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extent. She had undergone great privation. By occupation, she was a washerwoman,
and so might possibly have been exposed to the operation of the cause of
the disease in a manner perhaps the most dangerous of all. On the 20th and 21st
of July it is said she had very little food; but on the 22nd, having come to reside
with her sister at the above-mentioned house, she ate largely of some stale hash or
soup. Here was an additional cause of bowel disturbance, but not such a cause as
would suffice to produce an attack like hers in ordinary seasons; yet such a cause as
does suffice to determine an attack in persons otherwise exposed to the epidemic
influence. She was shortly seized with diarrhoea, which was, after a time, associated
with vomiting. On the morning of the 23rd both these symptoms abated, but otherwise
she became worse, and at 4 p.m. she was laid in the passage of the house; no
medical assistance being obtained until 9 or 10 o'clock p.m. She was seen by
Mr. Harston and Dr. Lamb, and on her removal to the workhouse at night, was
seen also by Dr. Ede; all three of whom assured me that they recognised the case as
one of unquestionable cholera. The woman died at 2 a.m. on the 24th, and the
body was removed to the parish dead-house. Subsequently, some doubts were thrown
upon the choleraic nature of the attack; but this being an afterthought, and the
opinions when the facts were fresh in the minds of the observers having been most
decided, I am warranted in holding this to have been the first true case occurring
within our parish.
No further case occurred until Friday the 27th July, when the disease broke
out in a virulent manner in the neighbourhood of Elder Walk, in the Essex Ro&d.
This is a part of the parish occupied by a poor population, and very much crowded.
On that day five cases happened simultaneously. One in Pickering Street, one in
Gifford's Buildings, Elder Walk; one in a neighbouring house in the main thoroughfare
of Elder Walk ; one in Clarke's Place, Anglers' Gardens, adjoining; and one in
a distant part of the parish, namely, Palmer Street, Holloway. Of these five cases
four were fatal. It was clear we had cholera amongst us. It was the day of the
meeting of the Vestry to decide upon the adoption of the preventive measures ordered
by the Privy Council. I came direct to the Vestry from visiting some of these cases,
and information of others came to me while I was in the room.
On the next day, July 28th, five more cases were reported to me. One in
Rotherfield Street, Essex Road, by a private practitioner ; two at the same house in
Elder Walk, where a case occurred the day before ; one in Windsor Street, Essex
Road; and one in Popham Place, not far distant. All of these quickly died.
On the 29th three cases occurred. One in an infant in St. Paul's Road; one at
the same house in Popham Place, where the previous case happened; and one in
Popham Street. All these also were fatal.