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popular sanitary knowledge advances, and as confidence in the teaching of
sanitary science becomes more established, Parliament will not fail to follow
the lead of popular opinion, and furnish you with levers which it will be
your duty to employ. The Labouring Classes Lodging House Act has been
in your hands for a long period of time, but for some cause or other, that it is
not my business to inquire into, it has failed in being adopted. Two or more
Bills are now before Parliament, which appear well calculated to promote
a similar object, and it is much to be hoped that should they pass into law the
Islington Vestry will be amongst the first to avail themselves of their admirable
provisions."
In 1866, there was an outbreak of cholera, beginning in July and finishing in
November. There were 341 cases and 75 deaths. Most of the cases seem to have
been in the Essex Road area. Arrangements were made for the reception of
cholera cases with the London Fever Hospital and the Great Northern Hospital.
The New River Company arranged to give a continuous supply of water for
drinking purposes during the ensuing six months in any places where it should be
considered necessary, and inexpensive stand-pipes were erected in the two principal
foci of epidemic eruption, namely at each end of the Elder Walk, in Water's
Court, and in Madras Place, opposite Palmer Street.
Smallpox continued to increase and caused 71 deaths in 1867. Dr. Ballard
remarked on vaccination :—
" The Vaccine disease, as produced by most practitioners now by arm to arm
vaccination, is a much less virulent disease than it was when first inoculated
by Dr. Jenner, or that it has proved itself where new sources have been opened,
on the occasional discovery of natural cases of cow-pox. ... In Paris, all the
public vaccinations are performed from the heifer. We have no arrangements
for this here as yet. A paternal government presides there for the protection
of its people. That we have no national provision of the sort here is part
of the price we pay for our liberties."
In 1869 there were four Sanitary Inspectors, including Mr. Collingwood, who
was appointed as Superintendent Inspector in 1867.
The year 1870 was characterised by an outbreak of typhoid fever. 175
persons were attacked, of whom 30 died. Dr. Ballard says that the enquiry occupied
him unremittingly for several months and eventuated in a discovery which imparted
a serious public warning. This discovery was that the fever was confined to persons
who had consumed milk from one particular dairy and that the typhoid poison
was distributed with the milk. He had arrived at the conclusion that the contagion
got into the milk from a water tank on the premises of the dairyman. The tank
was a wooden one, sunk into the earth, it had become decayed and a portion
of it had given way. From this point a rat burrow communicated with some old
drains and Dr. Ballard came to the conclusion that matter from the drains had
reached the contents of the tank.
Dr. Ballard had no high opinion at this time of the honesty of milk traders,
and he makes the following observation :—
" The practice of watering milk is all but universal among milk sellers in
London."
He stated also that he kept at his office a record of the names, and the results of
analyses, which any of the practitioners might inspect.
Dr. Ballard was succeeded in 1871 by Dr. Corfield, who reported on the
removal of dust and house refuse. From 1865 to 1868 contractors paid the Vestry
for the privilege of removing refuse, but apparently the sale of refuse became