Vježbanje života i smrti: nove spoznaje o epidemiji kolere u Rijeci 1886.

Abstract

The last major cholera epidemic in the 19th century hit the city of Rijeka in the summer of 1886, during the fifth pandemic wave of 1881-1896. Previous research did not encompass a detailed analysis of the deaths caused by this infectious disease in the area of what was then the city of Rijeka. Analysing the causes of deaths in the register of deaths for the territory of the Rijeka parish, the authors present some of the characteristics of those who fell victim to the consequences of cholera. According to their death certificates, a total of eighty-two men and sixty-seven women died during epidemic. The average age of those who died of cholera was 36.4 years. The first death from cholera recorded in the Rijeka parish register of deaths occurred on June 25, and the last on September 24, 1886. In order to gain additional insight into the origin and course of the epidemic in the city, public health measures and measures enforced by the city authorities, as well as public reactions to the threat, the content of articles published in the weekly periodical La varietà was analysed. La varietà was published in Rijeka in the Italian language. Along with regular updates on the number of new cases and deaths, it contain until-now unrevealed details about the epidemic in the city, such as elements of oral tradition – the legend of cholera in Rijeka - and ethnomedically relevant information and superstitions tied to cholera infections or their treatment. In conclusion, the authors underscore the problem of reporting the number of deaths caused by cholera, which differ between the register of deaths and reports published in La varietà, as well as the need to investigate other archival sources in order to gain a broader insight into the cholera epidemic in the city of Rijeka in 1886.