The Dying Time was a long period between April 20, 1841, and December 1855 when Chinese Viral Prefrontal Encephalopathy became extremely prolific, especially along global trade routes. This period begins with the spread of CPVE from the first known outbreak in Canton, China to other Pacific Rim ports and eventually across the globe to the point in December, 1855, when the world's population of uninfected begins to recover and adapt to the threat of Canton Madness. December 1855 is generally accepted as the end of the Dying Time as it is the point where the world's population begins to grow after fourteen years of sharp decline.