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43
were in the house for two days, five of them for four days,
three of them for five days, two of them for eight days,
and one of them for nine days.
CHOLERA.
Three deaths were registered from English Cholera. One
of them, which caused very unnecessary alarm, was that of
a homeless man of intemperate habits, who died after a few
hours illness at the parish infirmary, having been removed
in a moribund state, after some regrettable but unavoidable
delay, from a stable at Notting Hill. The death took place
in July, at a time of anxiety due to the prevalence of Asiatic
Cholera in Egypt, and to fear lest the disease should be
imported into this country. A great sensation was excited
by the reports of the case in the daily papers, and I was
credibly informed that it was the immediate cause of arrivals
from England being quarantined in Spain and Portugal.
The Local Government Board took active measures in
view of the possible introduction of Cholera at the time
mentioned, and although nothing occurred to justify the
fears that had been aroused, we had satisfaction for the
trouble and expense incurred, in the evidence afforded of
our preparedness for instant action in case of an outbreak.
The Board issued in the first place two "Orders" with a
covering explanatory letter for the guidance of Port Sanitary
Authorities, who of necessity constitute the first line of
defence, and subsequently they communicated with all other
sanitary authorities throughout the kingdom. At the
instance of the President a conference was held between
the Medical Officer of the Board and the Metropolitan
Medical Officers of Health, the conclusions arrived at being,
that, to safeguard the metropolis against Cholera, " increased
attention should be devoted by sanitary authorities
and their officers to the ordinary means for improving
the sanitary condition of the several districts," and that
"the attention of the Local Government Board should be
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