John snow and William Farr: Cholera. Epidemic

John snow and William Farr: Cholera

John snow and William Farr: Cholera. Epidemic

Dr. John Snow is termed as the father of epidemiology. Epidemiology refers to the study of occurrence of diseases in human beings. It entails looking into who is affected, the intent of the disease and reasons of its occurrence. It aims at finding out the causes of disease and establishes measures of preventing and controlling it. Different from physicians who study disease in an individual, epidemiologists concern themselves with the study of a whole population. They usually undergo field study survey as will be illustrated in Dr. Snow's and Farr's research on Cholera.

Cholera

Cholera is a disease characterized by vomiting and diarrhea and even death. In the 19th century its cases were so rampant in England. It is a waterborne disease which has claimed many lives. Using the various collected information, Farr and Dr Snow did survey on cholera cases in a district in London with an intention of establishing solutions to the problem (Morabia, 2001). In 1848 Dr, Snow undertook his first study of the epidemic after it had hit Golden Square in London. Most people in this region used to source their water from a community pump on a street corner. Dr. Snow demonstrated that cholera is water borne, obtained through drinking water. Unfortunately for him, his discovery underwent several criticisms especially the fact that he was not able to establish the organism in water that caused cholera (Eyler, 2001). Several cases of cholera outbreak were again reported in 1854 in England which propelled Dr. Snow to survey the more. This occurred mostly for the residents using Broad Street pump water. He later on established that cholera then was caused by the water from the pump. When the second outbreak of cholera occurred he undertook some experiment and found out that in those two regions of the city which were affected, one of the received contaminated water from sewage and the other received pure water. The results showed that the company which received its water from river Thames did not have problems yet that which got its water from the urban center of London had contaminated water so he called for measures to curb the wide spread of cholera.

Snow established that cholera's symptoms were not like of other common diseases of the time like small pox. He said that its symptoms started with abdominal pains. He explained then that the cause should have been a substance which corroded the stomach lining and the intestine thus resulting in pain (Eyler, 2001). Cholera was able to respond to such treatment as opium or catechu suggested that the disease was a problem of the gut. This then, showed that the disease entered into the body through swallowing. He compared cholera with other diseases which are communicable like cowpox and establish that since at the entry of cholera into one's system, there is great multiplication of the morbid material, and then the intestinal discharge was contagious. The consumption of contaminated or food which come in contact with dejects of the affected will infect other people.

When there was another outbreak of cholera, Farr cooperated with Snow. Earlier on he had rejected Snow's suggestion of cholera being water born disease. He gave him death reports which helped Snow carry out his investigation. In his report he also acknowledged that the sewage water had contributed a lot to the wide spread of cholera. He did not basically agree on Snows theory but instead he added that it was an additional factor to his theory of contaminated air as the cause. Furr went on with his belief that cholera was a disease of the lungs brought about by zymotic material. He argued that the many evaporations from, taps and local reservoirs were the grand reason behind it. Although he said that sewage water was a factor he ruled out the fact that it was consumed by way of mouth. According to Eyler, 2001, Farr suggested that there were several ways that sewage water could get into the body. Snow's research became Farr's motivating factor to research the more although he did not accept Snow's conclusions at that moment he came to appreciate them later on. In 1853, he embarked on investigation to find out the cause of cholera. He requested the General Register Office to give him information on water supply and its mode of purification ever since the previous attack. He finally established that water played a role in the spread of the disease (Morabia, 2004). He assisted Farr in his research by giving him the death registers as a result of water from South London. Farr also went ahead to suggest that the 1853-54 report by Snow be put into consideration by the committee for scientific inquiries.

Farr took keen interest in snow's work. He was then the Statistical Superintendent of the General Register Office and a member of the Committee of Scientific Inquiries in 1854. He published many reports concerning the cholera pandemic at that time which helped Snow a lot in his research. In his reports he found out that people living in coastal regions were three times affected than those in inland areas, this supported Snow's theory of water as the cause (Eyler, 2001 p.76). He found out in his research that cholera was inversely related to soil elevation. Just like Snow, Farr also insisted that there was a morbid material just the way it is with small pox in cholera. Different from snow's idea, he insisted that the disease causing organism was non-living. He said that the spread was through zymotic material found in perspiration, respiration and decomposition. He worked at establishing that the problem was from the community and that it would be possible to be dealt with through proper sanitation. He also argued that the problem would be tackled in mathematical ways. In 1848-49 he supported snow's idea. He confirmed Snow's report of sewage water as a cause though with him he insisted that the sewage water had organic material going through decomposition and so that was the cause. Using Thames in London, he argued that the river was giving out contaminated vapor which when inhaled brought about disease (Eyler, 2001).

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