Dr Latta of Leith: pioneer in the treatment of cholera by intravenous saline infusion

The paper assesses the contribution of Dr Thomas Latta of Leith to the treatment of cholera in Leith and Edinburgh during the cholera epidemic of 1832. The historiography of cholera treatment in the nineteenth century is discussed and contemporary analyses of the use of intravenous saline infusion are reviewed. In conclusion, the reasons why Latta’s contribution and reputation did not long survive his death are examined.