The Great Stink of 1858 — Season 1, Episode 1: Contagion
Documentary • 30 min • 1 season, 2 episodes • ★ 6.0/10
Episode synopsis
n the 19th century, thousands of gallons of raw sewage from across London was being dumped into the Thames every day. When a summer heatwave hit the city in 1858, it turned the river into a festering, noxious cesspool of filth. Xand van Tulleken reveals how the stench overwhelmed London, spreading sickness and fear.
About The Great Stink of 1858
Dr Xand van Tulleken tells how an extraordinary heatwave struck London in the summer in 1858 and a terrible stench began to rise from the River Thames.