Evidence-Based Lies

The facade of veracity in medical science hinges on widespread ignorance

John Snow, a 19th-century English physician, is revered today as a titan of medical history. But in 1854, when he made his great contribution to science — removing the handle from a London water pump — he was ridiculed and dismissed as a quack. He suffered a stroke and died four years later, the significance of his genius still unrecognized.

It wasn’t until eight years after his death that John Snow was vindicated, ironically by one of his most outspoken earlier detractors. Snow had become convinced that a single contaminated water pump was driving a massive cholera outbreak in London at the time. Leading scientists of the day rejected his theory, instead upholding then-current dogma that “bad air” was to blame. Eventually, the evidence corroborating Snow’s hypothesis mounted, and in 1866 the magnitude of Snow’s discovery became clear. He had been right about cholera being transmitted through the water supply, and his revelation went on to save innumerable lives.

Most progress in medical science arises from frequent but incremental improvements. Discoveries as significant as Snow’s are exceedingly rare. But when they do come about, it’s usually years or decades before they benefit mankind on a large scale because getting major innovations…