Cholera for test Flashcards
Who was Edwin Chadwick, and what role did he play during the cholera epidemic of 1842?
Edwin Chadwick was a lawyer and social reformer commissioned by the government to lead a report on public health during the cholera epidemic of 1842. His report highlighted the urgent need to improve the living conditions of the poor, as they were directly linked to poor health.
What two reasons motivated Chadwick’s report on public health?
Chadwick’s report was inspired by both a charitable concern to improve poor living conditions and a financial motive, as poor health reduced worker productivity during the Industrial Revolution.
How did MPs react to Chadwick’s proposal of creating ‘boards of health’?
MPs reacted with ‘astonishment, dismay, and horror’ because they did not want to spend any government money addressing public health issues.
What major event forced Parliament to act and create the Public Health Act of 1848?
The cholera outbreak of 1848, which killed over 14,000 people, forced Parliament to establish the Public Health Act and create the ‘Board of Health,’ with Chadwick as its chairman.
What did Edwin Chadwick believe was the cause of disease, and how did this affect his actions?
Chadwick believed in the theory of miasma (the idea that disease was spread by foul-smelling air). His belief led to actions that worsened the cholera epidemic, such as disposing of human waste into the River Thames
What discovery did John Snow make about the cause of cholera?
John Snow discovered that cholera was spread through contaminated water, not by miasma. His findings challenged the prevailing medical beliefs at the time.
What were the three pieces of evidence John Snow used to prove his theory?
He removed the handle from a local water pump, and no further deaths occurred.
A woman who had been drinking water from the diseased pump died, while others in the area had not.
Workers at the brewery across the street did not die because they drank beer instead.
Why did it take so long for John Snow’s discovery to gain acceptance?
The government didn’t want to get involved in public health problems (laissez-faire attitude), and most people believed in the miasma theory (disease spread by bad air) instead. Also, at the time, science wasn’t advanced enough to fully prove his findings. It wasn’t until 30 years later, when Robert Koch discovered the actual cause of cholera (a bacterium called cholerae), that Snow’s theory was proven correct.
What memorial commemorates John Snow in modern-day Soho, London?
A black water pump stands as a memorial to Snow’s discovery. Additionally, there is a pub named The John Snow in his honor.
What did the contributions of Edwin Chadwick and John Snow teach about public health and government attitudes?
Chadwick and Snow showed that improving public health was difficult because the government was slow to act and people often rejected new scientific ideas. Their work highlighted how government policies (like doing nothing to help) delayed important changes.
What did the government do in response to Edwin Chadwick’s report in 1848
The government passed the Public Health Act to improve public health.
What was set up by the Public Health Act of 1848?
The Central Board of Health was established to oversee public health improvements.
What did the Public Health Act allow local areas to do?
Local authorities could set up a local board of health to manage public health
What would force a local authority to set up a local board of health?
If an area had a mortality rate higher than 23 per 1,000 people, a local board of health had to be established.
What could local boards of health do to improve public health?
They could raise taxes to pay for clean water supplies and new sewerage systems.
