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11
CHOLERA.
During the past year we have been startled by the fact that
this disease was in close proximity to London, in fact several
cases in August last were found to have occurred on one of the
ships coming from Hamburg, but thanks to the prompt measures
taken by the Local Government Board, the disease did not
make any headway, that Body at once issued an Order to
prevent the importation of the destitute pauper aliens from
Hamburg and other ports. Under this Order, which applied to
all ships infected with Cholera, no alien of the class indicated
which arrived in English ports was allowed to land until
they had furnished the proper authorities with their full name, destination,
and precise address, so that they could be traced and kept
under observation for such time as might be judged sufficient.
After this they must satisfy the medical officer of health of their
freedom from any suspicion of choleraic disease before they were
allowed to leave the ship; the penalty for non-compliance
with this regulation being a fine of £50. As it is only in a few
instances that these poor outcasts have any precise destination,
the practical effect of the Order was that the great majority
of them were refused permission to land. Under these
circumstances the shipping agencies, whose profit out of such
passengers is very small, soon ceased to import them. The
Order appeared to be well devised to meet the necessities of the
situation without interfering more than was necessary with the
traditional hospitality which (whether wisely or not it is not
within my province to discuss) makes this free country a harbour
of refuge for those flying from political oppression or religious
persecution. On August 25th a circular letter from the Local
Government Board was sent to all the local sanitary authorities
calling their attention to the necessity of being prepared for the
appearance of this disease in their district, and should it do so
they would issue their regulations as per Section 82 of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, which would impose on the
local authorities the necessity of making provision for the preventing
and treatment of the disease.
On August 17th a case of Cholera was reported to me from
Oxford Street, Stepney. I at once visited the premises and
found the patient had died after only being ill three days. I
called on the medical man who notified the case and alter going
into the details of the illness with him, he altered his views ol
the case and called it Choleraic Diarrhoea. Every means was
taken as regards the disinfection of the premises and clothing,
and to ensure early burial, as would be in the more grave disease.
A Local Government Board Inspector came down and went
into the facts of the case and approved of the measures had
adopted The fact that no other suspicious case took place (for
a large number of people including children occupied the house)
made it very improbable that it was genuine Cholera. Another