It’s 1854 in London. The third major cholera pandemic was racing through the city. Spreading from the Ganges delta of India since 1837, it’s claimed over a million lives mostly among Asia, Europe, and North America.
Within the Soho district of Westminster, London, things weren’t looking good. The London sewer system had not reached Soho, but a large influx of people had. Animal droppings from cowsheds and slaughter houses lined the streets. Many cellars had cesspools underneath, formed from the sewage and filth seeping in from outside. Making matters worse, the London government was dumping waste into the River Thames and contaminating the water supply. (more…)