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31
An outbreak of Cholera occurred in Spain at the end of May.
It extended to southern France and Italy, where it destroyed
numbers of lives. In view of the extension of the disease to this
country, a conference was held in July between the Medical Officer
to the Local Government Board and the Metropolitan Medical
Officers of Health in order to concert preventive measures. It will
doubtless be remembered that a similar conference was held in 1883
when Cholera prevailed in Egypt, and threatened to extend to this
country.
At the conference in July, Dr. Dudfield, the President of the
Society of Medioal Officers of Health, took the chair, and made a
lucid statement of the present state of preparation in which the
Metropolis was.
The Medical Officer to the Local Government Board (Dr. George
Buchanan, F.R.S.) explained that his object in desiring to have
the advice of the Medical Officers of Health was to avoid fuss and
panic. He stated the views and practice of the department. No
confidence was reposed in quarantine, but much in the practice of
medical inspection through the officers of the several Port Sanitary
Authorities. The duties of those authorities were defined by the
Board's Order of 1883. A vessel coming from an infected country
was required to anchor where ordered until inspected. If found
healthy the passengers were allowed to go free. If any on board
were sick they were detained, the healthy being allowed to depart,
their several destinations being recorded, and the vessel was
disinfected. The Board had been looking to the defences of the
principal Ports, by inspections made in 1883-4. The survey was
now completed, and all arrangements settled, including plans for
the provision of hospital accommodation. The Board's Inspectors
had looked closely to the condition of the several towns, and to see
how the local authorities were doing their work. At some of the
Ports the arrangements were very satisfactory, the authorities
being careful and thoughtful in their preparations. At others
there were shortcomings. The Inspectors had striven to rouse
less careful authorities. A principal danger to be guarded
against was the importation of Cholera in rags, and so it had been