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14
Parish of St. George th Martyr, Southwark.
and in the year 1857, 19,016; a terrible mortality, when we reflect that there need not
have happened one single death. At the close of the last year, we well remember it struck
down the "foremost man in all the land," to the great alarm of the nation; and for awhile
excited and received special attention. A notable individual, or numbers of obscure individuals,
must perish before an evil will be remedied. To reach any blessing we must pass
through woe and suffering ; nay, the only pathway to health, happiness, and liberty leads
over the dead bodies of our brethren, slain in the strife. Thus it has ever been; and
apparently will ever remain.
In 1858, Windsor suffered from a virulent attack of this fever. At this period, as
a necessary premise, that royal town was in a most neglected and disgraceful condition;
arising from imperfect drainage, numerous pig.sties, and heaps of dung and garbage.
Besides this, the people were drinking water into which was constantly filtering the contents
of cess.pools ; and so received the poison both by stomach and lungs. The evidences of its
origin were plain and palpable ; not to be gainsaid. It happened also, as if on purpose to
demonstrate the truth of this, that the Castle which was theroughly drained, directly into the
Thames, having no connexion whatever with the Town drainage was exempt: whilst at the
same time there were certain dependencies of the Castle which did not share in this privilege.
What was the consequence ? In these dependencies the fever raged with great severity,
thirty cases having occurred; whilst the Castle entirely escaped, not one case being met
with there. A man may have his own house in a good sanatory state, and so also may
be the neighbourhood in which he dwells; but if other localities, brooding over their
foul cess.pools and bad drains, he runs the risk of a long sickness, and perchance of death,
from fever. Let this disease once arise, and no place is secure, no habitation is safe from
its visit: it cannot be confined within definite limits, do what we may. It is, however,
being driven away from its old haunts—from the narrow alley, the crowded court, and
squalid street, where it has so long committed its ravages ; and appears now to be migrating
towards the better class of houses, which have not obtained the sanatory supervision bestowed
upon the former. Doubtless there exists many a lordly mansion, noble square, and
magnificent street, in which Typhus.poison is constantly generated, and where it lingers or
creeps stealthily in and out; and if not of sufficient power to reproduce itself, yet sufficient
to give rise to the discomfort, apathy, and wretchedness of all these abiding within its
influence. Architects, thus far, have not deemed the state of the soil, nor the means of
ventilation, worthy their attention.