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The Greatest Medical Milestone Since 1840

The British Medical Journal conducted a survey of over 11,000 people to determine the most important medical milestone since 1840. The overwhelming winner of the survey? Simple sanitation, with nearly 16 percent of the votes.

Improved sanitation, such as sewage disposal and clean water supply systems, has reduced many diseases, including cholera, and helped spread the importance of disease prevention through more “passive” means.

Sanitation beat out other top choices, including the discovery of DNA, antibiotics, anesthesia, the contraceptive pill, imaging techniques and computers. Ironically, some of the oldest medical tenets are also the best; this milestone is still in full-force today, with most medical experts recommending simple hand washing as an excellent way to reduce your risk of infections. Sadly, however, inadequate sanitation is still a major challenge for many developing countries.

British Medical Journal January 18, 2007

BBC News January 18, 2007





 
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Comment on This Article Community Comments (6)
 
 
Posted On Jan 18, 2007
I agree with the 16% that voted for sanitation in the British Medical Journal. Improved sanition has been proven to be the major reason for the decline of many diseases, not the invent of vaccinations! It would be a relief if the AMA and Big Pharma recognized this fact, though.

 
Dr. Matthew J. Loop
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 6/2006
Dr. Matthew J. Loop  
Replied

dfb
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 9/2006
dfb  
 
Posted On Jan 19, 2007
>It would be a relief if the AMA and Big Pharma recognized this fact, though.

I recommend adjusting your expectations to avoid disappointment. Pharma is not co-working with us to discover truth about healt&disease: it tries to spot&cash-in opportunities in the health-market. If nessecary to rescue the company's research-investments they will try to create another truth, leading to increased product sales.

regards
dfb

 
 
 
Posted On Jan 18, 2007

Between handwashing, along with other sanitation techniques, and eating whole foods that are good for you.  You can markedly reduce your risk of illness. Simple methods are usually the best.

mmc88121


 
mmc88121
Moderator User Moderator User, Joined On 11/2006
mmc88121  
 
 
 
Posted On Jan 18, 2007
Sometimes the pendelum swings too far. From my observation the obsessive over-kill to fight germs has begun to do more harm than good. Ever meet a germophobe that didn't have health problems?

 
labrat
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 9/2006
labrat  
 
 
 
Posted On Jan 21, 2007

Occum's Razor wins again (the simplest answer, or explanation, tends to be the correct one)! 

Sanitation saved many hundreds thousands in war zone surguries in the past 150 years to the present, when infection was and/or remains pandemic; ditto in many third world swamps, slums, or other squalor conditions globally today.

Cleanliness is indeed second only to Godliness; you avoid meeting your Maker a little longer.


 
Russ Bianchi
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 9/2006
Russ Bianchi  
 
 
 
Posted On Feb 16, 2007
I believe a gentleman by the name of Thomas Crapper invented in England, United Kindgom the first flushing toilet bowl; aptly named......The Thunder Bowl.

Yes.........sanitation I believe was a marvellous step forward in fighting disease.

Let's face it, here in the UK we probably have the best sanitation and drinking water on tap anywhere in the world.

I do, however, feel sad when I see on TV all those faces in places like Africa who do not have the luxury of what we have in the UK; sanitation and drinking water.

 
Freedom
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 2/2007
Freedom  
 
 
 
 
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