Report on the mortality of cholera in England, 1848-49.

  • Great Britain. General Register Office.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the mortality of cholera in England, 1848-49. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    occurred on October 19, at New Village, (Nottingham, in a carpenter, aged 28, after an attack of 18 hours’ duration. A table is given in another part of this Report, in which the progress of cholera and diarrhoea, in Hull and Sculcoates combined, is shown on each day of the four months during which the epidemic prevailed. In Sculcoates 656 persons (297 males; 359 females) died of cholera, being at the rate of 152 deaths to every 10000 of the popu- lation. Diarrhoea was fatal to 144 persons (74 males ; 70 females), being 33 deaths to every 10000 persons living. In Leeds, and also in the adjoining district of Hunslet, epidemic cholera first appeared about the middle of June, was at its height during the first two weeks in September, and finally disappeared in the last week of November. From the contiguity of the two districts, and from the simultaneous appearance and departure of the epidemic, they may he spoken of in conjunction ; and a table is given elsewhere exhibiting the progress of cholera and diarrhoea each day during the months when it was most fatal. The first two fatal cases of cholera took place in Leeds on June 14th, in a cap-manu- facturer, aged 39, at 16 Market-street, after an attack of 12 hours’ duration; and in a stuff-weaver’s son, aged 9, at 32 Brass-street, cholera 6 days, and typhus 3 days. His brother, aged 7, next died, on June 15, of cholera 5 days, typhus 2 days. Two other deaths in Leeds and 3 in Hunslet took place during the month. In July only 4 deaths occurred at intervals up to the 17th ; the mortality then began to increase, and the fatal cases amounted to 23 during the month. On August 10th a stdl further spread of the epidemic commenced. On August 30th as many as 32 deaths happened, and in the course of the month it wras fatal to 426 persons. The mortality was at its height during the first two weeks of September, and on two occasions the daily deaths reached 89, viz., on September 7th and 9th; it then declined slowly for a few days, but afterwards more rapidly, and after destroying 1543 lives during September, the number fell to 309 in October : the epidemic entirely ceased in November, during which month it was not fatal to more than 14 persons. The last death in Leeds was that of a hairdresser, aged 36, at Swinegate, on November 27, alter an attack of 2 days’ duration. In Hunslet the last 2 deaths took place on November 29th, when cholera was fatal to a butcher’s daughter, aged 15, at Stocks-hill, after an attack of 16 hours, and to a joiner, aged 42, at Stanningley-road, Wortley. The following places in Leeds may be mentioned as having suffered much from cholera:—Grantham-street (No. I in this street was used as an hospital for cholera patients), Cavalier-street, Accommodation-road, Marsh-lane, Richmond-street and road, Wellington-yard, York-street, Acorn-street, Byron-street, High-street, Bateson- street, where 3 persons died on August 28th, at No. 7, and Stainburn-square. In Hunslet the epidemic severely visited Upper and Lower Wortley, Seacroft, Halton, Rothwell, Mint Holbeck ; Moor-street, Sdver-street, where 3 female children died at No. 13, in the first week of September; Water-street, Thwaite-gate, Carr-place, Low- road, and Pitfield-street. The number of deaths in Leeds was :—Cholera, 1439 (649 males; 790 females) ; diarrhoea, 267 (124 males ; 143 females). In Hunslet; cholera, 884(433 males; 451 females); diarrhoea, 120 (38 males; 62 females). To every 1OOOO persons living in Leeds there were from cholera 145 deaths ; and from diarrhoea 27 deaths. In Hunslet the proportion was—from cholera 102 deaths, and from diarrhoea 14 deaths, to every 10000 of the population. THE TYNEMOUTH CHOLERA FIELD. On both sides of the Tyne, and up the Tees, the epidemic entered Durham and Northumberland, devastating the ports and the coal districts. Ascending the north banks of the Tyne, the mortality was 129 in Tynemouth (including North Shields) ; 41 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne; 12 in Castle Ward, the surrounding district. On the south side of the Tyne the mortality in South Shields was 69 ; in Gateshead, against Newcastle, 66 in iocoo. Higher up the Tvne, and round the soum-s of its chief tribu- taries, the mortality was in Hexham 5 ; in Haltwhistle 3 ; in Bellingham none. Morpeth, Alnwick, and Berwick on the coast suffered to some extent; in Belford the mortality was only 5 ; Glendale 8 in 10000 : there was no death either from cholera or diarrhoea