Cholera timeline by Yinqi Wang

1837

yinqiwang2 — 2025-09-08 00:53:33 UTC

After 1837, all births, deaths, and marriages were required to be registered, and William Farr utilized this information to construct an accurate picture of where the death rate was highest and the causes of death. This proved the link between high death rates and unhealthy conditions.

1842

yinqiwang2 — 2025-09-08 00:53:52 UTC

The report influenced the government and persuaded people that reform was needed.

1847

yinqiwang2 — 2025-09-08 00:54:17 UTC

In 1847, fear grew in Britain of many thousands of deaths to come. Therefore, the government finally followed Chadwick's recommendations and passed the Public Health Act, with the hope that this would reduce the impact of cholera.

1848

yinqiwang2 — 2025-09-08 00:54:28 UTC

However, the 1848 Act was not compulsory. Only 100 towns set up local Boards of Health. Many more did not, and the National Board of Health, set up to oversee reforms, was abolished after only six years in 1854.

1854

yinqiwang2 — 2025-09-08 00:54:34 UTC

In 1854, another cholera outbreak gave him the chance to prove his theory that people caught cholera from water they used for washing and drinking.

1858

yinqiwang2 — 2025-09-08 00:54:42 UTC

The summer of 1858 was extremely hot. There was no rain to fill the rivers, and river levels fell, especially the Thames in London. As a result, the smell from the river grew worse and worse; one of the very worst places was at the Houses of Parliament, which are right on the riverbank. The 'Great Stink' (as it was called) added to the evidence that more public reform was needed. In London itself, an effective, modern sewer system was built, but there was no new Public Health Act to enforce improvements throughout the country.

1875

yinqiwang2 — 2025-09-08 00:55:01 UTC

The Public Health Act (1875) made it compulsory for local councils to improve sewers and drainage, provide fresh water supplies, and to appoint Medical Officers and sanitary inspectors to inspect public health facilities.