This book discusses the 1854 Broad Street Cholera Outbreak that occurred in Soho, London, England. This particular area was not known for sanitation and cleanliness, with slaughterhouses, meat shops, animals, and human waste being tossed into gutters. Cellars often had open cesspools under their floorboards, adding to the risk of contamination and stench. Sewage and other waste was dumped into the Thames River, further contaminating the water supply. Several similar outbreaks had occurred before this, killing almost 15,000 people. This particular outbreak killed over 600. John Snow, an English doctor and proponent of germ theory and medical hygiene was able to trace the outbreak and prove what was causing it. This was a huge scientific breakthrough at the time.

This book was required reading for my Physical Science class. I had read most of the book, but just got around to finishing it up. It was really interesting to see how they were able to figure out where the outbreak originated and what caused it. Knowing this changed the way people disposed of things and their cleanliness in general. There is a pub named after John Snow close to where the outbreak originated. They also installed a commemorative brick and replica water pump near the site of the original outbreak well. If you happen to be in the area, that would be a neat thing to check out.