The Third Cholera Pandemic (1852-1860)
Estimated deaths: Over 1 million
To date, there have been seven major cholera pandemics in history. But it was the third of these that is considered the deadliest in history. It’s believed origins were in the Ganges River valley area of India, which is also the suspected origins of the first and second cholera pandemics. From there it would eventually spread across Asia, Europe, Africa, and even parts of North America. In Russia, it was claimed to have been the cause for hundreds of thousands of deaths. In 1854, it is blamed for the death of 23,000 in Britain alone.
It was during this pandemic that the famous physician John Snow of Britain made his mark on medical science. At the time, the dominant theory on disease transmission was the “miasma theory” which stipulated that disease transmission is spread through bad or noxious air. Snow was a skeptic of this theory. By talking to local residents in the Soho area of London and plotting infected people’s homes on a street map, he was able to trace the outbreak of cholera there to a public water pump on Broad Street. It was his work that eventually led to the founding of the science of epidemiology.
But what exactly is cholera and what does it do to humans? It is a caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae which leads to an infection within the small intestine. The classic symptoms are large and uncontrollable amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts for several days. Other visible symptoms are skin that takes a bluish hue due to dehydration, cold skin, and wrinkling of the hands and feet. What leads to death is the rapid, severe dehydration within the body. Treatment is mainly through continuous rehydration and the administering if antibiotics. Prevention is primarily through proper hygiene, sanitation, and ensuring a clean source of drinking water.
