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John Snow

John Snow's work during the 1854 cholera outbreak in London established him as the father of modern epidemiology, demonstrating that contaminated water, rather than 'bad air,' spread disease. His innovative use of data visualization, particularly through mapping cholera cases, led to the removal of the Broad Street pump handle, effectively stopping the epidemic. Snow's legacy emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and the need for clean water in public health.

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suranjana sarkar
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67 views10 pages

John Snow

John Snow's work during the 1854 cholera outbreak in London established him as the father of modern epidemiology, demonstrating that contaminated water, rather than 'bad air,' spread disease. His innovative use of data visualization, particularly through mapping cholera cases, led to the removal of the Broad Street pump handle, effectively stopping the epidemic. Snow's legacy emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and the need for clean water in public health.

Uploaded by

suranjana sarkar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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John Snow, Cholera, the Broad

Street Pump; Waterborne


Diseases Then and Now
A Case Study in Epidemiology and Visualization

Bhutta | Kanwar | Kurniawan | Sarkar | Sumaryanto


Bibliography

John Snow (1813–1858) is often hailed as the


father of modern epidemiology. He was a
practicing physician whose innovative
methods fundamentally changed how
public health investigations are conducted.
Why John Snow’s Cholera Study Matters
Historical Impact: Snow’s work in 1854 stopped a deadly cholera
outbreak in London and changed how we fight diseases.

Public Health Relevance: Showed contaminated water spreads


disease—still a global issue (e.g., Haiti, Yemen).

Data Power: His use of data and visuals proved a point and saved
lives, inspiring us to explore data’s potential.

Timeless Lesson: Links past to present—clean water is vital, and


data can solve big problems.
The Questions He Asked
Instead of accepting the prevailing miasma theory (that diseases
were spread by “bad air”), By questioning the assumption that
cholera spread through the air, Snow shifted the focus to water,
which led to a more targeted investigation

How are some people are affected while others are not?

His inquiry included questions about the geographical clustering


of cases, asking, “Do the locations of infected individuals suggest
a common point of exposure?”

What happens if we remove the suspected cause?


How His Questions Solved the Problem
Snow noticed that brewery workers and workhouse residents in the
area (who had a separate water source) did not get sick, if it was
through bad air. This observation supported the theory that the
disease was waterborne rather than airborne.

By mapping cholera cases, Snow visualized the outbreak’s


concentration around the Broad Street pump. This data-driven
approach made it clear that the water source was the common factor
among victims, strengthening his argument.

By persuading authorities to remove the Broad Street pump handle, Map of London, 1854. Water-distribution systems

Snow conducted a real-world experiment. When cholera cases


declined soon after, it provided strong confirmation that
contaminated water was the transmission source.
Visualization He Used

Title: The Broad Street Pump Map


What He Did: Plotted cholera deaths as dots on a Soho map.
Key Finding: Most deaths clustered around the Broad Street
pump, suggesting it was the source.
Action: Convinced authorities to remove the pump handle
and the epidemic soon stopped.
Why It Worked: Simple dots showed a clear undeniable.
pattern, aiding his theory.
Visualization He Used
The Water Companies Table
What He Did: Compared cholera deaths in homes
supplied by two water companies.
Data: Southwark & Vauxhall (dirty water) = 315
deaths/10,000 houses; Lambeth (clean water) =
37/10,000.
Key Finding: Dirty Thames water caused higher
death rates—proof of waterborne spread.
Why It Worked: Table made numbers easy to
compare, backing up his map with hard stats.
What If He Asked Another Question?

Additional inquiries could have led to early insights into the role of
environmental and infrastructural factors in public health. For instance,
asking “How does the layout of the urban infrastructure, such as the
distribution of water pipes and sewage systems, affect the spread of the
disease?” could have spurred the development of more sophisticated public
health maps and statistical methods.
Conclusion
Why We Chose John Snow:
John Snow’s analytical approach—identifying patterns, gathering
data, and leveraging visual tools—pioneered the foundation of
modern epidemiology. His work demonstrated the power of data-
driven decision-making in public health.
How He Did It:
Data Visualization using Maps and tables proved his point and
sparked action.
What We Learned:
His legacy reminds us that asking the right questions and carefully
“They took off the pump handle, analyzing data can lead to groundbreaking solutions in public
and cholera stopped” health.
Thank
You

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