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98
Cholera.
About the month of August the country was alarmed by the
possible outbreak of an epidemic of cholera. The fear was that the
disease might be introduced into England by some of the numerous
passengers arriving in vessels from cholera-stricken towns on the
Continent, Hamburg in particular; but thanks to the vigilance of
the several Port Sanitary Authorities, this dire disease obtained no
foothold in this country. Every vessel coming from suspected
ports was, on arrival here, overhauled by a Medical Officer, all the
passengers medically examined, and any of them supposed to be
suffering from this disease were detained and isolated, and the
names and destination of the rest before leaving the ship wennoted,
and forwarded to the respective sanitary authorities, with
the object of keeping them under observation for a short time.
On the 25t,h August, I received the following letter from Dr. R.
Thorne-Thorne, the Medical Officer to the Local Government
Board:—
Private.
24th August, 1892.
My Dear Sir,
In view of the outbreak of cholera at Hamburg, and of the
large traffic between that port and ports of this country, notably
the Port of London, the Local Government Board are communicating
with the Managers of the Metropolitan Asylums Board in order to
obtain, as a preliminary step, information as to the accommodation
that would be available in hospitals, infirmaries, and similar institutions,
in case the epidemic should extend to London. But, owing to
the shortness of the passage between Hamburg and this country,
it must be regarded as possible that individual cases of cholera
may make their appearance in London before the arrangements
contemplated can be matured, and hence it has occurred to me that
you would wish, pending the completion of the arrangements
referred to, to consider how any such cases may be promptly dealt