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effected by medical treatment. Experience has demonstrated that a local outbreak
of cholera may be prevented, and, when it has happened, kept very much under
check by the discovery and immediate medical treatment of all cases of looseness of
the bowels that occur. On the 30th of July the Diseases Prevention Committee held
its first meeting; and a deputation from the congregation at Hare Court Chapel
having offered their school room in Elder Walk as a temporary dispensary station,
it was inexpensively furnished and opened as such on August 2nd; Mr. Macleod, the
visitor appointed for the district, with Mr. Hurford, an assistant, also placed there
on that day, residing there during the whole period of the epidemic outbreak. On
this day, also, Mr. Turner was appointed to visit in Lower Holloway; and arrangements
were made by which he resided at the Holloway Dispensary; and the staff and
material of the institution were placed by its Committee at my disposal during the
succeeding months. The dispensary arrangements of the two chief foci of epidemic
influence being thus settled, hand-bills were prepared and distributed extensively
throughout all the poor neighbourhoods, and placed in the hands of the clergy, for
the use of their visitors. On August 7th, Mr. Lamb was appointed as medical visitor
in Thornhill Ward; but at the end of the month, it was thought to be unnecessary
to continue his services. I have no doubt that the services rendered by these
gentlemen, especially in the two principal foci, were very effectual in arresting the
spread of cholera, by putting a stop to a very large number of cases of diarrhœa,
some, at least, of which, experience assures us must be regarded as cases of the
premonitory diarrhœa of cholera. I made it my duty to visit our two stations every
day—or oftener sometimes—and to see for myself every case of cholera reported to
me, as it occurred. I must add that the appointment of these visitors, and the
establishment of the stations, especially that in Elder Walk, was received very
thankfully by the poor people for whose benefit they were made; and in my own
domiciliary visits I heard frequent expression given to this feeling. The position of
Messrs. Macleod and Hurford, in the very centre of the most affected streets, was
not a very enviable one; and they were compelled to take night duty alternately.
But they did their work earnestly and admirably.
Hospital Accommodation.
By an arrangement made with the London Fever Hospital, a new wing of that
building, adjoining the male fever wards, was devoted to the reception of any
patients that we might send, and the staff of the Institution, under the special superintendence
of Dr. Horace Jeaffreson, were employed in the ward. I was also
empowered by arrangement with the Committee of Management, to act as necessity
might require, in association with that gentleman. At the Great Northern Hospital,
also, arrangements were made for the reception of our cases; and several were sent
there from the neighbouring parts of the parish. At first I found a great objection
on the part of the poor people to have their relations removed; and in some cases the
removal was not effected before collapse had set in: they thought that they could