THE SOHO CHOLERA EPIDEMIC

DR. JOHN SNOW (1813-1858) A NOTED
ANAESTHETIST, LIVED NEAR THE FOCUS
OF THE 1854 SOHO CHOLERA EPIDEMIC
WHICH CENTRED ON BROAD STREET,
AS BROADWICK STREET WAS THEN CALLED.
IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR ALONE, OVER
500 PEOPLE DIED IN SOHO FROM THE
DISEASE.
SNOW HAD STUDIED CHOLERA IN THE
1848-9 EPIDEMIC IN SOUTHWARK AND
WANDSWORTH. HIS THEORY THAT
POLLUTED DRINKING WATER WAS THE
[MEAN]S OF TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE
[WAS C]ONFIRMED WHEN HE MAPPED
CHOLERA DEATHS IN SOHO WITH THE
SOURCE OF THE VICTIM'S [sic] DRINKING
WATER. HE FOUND THAT THEY WERE
CONCENTRATED ON THE BROAD STREET
PUBLIC WATER PUMP. 
HIS THEORY INITIALLY MET WITH SOME
DISBELIEF BUT SUCH WAS HIS
CONVICTION THAT HE HAD THE PUMP
HANDLE REMOVED TO PREVENT ITS
FURTHER USE. SOON AFTERWARDS THE
OUTBREAK ENDED.  
THE ORIGINAL PUMP IS BELIEVED TO HAVE
BEEN SITUATED OUTSIDE THE NEARBY
"SIR JOHN SNOW" PUBLIC HOUSE.  
THIS WATER PUMP
WAS UNVEILED BY
COUNCILLOR DAVID WEEKS
LEADER OF WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
ON
20 JULY 1992
IT MARKS A PIONEERING EXAMPLE OF
MEDICAL RESEARCH IN THE SERVICE OF
PUBLIC HEALTH
City of Westminster 

THE PLACEMENT OF THIS ARTEFACT AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT IN BROADWICK STREET HAVE BEEN GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY LYNTON plc

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