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regarding it as specially a destroyer among the Fever haunts, and in some
way or other as a substitutionary or vicarious disease.
To speak more exactly—in the ordinary course of things there would
have been at this time, in all probability, a great accession of Fever, but a
special atmospheric poison coming on, gave the sickness another turn, so that
large numbers of persons under certain conditions, in its stead were carried
off by Cholera.
I will repeat the summary of my views on the epidemic of 1866, in
order to be more clearly understood.
1. In consequence of the intensely high temperature in the latter part
of June and beginning of July, together with a protracted and unusual calm,
I was preparing for an outbreak of Fever, so that when the Cholera set in,
baffling all past experience, I was led to watch more closely its course and
action.
2. That immediately the water of the East London Company from the
works at Old Ford, was charged with being the cause of the "explosion," as
it has been called, I was the first Medical Officer of Health to warn the
public on this and other matters—a course of proceeding shewing that I was
at once ready to adopt the hypothesis, not having any other then presented
to me as probable.
3. That in watching the progress of the disease I became quickly satisfied
that the alleged foul water had nothing to do with originating or even in
exaggerating the epidemic, from which the water drinkers of all classes were
markedly exempt; while on the other hand the drinkers of intoxicating liquors,
especially the intemperate and others whose powers of life from whatever
causes were depreciated, principally became the victims.
4. That the mortality of the Cholera was in an inverse ratio to the
altitude, arising from telluric or foul earthy exhalations, but not necessarily
so, for where habitations were so built, even at a low elevation as to become
comparatively impervious to earthy exhalations, as in the Limehouse Establishment,
the Stepney Union at Bromley, and private houses, the destruction
by the pestilence was wholly unimportant, while large numbers under other
conditions on the same level were dying round about, this rule of mortality
everywhere prevailing.