Evidence!
How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera
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- £7.49
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- £7.49
Publisher Description
The incredible true story of the doctor who traced London's cholera outbreak to a single water pump, and went on to save countless lives through his groundbreaking research!
Dr. John Snow is one of the most influential doctors and researchers in Western medicine, but before he rose to fame, he was just a simple community doctor who wanted to solve a mystery.
In 19th century London, the spread of cholera was as unstoppable as it was deadly. Dr. Snow was determined to stop it, but he had a problem: His best theory of how the disease was spread flew in the face of popular opinion. He needed evidence, and he needed to find it fast, before more lives were lost.
Taking on the role of detective as well as doctor, Dr. Snow knocked on doors, asked questions and mapped out the data he'd collected. What he discovered would come to define the way we think about public health to this day.
This compelling nonfiction picture book is a timely reminder of the power of science to save lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Welcome to Broad Street, in hot, stinky old London," begins this enthralling 1854-set work focused on epidemiology, smartly pitched for younger audiences as an intriguing medical mystery. With urgent language and expressionistic drawings rendered in graphite and charcoal, and colored digitally, Hopkinson (Cinderella and a Mouse Called Fred) and Henderson (Trucks on Trucks) immerse readers in a close city neighborhood where deadly cholera has broken out: "Piles of horse dung line the streets. Sewage and human waste fill cesspools in yards and cellars." Dr. John Snow (1813–1858) has long investigated cholera—he's been "chasing it for years"and has a theory about the outbreak's cause. That theory, however, flies in the face of prevailing medical and popular wisdom, which holds that cholera is airborne. In spreads that vividly evoke Snow's relentless search across the city, he clearly becomes a "medical detective," mapping cases and interviewing residents. When his work results in the handle being removed from the contaminated Broad Street pump, it's a radiant, reverential moment, as befits "a milestone in science, a shining moment in the long fight against epidemics." Back matter provides further context. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Chad W. Beckerman, CAT Agency.
