19世纪霍乱疫情与伦敦水基础设施的现代化

Cholera Epidemic and the Modernization of London’s Water Infrastructure in the 19th Century

19世纪英国经历了4次比较严重的霍乱疫情,其中仅伦敦就有3.7万人因此丧生。这种新型瘟疫对英国社会提出了挑战。英国人对霍乱传播途径,先认定是人际传播,后来坚信瘴气理论,不同意斯诺的水传播看法。英国人依靠议会立法手段,通过法律,建立相关组织,授权采取措施。从30年代的"隔离"隔绝健康人与患者,到40—50年代的"大清扫""大清洁"清除垃圾,建设下水道,排除污水,规范管道水,歪打正着地阻断了霍乱弧菌传播的渠道。由此可见,英国的霍乱疫情在一定程度上推动了给排水基础设施的现代化建设。

Britain suffered four serious cholera epidemics in the 19th century,in which 37,000 people died in London alone.This new type of cholera posed a challenge to British society.The British first identified interpersonal transmission as the route of cholera transmission.Later they became convinced of the miasma theory but disagreed with Snowe’s view of waterborne transmission.The British relied on parliamentary legislative means,passed laws and established organisations to authorise measures.From the"quarantine"in the 1830s to isolate healthy people from the sick,to the"clean-up"during 1840s and 1850s to remove rubbish,build sewers,remove sewage and regulate plumbing,all these measures helped to stop the spread of Vibrio cholerae.Thus the cholera epidemic in Britain thus provided some impetus for the modernization of water supply and drainage infrastructure.