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88
MEMORANDUM OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT BOARD AS TO CHOLERA.
Asiatic Cholera first made its appearance in England in 1831-2.
Including both the epidemic of that date and the occurence of
imported cases of the disease last autumn, there have been seven
occasions on which cholera has found its way into this country.
On the first four occasions ending with the outbreak of 1866, the
disease succeeded in establishing itself amongst us in epidemic form.
But on the three subsequent occasions it was practically limited to
imported cases, and no extension took place.
On five of the seven occasions referred to cholera travelled across
Russia to Baltic Ports ; and when the disease has followed this route
it has commonly extended also to continental ports on the North Sea
and the British Channel. The disease has several times reached
England from these ports, notably from Hamburg, and when this
has been the case its incidence on this country has not been greatest
during the first year of its European prevalence, but on recrudescence
of the infection in the second or even the third year.
The present memorandum does not profess to suggest any explanation
of this occurence. Neither is it intended to imply that the
same sequence of events will necessarily occur again. But it may be
noted that whereas a considerable portion of the summer of 1892 was
taken up with the diffusion of cholera across the continent of Europe,
the disease only reaching ports on the North sea and British Channel
in the month of August, recrudescence of the disease this year along
the coast line of Western Europe may well occur at a date which
would involve danger to this country during a longer term of our
summer and autumn season than was the case last year.
As yet there are happily no indications of any general recurrence of
cholera either in North Sea or Baltic Ports; but, notwithstanding
this, occasional attacks of that disease have taken place during the
present year in Hamburg, and in the adjacent town of Altona. In
the French Department of Morbihan, Province of Brittany, cholera
has hardly ceased to prevail since the beginning of November, 1892.
The disease is still present there, over 200 deaths having been
recorded from that Department during the months of March, April,
and May of this year. The largest portion of this mortality has
fallen on the port-town of Lorient. The disease has also shown itself
at other points on the French coast.
Having regard to these circumstances, it is important that the
Sanitary Authorities of England and Wales should be prepared in