Existing comment:
In 1849
it was estimated that at least 4,500 people died of cholera in St. Louis
out of a population of 63,000
In an average year during the 1840s
there were only about 1,000 deaths from all causes if St. Louis
The cholera epidemic wiped out about 7% of the city's population
The gold rush pioneers carried cholera westward from St. Louis. It was the single biggest killer of emigrants on the overland trails.
Waste + vibrio cholera (bacteria) + drinking water = cholera |