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Question

Difficulty: MediumImplicit and Inferred Relationships

Passage excerpt:

In September 1854, as cholera ravaged London's Soho district, Dr. John Snow compiled a detailed map marking the residences of the deceased. His spatial analysis pointed squarely to the public water pump on Broad Street. Armed with this visual evidence, Snow secured a meeting with the local Board of Guardians. The Board, staunch proponents of the prevailing 'miasma' theory—which attributed cholera to foul air rather than contaminated water—listened to Snow's presentation with polite skepticism. They found his germ theory eccentric and unscientific, aligning instead with the established medical authorities who ridiculed the notion of waterborne transmission. Nonetheless, with the death toll rising and public panic mounting, the Board voted to remove the pump's handle the following morning. While this act was later celebrated as a triumph of epidemiological reasoning, the Board’s immediate minutes recorded the decision not as an endorsement of Snow’s hypothesis, but as a temporary concession to appease a terrified constituency. The pump handle was replaced shortly after the outbreak subsided, and the city’s sanitation policies remained unchanged for another decade, showing how deeply entrenched the atmospheric theories of disease remained.

Based on the passage, which of the following best describes the relationship between the Board of Guardians and Snow’s theory of cholera transmission?

  1. A
    fully embraced Snow's scientific theory after realizing that his map disproved the prevailing miasma theory.
  2. B
    rejected Snow's proposed course of action because they feared it would validate an unscientific hypothesis.
  3. tolerated Snow's practical suggestion to placate the public while remaining unconvinced of his underlying scientific theory.Answer
  4. D
    agreed with Snow's theory initially but reversed their stance under pressure from established medical authorities.

Answer

The relationship is best described as the Board tolerating Snow's practical suggestion to placate the public while remaining unconvinced of his underlying scientific theory.
The passage states that the Board found Snow's theory 'eccentric and unscientific' but nevertheless voted to remove the pump handle to appease a terrified constituency. This indicates they implemented his recommended action to calm the public, despite remaining skeptical of his scientific reasoning.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the Board of Guardians' explicit reaction to John Snow's scientific theory.
The Board found his germ theory 'eccentric and unscientific' and aligned with medical authorities who ridiculed it.
Understanding their initial stance establishes their skepticism toward the scientific claim.
2
Identify the Board's action and their recorded motivation for that action.
The Board voted to remove the pump handle not as an endorsement of Snow's hypothesis, but as a temporary concession to appease a terrified constituency.
This distinguishes between their practical action (removing the handle) and their cognitive stance (remaining unconvinced).
3
Match these findings to the description of their relationship with the theory.
The Board tolerated the practical suggestion to placate the public while remaining unconvinced of the underlying theory.
This choice accurately reflects the implicit compromise between their actions and beliefs.

Key Concept

Identifying implicit relationships and motives that are not directly stated in the text.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Implicit and Inferred Relationships

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