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This, however, he was unable to afford me, as satisfactory, or corroborative
evidence of the introduction of an animal poison was wanting, although the
trade of the individual must have laid him continually open to such infection.
The weekly sickness among the poor during September has been considerably
less than during August and July. The cases of diarrhoea, attended by
the parish surgeons, have numbered 164: they have been very few during the
last weeks of the month. The cases of fever have fallen from 24 and 26, in
the two previous months, to 14. Fourteen cases of measles have been registered,
which number is about the average of the previous five months.
Compared with last year, this amount of sickness is certainly less—the
corrected total for the corresponding five weeks being 932; the absolute
number of cases of scarlatina, 3.

But I have another duty to perform. I have to call your attention to a
circular, recently issued by the General Board of Health, upon the subject of
the cholera, which, during the past summer, has been ravaging the shores of
the Baltic, and which has now arrived at Hamburgh. This city, on former
visitations, has been its resting-place immediately before crossing the ocean to
our own island. The customary summer diarrhoea, which this year commenced
unusually early and has been unusually fatal, has now nearly subsided, so that
there is no ground whatever for present alarm; but still, there is a loud call
for preparation. In this will consist our safety. Our experience of this fearful
pestilence has been too dearly purchased for its lessons to be forgotten now.
Possibly cholera may not appear among us this year—possibly not at all; but
neither you nor I, with the responsibilities which lie upon us, can dare to
neglect the warning of its proximity. You cannot place yourselves in the
attitude of defence too soon: you may delay until too late. My present advice
is that the Sanitary Committee consider, at an early period, the arrangements
which it may be desirable to make in the event of an outbreak in London, and
receive full powers from the Vestry to take any necessary measures that
emergency may demand.
EDWARD BALLARD, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health.
42, Myddelton Square,
October 9th, 1857.