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It is the generally received opinion that typhus fever—the disease that in the time of
the illustrious Howard was fatal to so many of the prisoners in jail—is occasioned by the
emanations of the body in crowded and ill ventilated rooms; and that typhoid, gastric, or
pythogenic fever is caused by the emanations of offensive cesspools, and badly constructed
drains These last-mentioned sources of disease are frequently not known to exist in
houses tenanted by the upper and middle classes of society; bad smells, which are disregarded,
frequently pervade the basements, and it is only when disease has attacked one
or more members of the family, that upon a diligent investigation being made, an old
cesspool is discovered, or the joints of the drain-pipes are found to be imperfectly cemented;
or that, if the drains are constructed with bricks, they are discovered to have become
dilapidated I have too much reason to believe that, in several instances, where orders
have been given to landlords to destroy the cesspool, and to connect the drainage of the
house with the main sewer; instead of filling up the cesspool with dry rubbish, a drainpipe
has been inserted near the top of it, by which, the more fluid contents only of the
cesspool pass away, and it is when bad smells frequently occur, that the cause is sought for,
and the offending cesspool detected
Although much has been accomplished to improve the drainage of the metropolis generally,
and many new sewers have been constructed in this district, yet it must be admitted
that much more is required to be done in a similar direction before the system of drainage
will be complete Even if all the localities in the district were provided with sewers,
yet it would be found that, so long as the present defective mode of constructing the
public sewers is persisted in, it would be impossible to prevent their offensive and
dangerous emanations from discharging themselves into the public streets and inhabited
houses Until all decomposing animal matter is effectually removed from our
cities and towns, an occasional outbreak of typhoid fever may be expected; but the
more complete our system of drainage shall be made, the less extensive and severe will
be the ravages of typhoid fever
Dr Murchison says "That typhoid fever is less contagious than typhus, and it is
quite independent of the causes which give rise to it; typhoid fever being generated by the
putrid emanations from decaying organic (animal) matter Typhoid fever is always
more prevalent in autumn, or after a long continuance of hot weather Typhoid fever is
not, like typhus, limited to the poor, but is met with among the poor and rich alike
Typhoid fever is not confined to overcrowded localities, but appears alike in the most
dense, and in the least populous districts of large towns, and even in isolated houses in
the country" Dr Budd, of Bristol, states that "The emanations from patients suffering
from typhoid fever are infectious, and that the infectious power of the alvine discharges
may be destroyed by placing two ounces of chloride of zinc in the night-stool on each
occasion before it is used by the fever patient Typhoid fever rarely re-attacks a person
who has once suffered from it"
The temperature of the atmosphere during the quarter has been rather above the
average Mr Glashier, the astronomer royal, in his remarks upon the weather, states
that we must travel back to 1831 for an October so warm as the last, and then back to
1811 for a second example The mean temperature of last October was 5° in excess of its
average In November the weather was cold On the 18th November, the thermometer
was below 32°; but from the 25th, until the 24th of the following month, the weather
was warm, when a change again took place, and the 'w eather was cold until the end of
the year
The variable temperature of the quarter was severely felt by those persons whose
delicate constitution could not resist the effects of the sudden rise and fall in the
temperature of the air
From the returns of the sanitary inspectors, it appears that during the past year
429 cesspools have been destroyed, and the houses which were drained into these receptacles
are now drained into the main sewers In almost every instance the sanitary improvements
have been carried into effect without obtaining the aid of the Board in instituting legal
proceedings
Improvements have been effected in the drainage and paving of Inkhorn Court, and
Jones' Buildings The houses in George Court, George Street, have been converted into
a common lodging-house, and are now under the inspection of the police This court was
one of the worst places in the district, and notices were from time to time served upon
the owner to cleanse and repair the property, and it is now greatly improved