The Ghost Map Essay

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The Ghost Map, by Steven Johnson, depicts the rise and spread of cholera in Victorian London. Cholera is a bacterial water-borne disease that has existed for centuries but has only recently become destructive as human populations have become more dense in unclean urban areas. The 1854 epidemic can be traced to the unfortunate day Sarah Lewis, a mother of a sick child, unknowingly ignited the crisis when she disposed of her infants diapers into a cesspool resulting in the fecal contamination of the area’s water supply. Although the treatment for cholera is fairly simple and consists primarily of maintaining hydration (clean water), the lack of medical knowledge in the Victorian era resulted in the creation and advertisement of many false cures …show more content…

The miasma (foul air signaled the presence of disease) theory was persuasive amongst a sizable portion of the population. Benjamin Hall, the president of the Board of Health was a proponent of this theory. In contrast, John Snow, was the first doctor to suggest that cholera was spread through contaminated water (contagion theory) after studying samples taken from the Broad Street (origin of the outbreak) water pump and conducting interviews with the local population. Snow’s identification of the pump as the source of the epidemic most likely prevented a second outbreak. Additionally this action is significant as the work of John Snow and the local municipal group laid the groundwork for future urban planning

(better sanitation systems) in Europe and the United States. This resulted in urban centers slowly developing the infrastructure necessary to diminish levels of disease (Johnson, 2006).

Student analysis: …show more content…

John Snow has on epidemiology and how he is ahead of his time. Snow’s investigation opposed the popular belief of miasma being the cause of transmission of the cholera outbreak. Snow’s efforts were outlined clearly with examples from the book. Nelson notices the importance of the 1854 outbreak map as well as the collaboration between Dr. Snow and Henry Whitehead. A summary of the book is provided. He notes the environment conditions and infrastructure that outlines the overall cause of the outbreak of cholera. The novel as described by Nelson as interesting and applicable in an epidemiology sense. (Nelson, 2015) Published reviews between Nelson and Frerichs only differed in a few aspects. For example, Nelson goes into a more descriptive outline of the book and focus highly on Dr. Snow’s investigation. Nonetheless, both reviews favored the book and commented on the research and analysis of Dr. Snow, along with everyday life of the people in this area and the infrastructure during the outbreak. Additionally, they both strongly recommend the book especially to people interested in public health and

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