Cholera
Cholera
Collection: Pandemics, Society, and Public Health, 1517–1925 Volumes Cholera
The archival sources in this volume chart the influence of cholera in the UK throughout the nineteenth century (although it also contains some documents relating to the disease from the twentieth century). Cholera is an infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. It spreads through contaminated water and food, leading to severe diarrhoea and dehydration. Originally, cholera was endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Due to increased global trade throughout the nineteenth century, the disease spread to Europe. Cholera was responsible for mass mortality in the UK and Ireland, particularly throughout the early to mid-nineteenth century. Britain experienced its first major epidemic in 1832. A further outbreak occurred in the late 1840s. The connection between contaminated water and the spread of the disease was eventually discovered. This led the British state to implement vast improvements in sanitation and public infrastructure.
The documents within this collection were sourced from four leading UK archives: The National Archives, British Library, University College London, and London Metropolitan Archives. A complete item listing can be found on the Downloads page for this collection.
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