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23
CHOLERA.
During the summer of 1898, Asiatic cholera again appeared on
the continent of Europe, attacking with great intensity certain of its
towns where the conditions where favourable for its spread. Toward
the autumn it showed itself in certain towns on the eastern coast of
Great Britain. Several sporadic cases also occurred in London
causing great anxiety in the Metropolis.
About this time I received a communication from the Medical
Officer to the London County Council, stating that the Council had
authorised him to send to Dr. Klein for bacteriological examination,
the dejecta of any notified cases of cholera, and asking me to inform
him of any suspected cases occurring in the district of Hackney.
During the summer and autumn three cases were notified as
Cholera in Hackney, but on investigation all of these were proved to be
examples of Summer or Choleraic Diarrhoea. But in one instance the
symptoms were so suggestive, both to the medical attendant and
myself, of Asiatic Cholera, as to induce me to cause the removal of the
patient to hospital and to furnish Dr. Klein with one of the rice-waterlike
evacuations for examination. The following are the full particulars
of the case, extracted from the medical officer's report to the London
County Council:—
T. S. (male), age 26, builder, Ottaway Road, Hackney. On September
the 16th he ate a bloater for breakfast, and he subsequently ate some
whelks. On September the 17th he ate pickled pork, which his wife and
children shared, both remaining well. At 1 a.m. on the 18th, vomiting and
diarrhoea with cramps in the limbs set in. The stools looked like rice-water.
On the afternoon of the same day he was admitted into St. Bartholomew's
hospital in a state of collapse. The diarrhoea had then ceased, and from
this time his condition improved and he made a good recovery. One of the
rice water-like evacuations was obtained on September 18th by Dr. Warry,
acting Medical Officer of Health of Hackney, and submitted to Dr. Klein on
the 22nd.
Report by Dr. Klein:—
Numerous whitish-grey flakes were present, which under the microscope
did not show the epithelial character. There were present crowds of straight
bacilli. Cultivations proved entirely negative qua commas.
As in 1892 the Sanitary Committee, recognizing the gravity of the
situation, authorized me to make the necessary preparations in view of
a possible introduction of this dire disease into Hackney, and presented
the following report thereon to the Hackney District Board of Works :—