International Journal of Epidemiology 2002;31:908-911
© International Epidemiological Association 2002
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Commentary: Sutherland, Snow and water: the transmission of cholera in the nineteenth century
Centre for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. E-mail: stephanie.snow@man.ac.uk
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Cholera
The first confirmed case of cholera in Britain occurred in September 1831 when William Sproat of Sunderland contracted the disease (Figure 1
). Over the next 30 years or so, Britain was invaded by four of the pandemics of cholera that had spread from Bengal since the early 19th century and suffered epidemics in 1831–1832, 1848–1849, 1853–1854 and 1866. Cholera was not as persistent or as frequent in its attacks as other infectious diseases but was remarkable for its high mortality rate and the speed at which it could kill. In terms of overall number of deaths for example, cholera claimed only 6% of the total for 1832. This put it no higher than third in the table of leading causes of death—behind consumption and convulsions and not far ahead of typhus, pneumonia, smallpox and dropsy.1 By 1831, Britain had known for some time that cholera was moving towards its
Sutherland and the Board of Health
John Snow and cholera
Snow and Sutherland
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