"Cholera forcing". The myth of the good epidemic and the coming of good water.
It has been frequently claimed that cholera epidemics, both in the 19th century and today, were and can be the key stimulus for procurement of safe water and sanitation, an idea that I call "cholera forcing." "Technology forcing" refers to imposition of exogenous factors that suddenly make possible achievements that had not seemed so; cholera has been seen in this light. I argue that this view oversimplifies and underrepresents the importance of industrialization in securing water supplies. Careful study of the financial, political, and administrative foundations of such changes will be more fruitful.
Hamlin
Christopher
C
Department of History, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA. chamlin@nd.edu
D002771:Cholera / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history* / Q000517:prevention & control; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D012498:Sanitary Engineering / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D014881:Water Supply / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards