HISTORY This Week The Great Stink
Jun 29, 2020
Professor Rosemary Ashton, a literary historian and author of 'One Hot Summer', dives into the olfactory horrors of 1858 London. The episode explores how the sweltering heat and rampant sewage led to a public health crisis. Discussions include the failure of traditional sanitation methods, John Snow's pivotal cholera studies, and the dramatic moment when Parliament had to flee due to the stench. The narrative highlights Benjamin Disraeli's leadership and Joseph Bazalgette's revolutionary sewer plan that transformed urban sanitation and public health.
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Thames Turned From Silver To Sewage
- By 1858 the Thames smelled so foul people could barely function and even vomited crossing bridges.
- The smell came from sewage and rotting waste piled into a tidal river that could not flush itself out.
Water, Not Smell, Spread Cholera
- John Snow proved cholera was waterborne by linking deaths to a single Broad Street pump and removing its handle.
- Despite being right, Snow's evidence initially failed to convince a miasma-dominated medical and political establishment.
Who Smells It Matters Politically
- Short-term politics and the wealthy's distance from the Thames delayed action despite obvious harm to the poor.
- Lack of a central public health authority meant reforms relied on political will and entrepreneurs.
