Tomasz Bzukała
Prace Historyczne, Numer 134, 2007, s. 65 - 80
The Causes of Death of the Inhabitants in the Bolechowice Parish in the years 1821– –1841, in the Light of the Parish Death Records
In the article the author analyzes the main causes of death of the inhabitants in the Bolechowice parish, in the years 1821–1841. The parish constituted a traditional peasant community of the period preceding the demographic transformation. The community was characterized by a high incidence of contagious diseases. The fundamental source used in the research were the parochial death records.
The villages making up the Bolechowice parish were situated in the vicinity of Kraków and the popular transport routes which only contributed to the spreading of infectious diseases. The above problem is best illustrated by the example of the epidemics of cholera which broke out in the year 1831 and which led to the greatest number of deaths in the Bolechowice parish in the whole period between the years 1821–1841. In the seven villages making up the Bolechowice parish, altogether 2169 deaths were recorded in the years 1821–1841. The most common causes of death in the community under consideration were: tuberculosis, old age, and “cough”. Over 85% of all deaths belonged to the group of 19 diseases and inborn and developmental defects. Deaths due to sudden causes were rather rare