Abstract
John Snow is remembered for his meticulous study of the 1854 cholera epidemic in Soho, England, culminating in his dramatic removal of the pump handle from the community well that he had deduced to be the source of the disease. Although we no longer see major cholera outbreaks—at least in the developed world—communicable diseases of various types are still with us. As we consider the stories of the various infectious diseases, we should remind ourselves that many more lives have been saved by the introduction of proper hygienic measures, such as hand washing and the development of pure drinking water, than by all the antibiotics ever administered to humankind.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Taylor, R.B. (2013). Infections and Infestations. In: Diagnostic Principles and Applications. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1111-6_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1111-6_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-1110-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-1111-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)