Option 11: c1700–c1900: Medicine in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain - 3 Case studies ● Key individual: Jenner and the development of vaccination. — Edexcel GCSE History
Test yourself on Option 11: c1700–c1900: Medicine in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain - 3 Case studies ● Key individual: Jenner and the development of vaccination. with PEARSON EDEXCEL GCSE practice questions.
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Option 11: c1700–c1900: Medicine in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain - 3 Case studies ● Key individual: Jenner and the development of vaccination. explained
John Snow's investigation into the 1854 cholera epidemic in Soho, London, marked a turning point in public health.
Read the full explanation
Before Snow, cholera was widely believed to be spread by miasma, leading to ineffective prevention attempts like burning tar or cleaning streets. Snow mapped the cholera deaths and noticed a cluster around the Broad Street water pump. By removing the pump handle, he prevented further spread, proving cholera was waterborne. His work was highly significant as it provided practical evidence against the miasma theory, although it took time for his ideas to be fully accepted until Pasteur's Germ Theory provided the scientific explanation. Snow's methods laid the foundation for modern epidemiology.
Your focus
- Describe the methods John Snow used to investigate the 1854 cholera outbreak.
- Explain how Snow's actions at the Broad Street pump prevented the spread of cholera.
- Evaluate the significance of Snow's findings in the context of 19th-century medical knowledge.
Option 11: c1700–c1900: Medicine in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain - 3 Case studies ● Key individual: Jenner and the development of vaccination. exam tips
Marking Points
- Identify the prevailing belief in miasma during the 1854 cholera outbreak and the ineffective methods used to combat it.
- Describe John Snow's methodology of mapping cholera deaths to identify the Broad Street pump as the source.
- Explain the immediate impact of removing the pump handle in halting the localised epidemic.
- Evaluate the long-term significance of Snow's work in proving cholera was waterborne and influencing public health.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use the specific example of the Broad Street pump to demonstrate Snow's practical approach to disease prevention.
- 💡Discuss the limitations of Snow's impact, noting that without the Germ Theory, he could not explain why the water caused illness.
Common Mistakes
- Stating that John Snow discovered the cholera bacteria; correct by explaining that he proved how it spread, but the bacteria was identified later by Koch.
- Claiming that Snow's findings were immediately accepted by the government; correct by noting that the government and many doctors continued to believe in miasma until the Germ Theory was established.
- Confusing John Snow with Edwin Chadwick; correct by distinguishing Snow's practical epidemiological work on cholera from Chadwick's broader sanitary reports.