View report page

83
SPECIAL REPORT ON CHOLERA.
Gentlemen,
It is now matter of history, that Asiatic cholera,
which had for some time been threatening us, appeared
in London in the early part of last July, and prevailed in
London in an epidemic form from that time until the
latter part of November.
The gradual convergence of this disease from various
parts of the continent towards this country, during the
earlier part of the year 1865, and especially its appearance
in the autumn of that year in Southampton and the
neighbourhood, followed by a small but pecularly intense
outbreak in the vicinity of the metropolis itself, rendered
it exceedingly probable that, even if we escaped a visitation
of the disease in 1865, we should still experience
one in the course of the year immediately following.
In the -winter of 1865-66, cholera appeared to have
entirely disappeared from this country; but its poison had
been introduced into it, and might still be here, though in
a quiescent condition; further, the disease still prevailed
on the continent, and still threatened us from all sides.
Early in the year 1866, it was again introduced into