The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-07 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

(Pion:, rite Rey ist Ret
• The cholera, epidemic his now happily subsided in
London ; and in the last week only 7 deaths are ascribed
to that disease, which in the first week of September
destroyed 2,050 of the inhabitants.
In the epidemic of October 1, 1848, to December 29,
1849, the cholera was fatal in 14,593 instances ; in the
epidemic from August, 1853, to November, 1854, the
deaths by the disease were 11,495. After allowing for
increase of population, the deaths to every 10,000 living
have been on an average 64 in the former, 46 in the
latter invasion. By cholera and diarrhoea together the
deaths in the two epidemics have been 18,431, and
15,762, or 81 and 63 in 10,000 of the inhabitants, out of
the population, whics was about 2,282,486 in 1849, and
is in 1854 probably 2,517,809.
The temperature at the close of 1853 and in the earlier
half of the year 1854 was lower than the temperature of
1849, so that, although the first eruption was mere fatal
than that of 1848, the second eruption of the epidemic of
1854 began later in the year, and was less fatal than the
second eruption of 1849. Certain sanitary improvements
have also been carried oat, while nuisances of various
descriptions have increased.
It would be out of place, however, to discuss here fully
the circumstances to which the decrease of mortality
may be referred, or to attempt to solve that important
question—perhaps the most important of the day—
" What is the cause ofep idemic cholera?" Is it the effused
flaky matter—from the Indian population on the delta
of the Ganges, driven about like the clouds of a leaven-
ing dust in the air and in the waters—that has repro-
duced itself, and has destroyed men, all ever the world,
either dwelling quietly in their houses, or encamped on
hostile battle-fields ? Is it ozone, electricity, volcanic or
any other agency ? None of the facts in the weekly
tables afford a solution of these questions. But in the
report that was prepared at this office on the epidemic
cholera of 1848-9 in England, certain conditions in which
cholera is fatal were brought to light ; and we have now
in this second epidemic an opportunity of re-examining
and testing those results.
And first, with reference to the localities in which men
live. The vast population of the metropolis is diffused
over 78,029 acres of ground, which is sub-divided into
36 districts and 135 sub-districts. The sub-districts
vary in size from 25 acres to 5,057 acres ; in population
from 4,632 persons to 47,881 persons ; and in every
one of these distinct sections of the population deaths
from cholera occurred in 1849 and in 1854, except in
the smallest, Dulwich, where, however, one person
died of cholera in 1849.
The cause of cholera in its epidemic form was there-
fore some matter diffused over the 78,029 living acres
of which London is composed ; and no parish enjoys in
the epidemic immunity from death by cholera, much
less from the attacks either of severe cholera or of simple
diarrhea, which attend the deadlier forms of the disease.
But the fatality differed exceedingly ; for in some
sub-districts it destroyed 4,5, 6, or 7 in every 10,000; in
others it was fatal to 196, 198, 212, 217, or more in
every 10,000 of the inhabitants.
The population of London is not homogeneous ; in
each sub-district the people, as the returns show, differ
from the rest of the population is wealth, ranging from
penury to abundance, and implying great variations in
food, lodging, clothing, firing, medical aid, in density,
in the elevation of the ground on which they live over
that of the Thames, in the drainage, in the water with
which they are supplied, in the exposure to contamina-
tion, in the nuisances and churchyards which surround
them, in the temperature, moisture, electricity, and other
atmospherical conditions.
After arranging the several districts in the order of
the mortality that they saffered from cholera, in the
order of density of population, in the order of the ele-
vation of the ground, in the order of the house-rent per
head—which is one of the best gauges of the wealth of
the people that statistics furnish—it was found that the
variations of density had some connection with the mor-
tality ; that wealth and poverty exercised more in-
fluence ; that unclean water was pernicious ; and that
in dealing with large numbers and many districts there
was a certain relation between the diminution of the
mortality of cholera and the elevation of the ground
on which the people lived.
London is built, like ancient Rome, upon several
small hills, and upon low reclaimed and imperfectly
drained marsh ground, which extends from Fulham to
Westminster, and again to Poplar, en the north side
of the Thames ; and on the south side, from Battersea
to Lambeth, Southwark, Newington, Camberwell,
Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Deptford, and Woolwich.
From the river, covering 2,245 acres at the bottom of
the great valley and this low ground, the houses rise
over undulating slopes, northwards to Hampstead-heath,
which is 404 feet above the Thames, and southwards up
to Norwood and Sydeuham.
From the new Ordnance map of London, which was
prepared at the instance of the Commission of Sewers,
Colonel Dawson, in 1850, estimated, for the Registrar-
General, the mean elevation of the 36 districts of Lon-
don ; and subsequently the elevation of the ground of the
135 sub-districts has been estimated approximately. The
population in 1851 was ascertained at the census ; the
deaths by cholera were returned each week by the re-
gistrars ; and the following resulting facts show dis-
tinctly the inverse relation that the mortalit/ of cholera
bears to the elevation of the ground.
182,660 of the people of London in 1851 lived upon
sub-districts covering 2,849 acres of the marsh ground,
ranging from 3 feet below to 1 foot above the high-
water mark ; 2,693 died there of cholera in 1849, and
2,227 in 1854, or 4,920 in the two epidemics.
263,914 of the population, in sub-districts on 13,146
acres of ground of 80 feet of elevation and upwards,
lost 398 persons by cholera in 1849,, and 272 in 1854,
or 670 in the two epidemics.

12,824 persons died of cholera in the two years 1849
and 1854 on the 18,429 acres of low ground under 10
feet of elevation, out of a population of 595,119 ; while

in the same years, out of the more numerous population,
682,705 persons living on 21,909 acres of the higher
ground of 60 feet and upwards, •nly 2,949 persons died
of cholera, including all the deaths in the district of St.
James's.

On the lowest ground, taking the mean of the two
epidemics, 13 in 1,000 of the population-on the highest
ground one in 1,000 of the population-were destroyed
by cholera.
At the intermediate stages of elevation was the danger
of dying by cholera intermediate !-To solve this this im-
portant question, as regarded the epidemic of 1849, Lon-
don was first sub-divided into terraces differing 20 feet
in elevation ; and if the same course is pursued now it
is found that in the two epidemic years 15,562 persons
died of cholera on the first terrace, under 20 feet of ele-
vation ; 3,757 on the second terrace of ground, 20 and
under 40 feet high ; 2,301 on the third terrace, 40 and
under 60 feet; 2,279 on the fourth terrace, 60 to 80 feet
high ; 392 on the fifth terrace, 80 to 100 feet ; 278 on
the higher terraces of 100 feet up to 350 feet. The popula-
tion was 850,000 on the lowest terrace, and about equal,
or 400,000, on the second, the third, and the fourth ter-
races ; while it was 142,000 on the fifth and 121,000
on the higher terrace or terraces.
After correcting for the increase of population, it is
found that in 1849 the deaths by cholera in every 10,000
inhabitants were 103, 65, 45, 25, 20, and 12, ok each
terrace respectively, commencing at the lowest ; Mille on
the same sites, in 1854, the mortality was 78, 31, 15,
29, 8, and 10. If the mean mortality is taken, the
series becomes 91, 48, 30, 27, 14, and 11 ; which cor-
responds nearly witk a series calculated on the hypo-
thesis that the mortality by cholera in any two districts
is, on the large scale, inversely as their elevation, to
which a certain constant number is added.
If we divide the mean mortality on the first or
lowest terrace by 1,2, 3,4, 5, and 7 respectively, this
series is obtained, 91, 46, 30, 23, 18, 13 ; which repre•
sents closely the series exhibiting the mortality on the
2d, 3d, 4th, sth, and the 7th terraces of 20 feet elevation.
The house ground from 100 to 350 feet is on an ave-
rage about 137 feet high, and may be fairly represented
by a seventh terrace-120.140 feet. The sum of the
hypothetical series is 221 ; of the other also 221.
By applying this rule to the mortality of 1854 the
series becomes 78, 39, 26, 20, 16, and 11. The mor-
tality on the Ist and 7th terraces is in the relation of 1
and 1.7 ; in the others there is a disturbance ; the mor-
tality on the 4th terrace is above, on the 2d, 33, and
6th, below, that indicated by the elevation. The devia-
tions from the law are in opposite directions ; and in
this single year nearly counterbalance each other.