A Study On The Prevalence Of Classical Cholera In The Qing Dynasty

This study aims to make a comprehensive understanding of the cholera epidemic in Qing dynasty, to analyze changes of cholera epidemic areas and other epidemiological characteristics, to explore the public perception of the reasons for the epidemiological cause, and finally to reflect the social and environmental changes by use of cholera as a barometer.This study indicates that there were 6 times classical cholera pandemic in China before 1961. Specifically, the cholera pandemic during the Qing dynasty could be divided into 4 times within 2 types:(1) in 1820-1822,1862-1864, and 1902 the cholera epidemic belongs to pandemic outbreak, whose peak values are significant, especially in 1821; (2) in 1888-1895 the cholera epidemic belongs to persistent type, whose peak values are not significant but continuous.Since the introduction of cholera, there are great divergences within several times cholera epidemic in the aspects of speed, distribution because of social, environmental, and climatic factors. In perspective of month distribution of historical cholera epidemic, the regional temperature affects the spread of cholera greatly, especially in the solar calendar of August with peak values not only in the number of deaths but also in its spatial distribution. This also means that its popular strength is higher relative with high temperature and high humidity environment. In perspective of spatial distribution of historical cholera epidemic, the north areas are more serious than the south ones because the cholera epidemic is always obscured by the mountainous environment of south areas while the plain environment in Zhi-li province or Shan-dong province provides great availability for the spread of cholera epidemic.According to a worldwide statistics of cholera epidemic, the outbreaks of cholera in China are always parallel with the outbreaks throughout the world, which indicates the unique characteristics of Chinese society and its sensitivity to the situation of the world. Climate anomalies exert a great influence on the cholera epidemic and contribute greatly to the cholera epidemic from the original place, the Ganges Delta, to worldwide areas in Jia-qing and Dao-guang period of the Qing dynasty. One thing is indicated by China's cholera pandemic quantitative analysis of wet and dry conditions that drought, rather than flood, is more likely to induce cholera. Another thing is proved by river and traffic buffer analysis that river plays an important but no homogeneous role in the cholera epidemic, especially in south areas. What's more, the diet habit and living condition are the structural factors of cholera epidemic because cholera epidemic depends not only on human's susceptibility to the extent of its exposure, but also depends on the social environment of their everyday living habits.Compared to the modern system of medical institutions and its establishment, the influence of cholera epidemic in the Qing dynasty was indicated much more in the psychological impact on humans while the response from the states was comparatively slow. From the classical cholera's first introduction to China in Jia-qing period and Dao-guang period of the Qing Dynasty to the last cholera pandemic in Ren-yin year of the late Qing empire, it could be reflected clearly by changes of spread pattern and evolutions of infected areas that the development of coastal areas becomes an irresistible tendency based on three points:(1) the formation of commercial system between coastal ports and their hinterlands after the port opening; (2) the higher density of population communication in the coastal areas; (3) the pattern of transportation dominated by shipping.