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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished paper, 'Some of the phenomena of cholera only to be explained by a reference to the geology of the globe' by Adam Neale MD

Reference number: AP/16/29

Date: 08 February 1832

Description

Neale attempts to provide an explanation for the 'capricious movement' of the cholera epidemic across England and Scotland, suggesting that cholera has most prominently affected towns and villages situated over coal formations, including Sunderland, Newcastle, Gateshead and Kirkintilloch. He concludes that many victims of cholera have been coalminers, and that hydrogen gas from the coal mines may combine with 'other causes' to make inhabitants of coalmining areas more susceptible to cholera.

Subject: Medicine / Epidemiology

Received 9 February 1832.

Written by Neale in London.

Reference number
AP/16/29
Earliest possible date
08 February 1832
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
6 pages
Format
Manuscript

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Citation

Unpublished paper, 'Some of the phenomena of cholera only to be explained by a reference to the geology of the globe' by Adam Neale MD, 08 February 1832, AP/16/29, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_16_29/unpublished-paper-some-of-the-phenomena-of-cholera-only-to-be-explained-by-a-reference-to-the-geology-of-the-globe-by-adam-neale-md, accessed on 15 March 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_16_29/unpublished-paper-some-of-the-phenomena-of-cholera-only-to-be-explained-by-a-reference-to-the-geology-of-the-globe-by-adam-neale-md

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  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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