Dangerous fectionCholera is a disease spread by dirty water, either when people drink the water, or eat food which has been washed in the water, and not properly cooked.Unfortunately, until the mid 19th century, people believed that the disease travelled through the airIn the crowded cities of 19th-century Britain, cholera spread easily. Most doctors wrongly believed that fresh air and better diet would prevent the disease.Huge fires were usually lit in the streets to drive away the infection, and the clothes of victims were also burned. The streets were also cleaned thoroughly withpowerful chemicals. However, people continued to suffer dreadfully.In 1854, a doctor in London, John Snow, definitely proved that cholera spread through infected drinking water He did it by carefully collecting statisticsabout the infection in one part of London. He managed to prove that in an area where deaths from cholera were highest, the water was entirely responsible forcholera infection.Improvements made to sewers and supplies of drinking water led to a decrease in deaths from cholera.In the text there was omitted the... .