Modern medical advances have contributed immensely to public health. These discoveries are credited for nearly wiping out diseases that once took many lives. But one method, in particular, may hold the most influence.
In 2007, the British Medical Journal asked readers to choose the greatest medical advance since 1840 (the year the Journal began). Over 11,000 wrote in. Antibiotics and modern surgical techniques both had many fans, but the winner was indoor plumbing.
