Unit1GREATSCIENTISTSJOHNSNOWDEFEATS“KINGCHOLERA”JohnSnowwasafamousdoctorinLondon—soexpert,indeed,thatheattendedQueenVictoriaasherpersonalphysician
Buthebecameinspiredwhenhethoughtabouthelpingordinarypeopleexposedtocholera
Thiswasthedeadlydiseaseofitsday
Neitheritscausenoritscurewasunderstood
Somanythousandsofterrifiedpeoplediedeverytimetherewasanoutbreak
JohnSnowwantedtofacethechallengeandsolvethisproblem
Heknewthatcholerawouldneverbecontrolleduntilitscausewasfound
Hebecameinterestedintwotheoriesthatpossiblyexplainedhowcholerakilledpeople
Thefirstsuggestedthatcholeramultipliedintheair,acloudofdangerousgasfloatedarounduntilitfounditsvictims
Fromthestomachthediseasequicklyattackedthebodyandsoontheaffectedpersondied
JohnSnowsuspectedthatthesecondtheorywascorrectbutheneededevidence
Sowhenanoth