History of the epidemic of cholera in Chatham, Rochester, and Strood, in 1849 / by Thomas Stratton ... in a letter to Sir Wm. Burnett ... Medical-Director of the Navy.

Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the epidemic of cholera in Chatham, Rochester, and Strood, in 1849 / by Thomas Stratton ... in a letter to Sir Wm. Burnett ... Medical-Director of the Navy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    as the population of Rochester in 1849 ; and 29 deaths to ] 1,934 inhabitants is one death in 4114 of the population, or, excluding four cases carried sick to Fort Pitt from Chatham, one death in 477 inhabitants. Of that part of Chatham included in the Rochester-district, the population in 1831 appears not to have been ascertained; in 1841, it was 5238. Supposing that the population has increased in the same ratio as that of Rochester, the population of this part of Chatham in 1849 may be said to be 5724; and 20 deaths to this number of inhabitants is one death in 286 of the population. Forty-nine district deaths in the district population of 17,658 is one death in 360 inhabitants. Of the 49 deaths, 27 were males and 22 females. That there were more deaths in proportion in the Chatham part of Rochester district, is probably explained by the circumstance that Chatham is situated in a lower elevation, is kept in a less cleanly state, and has more inhabitants of unsettled and unsteady habits and in poor circumstances than Rochester. In this district I could not discover any facts bearing on the sub- ject of infection. The duration of the fatal cases and their ages will be mentioned afterwards. The 29 Rochester deaths include 5 at Fort Pitt, of which four (two women from Church Lane, and two soldiers from St Mary’s Barracks) originated in Chatham ; so that 25 is the number of deaths strictly belonging to Rochester proper, and 25 deaths in 11,934 inhabitants is 1 in 477 in- habitants. Gillingham District Cholera Mortality. Mr Tracey, bookseller, is the registrar of this district, which includes Gillingham village and parish, the hamlet of Grange, the suburb of New Brompton, the town of Brompton, the village of Luton, and the east part of the town of Chatham. It includes St Mary’s Barracks, Brompton Barracks, Melville Hospital, the Marine Barracks, Her Majesty’s Dockyard, the Line Barracks, the Spur Hospital, the Garrison Hospital, and Chatham Work- house. The three registrars, Messrs Tracey, Furrell, and Gates, favoured me with all the information I requested, and I take this opportunity of thanking them for the obliging disposition they evinced. The first cholera death occurred on the 28th of July, and the last on the 28th of September,—the duration of the epi- demic being nine weeks. There were 77 deaths,—47 in males, and 36 in females. The weekly rise, progress, and decline of the epidemic was as follows: — Table III. In the first week, ending on Saturday, 4th August, 2 deaths. Second, ,, „ 11th August, 2 c