Cholera: The Victorian Plague

Discover the story of the disease that devastated the Victorian population, and brought about major changes in sanitation. Drawing on the latest scientific research and a wealth of archival material, Amanda Thomas uses first-hand accounts, blending personal stories with an overview of the history of the disease and its devastating after-effects on British society. This fascinating history of a catastrophic disease uncovers forgotten stories from each of the major cholera outbreaks in 1831-3, 1848-9, 1853-4 and 1866. Amanda Thomas reveals that Victorian theories about the disease were often closer to the truth than we might assume, among them the belief that cholera was spread by miasma, or foul air. AUTHOR: Amanda Thomas is a professional genealogist and author, as well as a visiting lecturer in Social History at Morley College, London. She has previously worked in journalism and PR, for television companies including The Walt Disney Company. Amanda edits the journal, The Clock Tower, for Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre since 2006 and published The Lambeth Cholera Outbreak of 1848-1849.
16 b/w illustrations