DISEASES AND

EPIDEMICS OF THE
19TH CENTURY
Medical Responses
 Medical Responses

Epidemics of the 19th 
Throughout the
century were faced majority of the 19th
without century, there was
the medical advances only the most basic,
that made 20th- common-sense
century epidemics understanding of the
much rarer and less
causes,
lethal.
amelioration, and
treatment of
epidemic disease.
The late 19th century
was the beginning of
widespread use ofÂ
vaccines .
Cholera
Cholera
 Cholera is transmitted
primarily by drinking water
or eating food that has
been contaminated by the
cholera bacterium.
History does not recount any
incidents of cholera
until the 19th century.
Cholera came in seven
waves, the last two of which
occurred in the 20th century.
The first cholera pandemic
started in 1816, spread
across India by 1820, and
extended to Southeast Asia
and Central Europe, lasting
until 1826.
10 yrs.
 A second cholera pandemic
began in 1829, reached Russia,
Russia
causing the Cholera Riots. It spread
to Hungary, Germany and
Egypt in 1831, and London, Paris
, Quebec, Ontario and
New York City the following year.
Cholera reached the Pacific coast
of North America by 1834,
reaching into the center of the
country by steamboat and other
river traffic.
The third cholera pandemic began
in 1846 and lasted until 1860. It hit
Russia hardest, with over one
million deaths.
 1846-1860

In 1846, 
A two-year outbreak 
In 1849, outbreak
began in occurred again in
cholera England and Wales Paris, and in
struck Mecca in 1848, and London, killing
14,137, over twice
killing over claimed 52,000
as many as the
lives.
15,000. 1832 outbreak.

That year, cholera was
Cholera hit Ireland
1849,

 transmitted along the
in 1849 and killed California, Mormon and
many of the Cholera Oregon Trails, killing
Irish Famine
survivors, already
claimed people that are believed
to have died on their way
weakened by 200,000 to the
starvation and California Gold Rush,
fever.
victims in Utah and Oregon in the
Mexico. cholera years of 1849–
1855.
 1846-1860

In 1851, a ship coming 
from Cuba carried the
disease to Gran Canaria,
killing up to 6,000
people.

The pandemic spread
east to Indonesia by
1852, and China and
Japan in 1854.
The Philippines were
infected in 1858 and
Korea in 1859. In
1859, an outbreak in
Bengal contributed to
transmission of the
disease by travelers
and troops to Iran,
Iraq, Arabia and
Russia.
 1846-1860

Japan suffered at 
An outbreak of cholera in
least seven major Chicago in 1854 took the
outbreaks of cholera lives of 5.5% of the
population (about 3,500
between 1858 and people). In 1853–4,
1902. London's epidemic
The Ansei outbreak of claimed 10,738 lives.
1858–60, for Throughout Spain,
example, is believed cholera caused more
than 236,000 deaths in
to have killed 1854–55. In 1854, it
between 100,000 and entered Venezuela;
200,000 people in Brazil also suffered in
Tokyo alone. 1855.
 The
fourth cholera pandem
ic
(1863–1875) spread
mostly in Europe and
Africa.
 1863-1875

At least 30,000 of 
Cholera ravaged
northern Africa in 1865
the 90,000 Mecca and southeastward to
pilgrims died from Zanzibar, killing 70,000
the disease. in 1869–70.


Cholera claimed 
The epidemic of cholera
that spread with the
90,000 lives in Austro-Prussian War
Russia in 1866. (1866) is estimated to
have taken 165,000 lives
in the Austrian Empire.
 1863-1875

In 1867, 113,000 
Outbreaks in North
lost their lives to America in 1866–
cholera in Italy.And 1873 killed some
50,000 Americans.
80,000 in Algeria.

In 1866, localized 
In the 1870s, cholera
epidemics occurred in spread in the U.S. as an
the East End of epidemic from New
Orleans along the
London,in southern Mississippi River and to
Wales, and ports on its tributaries.
Amsterdam.
 In the
fifth cholera pandemic
(1881–1896), according to
Dr A. J. Wall, the 1883–
1887 part of the epidemic
cost 250,000 lives in
Europe and at least
50,000 in the Americas.
 1881-1896

Cholera claimed 
In Egypt, cholera
267,890 lives in claimed more
Russia than 58,000 lives.
(1892);120,000 in The 1892
Spain; 90,000 in outbreak in
Japan and over Hamburg killed
60,000 in Persia. 8,600 people.
SMALLPOX