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John Snow Essay

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John Snow Essay
John Snow is widely considered to be the father of epidemiology. He was best known for his work on the cholera outbreak and for organizing the removal of a pump handle. He proved his theory that cholera was water-borne, and debunked the airborne Miasma theory. His epidemiological methods helped identify the risks of certain diseases and has helped established preventive measures in response to an disease outbreak. His studies have changed the way we confront public health problems today. John Snow’s contributions laid the foundation for epidemiology and modern medicine.

John Snow was a British physician, born on the 15th of March, of 1813.He is considered one of the founders of epidemiology, widely known for his work in identifying …show more content…
109). John Snow concluded the initial symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea was the the result of consuming a contaminated substance and contradicted other doctors of believing that cholera was a disorder of the blood (Ball, 2009, p. 107). He showed that cholera was water-borne, and debunked the Miasma theory that diseases such as cholera were airborne. His method involved a series of experiments and usage of several different types of evidence to support his conclusion. Examining the water quality of places with known outbreak to cholera and the symptoms lead to his hypothesis that cholera epidemics were caused by contaminated water. His findings lead to the removal of a handle from a popular water pump near the corner of Broad and Cambridge Streets in Soho, London. This discovery soon came to influence fundamental changes in public health and sanitation …show more content…
He cautiously researched and came up with noteworthy insight on cholera. Despite others claiming his ideas as debatable at the time, he pushed on with his ideas to get his idea across. He backed up his claims with evidences that allowed him to conclude the source of cholera and found the disease to be waterborne related. According to Dale P. Sandler (2000), he was able to analyzed the spread of disease by gathering statistics to demonstrate a connection between water impurity and the occurrence of cholera. His discovery helped the society to keep the disease under control and prevent future disease from spreading.This lead to the reconstruction of better water and waste sanitation system. His epidemiological methods shaped the way we confront public health delemmas
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