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The \u2018Great Stink\u2019 - when the stench of untreated human and industrial waste was amplified by a particularly hot Summer - reached a peak on 15th July, 1858, when members of Parliament lead by Benjamin Disraeli rushed through an emergency cleanup bill, kickstarting a transformative revamp of London\u2019s sewage system.\nPrior to this, waste from factories, slaughterhouses, and households accumulated on the capital\u2019s riverbanks, creating a thick, malodorous crust. Most Londoners believed that bad air caused illness, rather than the poisoned water itself - a misunderstanding which initially led people to simply cover their noses to avoid the stench.\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal the desperate methods attempted by MPs in order to prevent the stench from entering the Palace of Westminster; marvel at the architectural ambition of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, chief engineer of the Metropolitan Board of Works; and explain why the \u2018miasma theory\u2019 had gone unchallenged for centuries\u2026\xa0\nFurther Reading:\n\u2022 \u2018Too hot? In 1858 a heatwave turned London into a stinking sewer\u2019 (BBC News, 2018): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-45009749\n\u2022 \u2018London's Great Stink\u2019 (Historic UK): https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Londons-Great-Stink/\n\u2022 \u2018Bazalgette: Saviour of the Great Stink\u2019 (): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k8AnhNkN04\n\n\ufeffLove the show? Support us!\xa0\nJoin\xa0 \U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\U0001f334to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY\u2026\xa0\n\n\u2026 Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.\xa0\nJoin now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show \u2764\ufe0f\n\n\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices