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>> The Cholera Epidemic of 1831. Historical background.

It is thought that the cholera was brought to Danzig by sailors of a Russian ship which arrived in harbour in the spring of 1831. The first case was reported on 27 May and it is said that within a month some 400 inhabitants had fallen ill, most of whom died.' The highest mortality rate was apparently among young men aged between twenty and thirty. It is difficult to ascertain the total number of cases suffered in the city of Danzig during the period of high rick from the end of May to the end of October, but from the newspaper reports given below and later ones, it appears that the figure would have been about 1300 or more infected of whom some 850 died. In the mat areas surrounding Danzig many hundreds more also succumbed. Whatever the true number, the alarm and despondency amongst the citizens of Danzig must have been considerable.

In Great Britain, the Time? newspaper was including regular reports on the epidemic under the heading 'CHOLERA MORBUS'. The column for 21 June 1831 was devoted to the situation in 'Dantsic' as follows:

'The accounts received from Dantsic yesterday by the Dutch steam-boats state that the cholera still continued its ravages dime, and much impeded business. The following is an extract of a letter from thence:- "Dantsic, June 97- Our physicians declare the prevailing disease to be cholera, but they differ anions themselves u to its being both contagious and epidemic. Certain it is that the disease is deadly, and persons die of it in a few hours. The extent of mortality is, however, by no means alarming. Last week we see, by the bills of mortality, that 41 persons bandied of the cholera, and in the corresponding week of last year the deaths were 48. In the whale, up to this moment, 94 cholera cases have been Tenoned, of which 46 have pond Mal, three have recovered, and 35 are yet doubt-"al. All possible precautions have beat taken to prevent the spreading of the disease; but the surest preventive sewn to be regular life and good food, which the poorer classes are not able to procure. They and the soldiers, therefore, suffer mon" '

It is interesting to note front this report, the claim that there were 48 deaths from 'cholera' in June 1830 (they were possibly instead bad cases of dysentery). The number of reported oases in the 1831 outbreak increased sharply after the above report was submitted (see further reports below). On 23 June 1831, The Times published reports front the liamburgh papers's which included the following note: The effons of the public authorities in Dantsic to suppress the chola, have proved ineffectual, the (hessian Government have ordered a cordon to be drawn around the city. A part of the adjoining countty will be included within the cordon, by which means the population of the city will not be altogether cooped up within its walls, and the population of the adjoining country, who usually depend for the sale of their produce on the townspeople, will not be at once de .rivedpiths'? bread.' A report' published on the same date in 'Private Correspondence' front Berlin of 14 Jule included the following: 'In Dantsic, up to the 94' instant, 70 Fenton have fallen sick, 38 have died, and it does not appear that any of the refraining number have es yet recovered. Every possible measure of preacaution has been taken, here to preserve the inhabitants of this capital from this dreadful contagion, and it is generally expected that they will prove successful.'

Danzig Report 133, 2006, Page (2) 4.