On the appearance of cholera at Sunderland in 1831 : with some account of that disease / By James Butler Kell, Esq.

  • Kell, James Butler, 1783-
Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the appearance of cholera at Sunderland in 1831 : with some account of that disease / By James Butler Kell, Esq. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    diately addressed a letter to the officer in command, to request his calling the attention of the Board of Health to the existence of this nuisance, and the danger likely to ensue to the troops, as well as the inhabitants, from such a practice. It had been repeatedly, and in a great measure correctly, stated, that chole¬ ra would not commit the ravages in this country that had fol¬ lowed its course in milder climates ; and to the heavy and fog¬ gy atmosphere of November and December on the north-east coast of England, may be attributed the escape of many from a pestilence, to the source of which they were unconsciously ex¬ posed. On Christmas day, the long interval of seven weeks had elapsed from the period at which the soldiers and their families were confined to barracks, and during that time they enjoyed good health, and remained free from that disease, which destroyed many within a few yards of their quarters, thus affording an ir¬ resistible proof of the salutary effects of the measures adopted. From the favourable reports published of the state of health in Sunderland at that period, the utmost impatience was manifest¬ ed by the soldiers at the continued restraint imposed on them, and after the festivities of Christmas day, many of them con¬ trived to go over the wall into town ; however, the major part returned in the course of the evening, and all of them by the following morning. In mentioning this circumstance, I cannot refrain from ex¬ pressing my regret at an occurrence, the impropriety of which was in a great measure effaced by their former forbearance amidst so many privations; yet this transgression could not, in my opi¬ nion, impugn the advantages which the former state of seclusion had afforded; as it will appear on a reference to the official re¬ turn of cholera published at the council-office, that on that day, as well as before and immediately after, but very few cases of cholera were reported in Sunderland and its suburbs. * The disease, however, continued to linger, a case of it occa¬ sionally recurring, and not until the first of February was the town declared free from it, on which day the barrack gates were * Remained 2*2d Dec. 6 cases. Remained 25th Dec. !) cases- 23d Dec. 7 do. 26th Dec. 6 do. 24th Dec. 8 do. 27th Dec. 7 do*