Victims' skin often showed a bluish tinge, and diarrhoea led to rapid severe dehydration and death.
[5] The only surviving medical report is by a Dr. Irwin, then attached to the Fever Hospital The first case of Cholera Asiatica (as it was known then) was noted at Rathcarrick, three miles from the town by a Dr. Coyne on Sunday 29 July.
Attempts to set up extra medical facilities in the town were resisted by the townspeople, as nobody wanted the infected to be anywhere near them.
[8] The official number of cases was recorded as 1,230, with 643 deaths, although the real toll is suspected to have been considerably higher as many did not report being ill and there was a widespread reluctance to go to a hospital.
[8] Charlotte Blake Thornley, the mother of Bram Stoker was a witness to the cholera outbreak as the family were living on Old Market Street in the town at the time.
It was in France, it was in Germany, it was in England, and (with wild affright) we began to hear a whisper pass "it was in Ireland".
Then mens’ senses began failing them for fear, and deeds were done (in selfish dread) enough to call down Gods direct vengeance on us.
But God’s hand is not to be thus stayed and severely like Sodom did our city pay for such crimes.It is believed that her descriptions of the events at the time were influential on themes and atmosphere of her son's most famous book, Dracula.