In a time of cholera

Abstract

Dr. Nathaniel Alcock in his book A treatise on cholera described 22 cases of cholera that he treated in 1832. Blood-letting, either by leeches or venesection, was an essential part of the treatment. The belief was that reducing the blood volume would relieve stress on the heart and lungs allowing for better function. The receipts of the Townsend Street Cholera Hospital where Dr. Alcock worked show how extensive the practice was. Outside Dublin, local Boards of Health dealt with the cholera epidemic. Various public measures such as street cleaning and removal of patients to temporary hospitals were undertaken and various cures were tried. The overall mortality rate from cholera in Ireland during the epidemic was 38 %, but in some areas much higher. Even as cholera was spreading in the 1830s, a number of doctors were showing that intravenous fluids could dramatically alter the course of the disease. Unfortunately, their work was ignored and blood-letting continued to be a major component of the treatment of cholera for another 55 years.