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27
Memorandum prepared by their Medical Officer, on the "Precautions
to be taken against the infection of Cholera." The
Memorandum was substantially the same as that issued in July,
1883. In view of all eventualities the Board were desirous that
your Vestry's attention should be again called to the question of
taking such measures of precaution as the sanitary condition of
the parish might demand.
In July, a conference between the Medical Officers of Health
and the General Purposes Committee of the Asylums Board was
held, " with a view to the consideration of several points which arose
in connection with the carrying out of the Diseases Prevention
(Metropolis) Act, 1883, and upon which unity and uniformity of
action appear desirable." The questions that naturally arose were,
how an epidemic of Cholera could best be met, and especially what
convenient buildings or sites might be made available for Cholera
Hospitals ? The Committee at the same time addressed a communication
to each Medical Officer of Health, in which several
questions connected with hospital provision, disinfection of excreta,
hand-ambulances, notification of cholera cases, &c., were brought
under notice. The Society of Medical Officers of Health having
met to consider the above communication, and to advise generally on
the subjects discussed at the conference, a reply setting forth their
views was forwarded in September. With regard to local provision
of hospital accommodation, it may be mentioned that the Guardians
of the Poor in this parish arranged to put 60 beds at the service of
the Asylums Board, 30 at the Infirmary in the Marloes Road, and
30 at the Relief Offices at Mary Place, Notting Dale, an amount
of accommodation which, to judge from past experience, would, as
I informed the Committee, be ample for the supply of our local
wants.
Cholera has again (June) made its appearance in Europe—this
time in Spain—-and as it is at least probable that the epidemic may
extend, it will not be out of place here to refer to the action taken
by the Local Government Board in 1883, in view of a then
apparently pending emergency, as the action taken at that time
may be regarded as an indication of the steps that would be