It’s the mid-19th century and London is a city. Almost miraculously, a group of people have organised themselves into a class of scavengers, taking on the responsibility of most modern sanitation departments and thus helping two million people get rid of their waste. However, this effort does have some cracks and not all waste is gotten rid of. One particular household’s waste, in particular, is thrown out and lands near a certain pump.

The Ghost Map is an account of the John Snow and to a lesser extent, Henry Whitehead’s investigations into a series of chlorea cases (the 1854 Broad Street Chlorea Outbreak) that led to the discovery of a contaminated pump and the dismantling of the miasma theory.

Told in seven chapters, each one representing a day, The Ghost Map presents a detailed and sometimes wandering account of how John Snow conducted his investigations. Through this account, the book manages to give the reader a general introduction to who John Snow is, including his work with anaesthesia, as well as why the discovery of water contamination and its relationship to cholera was so important for cities to continue growing without large numbers of deaths.

To be honest, the book felt rather longwinded in parts, especially since it has the tendency to digress to other topics (about miasma theory, especially). But I generally enjoyed reading this book. It was heavy, particularly in the current climate, but I think the fact that the cause of transmission of the cholera outbreak could be discovered and stopped gives hope that we can stop future outbreaks of diseases if we approach the situation with an open mind.

Overall, I enjoyed it. It’s not the most gripping nonfiction history book that I’ve read but history buffs may be interested in exploring this aspect of medical history.

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