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 |