Old Town in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Cholera Epidemics of 1832 & 1834
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 2022
1. Cholera Epidemics of 1832 & 1834 Marker
On June 21, 1832, the first cases of cholera, a highly contagious and deadly disease, appeared in the Town of York. Much feared, cholera first appeared in India in the 1770s, spreading along trade routes to Asia and Europe, and arriving in London, England in February 1832.
Immigrants sailing in unsanitary and often gruesome conditions unknowingly brought cholera with them to North America. Despite quarantine measures, the disease devastated towns and cities along the St. Lawrence River. During the spring and summer of 1832, about 11,000 immigrants passed through York, landing at wharves close to this site. They often stayed in crowded housing in the St. Lawrence Ward, allowing the disease to spread easily.
In an effort to control the epidemic, the provincial government appointed a Board of Health, which advised the existing hospital to focus on treating cholera. However, most of the sick were too frightened to go for help and about 450 died.
The first cholera epidemic ended in the fall of 1832. The disease had spread among new immigrants as well as York's residents, who numbered about 5,500. When cholera returned in 1834, the newly incorporated City of Toronto implemented its first public health bylaws, many of which shaped the later development of the city.
Erected
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Immigration • Science & Medicine • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is June 21, 1832.
Location. 43° 39.028′ N, 79° 22.345′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in Old Town. Marker is on King Street East, 0.1 kilometers west of Jarvis Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, at the southeast corner of Saint James Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 120 King Street East, Toronto ON M5C 1G6, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. York Council Chambers (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Lawrence Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); The Daniel Brooke Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Francis Collins (within shouting distance of this marker); Mary Ann Shadd Cary (within shouting distance of this marker); 61-75 Jarvis Street (within shouting distance of this marker); St. James' Cathedral (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Toronto Sculpture Garden (about 120 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toronto.
Also see . . .
1. A Treatise on the Epidemic Cholera, Upper Canada, 1832-1834.
Cholera(Submitted on February 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)epidemics struck Toronto in 1832 and again in 1834, brought by waves of emigrants. Cholera, an acute infectious disease caused by contaminated water or food, was little understood at the time as to either its cause or treatment. About 1,000 people died in the two outbreaks. There could hardly have been a family who was not affected in some way. Such was the number of immigrants with cholera being treated at the hospital that sheds had to be erected adjacent to the hospital to house patients.Courtesy Toronto Museums and Heritage Services, 1978.41.302. Marker detail: Toronto, John Howard, 1834In 1834, John Howard painted this view of Toronto as seen from present-day Front and Simcoe Streets. The view shows the cholera hospital (red) and behind it, immigrant sheds (blue). The sheds functioned as a quarantine space during the 1832 and 1834 epidemics. The cause of cholera was not yet fully understood. Some thought the disease was caused by immoral behaviour, while others blamed bad air. In fact, cholera spread through contaminated food and drinking water. Cholera bacteria likely thrived in conditions provided by the open streams that drained into the Toronto harbour, such as in the painting above.
2. The Cholera Epidemic of 1832.
At the beginning of June, the Carrick, a ship that had come over from Ireland, reached Quebec with a few feverish immigrants on board. Three days later, cholera took its first victim. The illness spread like wildfire all the way to Montreal and then to Upper Canada. It quickly became an epidemic that moved through the shanty neighbourhoods of the urban poor, which were breeding grounds for contagion. The lack of sewers and garbage collection contributed to water contamination. Soon the epidemic was out of control and hundreds died each day, mostly in the large towns.(Submitted on February 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Cholera in Canada.
Cholera(Submitted on February 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)first reached Canada in 1832, brought by immigrants from Britain. Epidemics occurred in 1832, 1834, 1849, 1851, 1852 and 1854. There were cases in Halifax in 1881. The epidemics killed at least 20 000 people in Canada. Cholera was feared because it was deadly and no one understood how it spread or how to treat it. The death rate for untreated cases is extremely high. Grosse Île, near Québec, was opened in 1832 as a quarantine station and all ships stopped there for inspection.Wellcome Library, London3. Marker detail: Young Woman – before and afterA young European woman depicted before and after contracting cholera, which causes extreme fluid loss in the form of diarrhea and vomiting. The resulting dehydration can give the skin a blueish tone.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 29, 2022
4. Cholera Epidemics of 1832 & 1834 Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 323 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
