Abel Wolman, "Friend of the Thirsty": A Life and Legacy of Water Sanitization episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 24, 2026 · 23 MIN

Abel Wolman, "Friend of the Thirsty": A Life and Legacy of Water Sanitization

from Public Health On Call · host Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

About this episode:   At the turn of the 20th century, waterborne diseases like typhoid and dysentery posed a significant threat to public health, accounting for a large part of infant mortality and overall morbidity. Enter Abel Wolman, an early graduate of Johns Hopkins' engineering program and a professor at the university's school of public health. In this episode: the story of the Baltimore-born pioneer of water sanitization and how his work in water chlorination and infrastructure set the stage for better health across the globe.  Note: This episode was produced in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University sesquicentennial campaign.  Guest:  Graham Mooney, PhD, is an associate professor of history of medicine and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  Host:  Ari Goldstein, MD, is a family medicine physician and a recent alum of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health General Preventive Medicine Residency program. This year, Dr. Goldstein served a one-month rotation with Public Health On Call.  Show links and related content:  Heroes of Public Health: Abel Wolman—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health  Friend of the Thirsty—New York Times

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Abel Wolman, "Friend of the Thirsty": A Life and Legacy of Water Sanitization

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