have undergone in the past two centuries, and definitely have learned not to take small things like sanitation for granted as often any longer. I did believe that Johnson could have included more information about how cities in the United States currently operate in order to prevent such diseases, and how they have incorporated the concepts learned years ago today for the benefit of