In 1854 cholera swept through Soho, wiping out 500 people in 10 days. Nobody knew where the terrifying disease came from - or how to stop it. Many people believed it was carried through the air as a deadly 'miasma'. But Dr John Snow was convinced that cholera was spread by polluted water. He set about investigating the Soho outbreak like a detective, and soon showed that the deaths centred on the Broad Street water pump. Still the sceptics refused to believe him. But finally the evidence was overwhelming, and Snow's theories were generally accepted, leading to a major leap forward in medical understanding. A riveting read by an award-winning writer, full of the gruesome realities of life, disease and death in Victorian London.

 

This book is part of a book series called Literary Nonfiction .

There are 128 pages in this book. This book was published 2012 by Hachette Children's Group .

Judy Allen is an award-winning author who has written successfully for both children and adults. Her novels for young people include "Something Rare and Special", "Travelling Hopefully" and "Awaiting Developments". Judy lives in London.