John Snow (Epidemiologist)
John Snow was a 19th-century British physician and considered one of the founding figures of modern epidemiology—the study of how diseases spread. He is best known for his investigation of a cholera outbreak in London in 1854, where he traced the source of the infection to a contaminated water pump. By mapping cases and making the connection between water quality and health, Snow demonstrated the importance of public health measures and sanitation. His work laid the groundwork for modern approaches to disease prevention and the use of data analysis in public health.
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John Snow was a pioneering English physician and the father of modern epidemiology, best known for his work during the cholera outbreaks in London in the mid-1800s. He famously mapped cases of cholera and traced the source to a contaminated public water pump on Broad Street. His approach of using data to understand the spread of disease laid the groundwork for public health practices and the importance of sanitation. Snow’s methods demonstrated how analyzing patterns in health information could help control and prevent epidemics, influencing future research and public health policies.