This key facts covers The Evidence: Cholera and Public Health within Public Health for GCSE History. Revise Public Health in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 2 of 13 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📊 The Evidence: Cholera and Public Health
| Event | Date | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Cholera arrives | 1831 | First epidemic: 32,000 deaths. Public panic. |
| Chadwick Report | 1842 | Showed link between poverty, poor sanitation, disease. Government ignored. |
| 1848 Public Health Act | 1848 | First attempt: allowed (not required) local boards of health. |
| John Snow's investigation | 1854 | Proved cholera spread by water (Broad Street pump). But still no germ theory! |
| Great Stink | 1858 | Hot summer made Thames unbearable. Parliament finally funded sewers. |
| Bazalgette's sewers | 1858-75 | 1,100 miles of sewers built under London. Transformed public health. |
| 1875 Public Health Act | 1875 | Made local councils COMPULSORY to provide clean water, sewers, housing standards. |
Practice questions for Public Health
Who proved that cholera was spread by contaminated water in 1854?
What was the key difference between the 1848 and 1875 Public Health Acts?
Quick recall flashcards
What was Chadwick's 1842 report?
Report on the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population — showed the poor lived in filthy conditions with shorter lives, arguing better sanitation = less disease = less cost to poor relief
What was the Great Stink (1858)?
Hot summer made the polluted Thames smell so bad Parliament couldn't work — forced action on sewers