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Epidemiology is an important auxiliary branch of medicine, helping to find the causes of diseases and ways of prevention (as in the case of AIDS). It can, using statistical methods such as large-scale population studies, support or refute treatment hypotheses.
Another major use of epidemiology is to identify risk factors for diseases. Modern medicine, especially evidence based medicine, relies upon sound epidemiological methods.
Dr. John Snow is famous for the suppression of an 1854 outbreak of cholera in London's Soho district. He identified the cause of the outbreak as a public water pump in Broad Street, and had the handle removed, thus ending the outbreak.
This was a major event in the history of public health, and can be regarded as the founding event of the science of epidemiology.
Another breakthrough was the 1956 publication of results of the British doctors study, which lent statistical support to the suspicion that tobacco smokingTobacco smoking is the act of smoking tobacco products, especially cigarettes and cigars. Tobacco smoking is considered a significant cause of human health problems, especially cancer and other disorders affecting the lungs. The practice of smoking tobacc was linked to lung cancerLung cancer is a malignant tumour of the lungs. Most commonly it is bronchogenic carcinoma (about 90%). Lung cancer is the most lethal malignant tumour worldwide, causing up to 3 million deaths. Exposure to carcinogens, such as those present in tobacco sm.