Sanitation "greatest medical milestone since 1840"

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | Thu Jan 18, 2007 | Anon

[Pharmboy]

Sanitation was voted the most important medical milestone in the past century and a half on Thursday in a poll conducted by a leading medical journal.

Improved sewage disposal and clean water supply systems, which have reduced diseases such as cholera, was the overwhelming favorite of 11,341 people worldwide who voted in the survey conducted by the British Medical Journal.

It surpassed antibiotics, the discovery of DNA, and anesthesia, which were among the top five milestones in the poll. Participants were asked what they thought was the biggest medical advance since the journal was established in 1840.

"I'm delighted that sanitation is recognized by so many people as such an important milestone," said Professor Johan Mackenbach, of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam who championed the sanitation choice.

"The general lesson which still holds is that passive protection against health hazards is often the best way to improve population health," he added.

"Clearly, sanitation still plays a vital role in improving public health now and in the future," he said.

Other important milestones recommended for the top prize included the development of imaging techniques, the contraceptive pill, immunology and computers.

London was one of first cities of modern times to seriously tackle the problem of poor sanitation after a British doctor, John Snow, discovered in 1854 that cholera was water-borne and not air-borne as had previously being thought.

[Pharmboy]

They gave the right answer...

[Pharmboy]

Ping...

[KarlInOhio]

But the Dems told me that the most important medical advance is mincing the unborn for their stem cells.

[blam]

"London was one of first cities of modern times to seriously tackle the problem of poor sanitation after a British doctor, John Snow, discovered in 1854 that cholera was water-borne and not air-borne as had previously being thought."

I saw a good documentary on Snow's effort sometime back and the subsequent corrective action, it's good. Some of the pipes, tunnels and etc. installed in that era are still in use.

[fireforeffect]

Of course sanitation was not a MEDICAL milestone. Doctors might have discovered that the cause of the problem (cholera) was fecal matter in drinking water, but ENGINEERs found the solution. Engineers have saved more peoples lives in the past 200 years than doctors have saved in the past 10,000.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[aculeus]

Recommended read: Ghost Map.

[Pharmboy]

...and I think with their vote the docs gave the engineers and everyone else involved with sanitation a huge "atta boy!" and "thanks," while concomitantly diminishing their own contributions.

You sound like someone who can't take "yes" for an answer. Sheesh.

[rock_lobsta]

It's amazing what happens when people quit wallowing around in fecal matter.

Perhaps the chicoms should take note. Might just rid the world of little annoyances like bird(brain) flu.

[MeanWestTexan]

Thank you. Thank you very much.

/in best Elvis voice/


(Mere petroleum engineer, though)

[Inwoodian]

But the Republicans want to put arsenic in our drinking water. Waaah!

[PissAndVinegar]

Ah...but how many people have you engineers killed?!?!

Engineers designed cars(SUVs!!!) which kill,
designed petroleum refining facilities (global warming - killing us all)
Designed cigarettes making machines (second hand smoke, lung cancer)
Designed electric chairs
Designed Nukes (hiroshima)
Designed the faulty instruments the medical folks use to kill us.

See, I'm a test engineer...I know all about you 'other' engineers. We're the last defence to keep you from killing us all!

[fireforeffect]

Those are all mechanical engineers.

I was talking about Civil Engineers. Which is what most people think of when you mention engineer.

Like a gun, a car or SUV is just a tool. Some person must activate it.

I will take global warming over global cooling any day.

The electric chair was invented by a MD.

The atom bomb was designed by physicists.

[sergeantdave]

I've always suspected that sanitation was one of the most important milestones in improving public health. Happy to see my hunch confirmed.

I can say, from personal experience, that dysentery is not fun. But it sure did introduce me to such things as personal water filters and microns.

[LSAggie]

Also a good read on the subject "The Drummer Was the First to Die" by Liza Pennywitt Taylor (it's historical fiction, but very well done)

[Erasmus]

My wish for you:

"May you not die in test state."

[PissAndVinegar]

Civil Engineer?!?!

So *you're* the reason Amtrak sucks and traffic is backed up in major cities!!


(I was just trolling, being an a$$ and trying to hit all the kooks points...Nukes, SUVs, global warming...I thought it would be obvious.)

[PissAndVinegar]

I don't quite get it but I was trolling:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1769662/posts?page=17#17