View report page

18 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southward.
spread by other means than that of water. But to the late Dr. Snow is great credit to be
given for shewing to what extent cholera is transmitted by that vehicle. Drs. Orton and
Comer, from their expensive experience in the east districts during the late epidemic, believe
that its spread and mortality were owing more to sanitary defects than to any
other cause.
We may imagine the germs of the poison to be present, but the conditions necessary
to their developement absent. Granting however their presence, and all the circumstances
favourable to their developement, then there is required a subject into which they may
enter, and work out their deadly results. A man in the full tide of health, and with all
the surroundings by which such a state is maintained, would cast off easily and harmlessly
the poison from him. But let a man suffer from the want of the com'mon necessaries of
life; let his body and mind be habitually overtaxed ; let him be a constant prey to anxiety
and fear; let his dwelling place be unhealthily situated and overcrowded; let him be the
inheritor of a vitiated constitution ; or labour under some form of chronic disease; and we
may well conceive how readily he would fall a victim to the disease.
The manner in which this Vestry exercised its powers, to place the Parish in the fittest
condition to resist the threatened epidemic, was all that could be desired. I may be permitted
to recapitulate in a few words the measures that were taken, in order that the Ratepayers
may have reason for confidence; and may be satisfied that the interests committed
to the members of this Vestry, have been most carefully and anxiously considered. A Sanitary
Committee was appointed, furnished with full powers to carry out at once whatever
operations might be deemed necessary. This Committee held frequent and stated meetings,
and occasional meetings, whenever circumstances occurred that demanded them. Daily
meetings were held by the Chairman of that Committee, the Vestry Clerk, and myself.
Three qualified medical men were chosen, whose whole time was devoted to house-to-house
visitation, and to affording prompt remedial assistance in cases of persons attacked with
diarrhoea or cholera. They had to report daily of all they saw and did. A Dispensary was
opened in this building on Saturday the 4th August, and was closed on Saturday 6th October.
During this period 5,154 persons were supplied gratuitously with medicine, and 2,791
with disinfectants. There were given away 182 gallons of medicine, nearly 2 tons of chloride
of lime, and 2,400 gallons of disinfecting fluid. Three Dispensers were appointed to
carry out this work; one being present day and night.
The first case of cholera happened in the Borough-road, to a male infant; the last to a
middle-aged woman in Red Cross-court. Of the 38 deaths, 16 were under 5 years of age,
and 15 were 20 years of age and upwards. The following Table shews the number of
deaths that occurred in each week from cholera, and also from diarrhoea.