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that on a certain day it was distributed to the
public, we should expect to find that the action of
the poison was not only manifested at the same
time over the whole district of supply, but that itwas
confined to that district. Not so, however,
with the water in question, for although it is not
alleged to have been more than once polluted, yet
the first effects in the several districts occurred at
long intervals; and there were many places to
which it was distributed, where there was no sign
of the disease; while others which did not receive
the water, were seriously affected.
The dates of the outbreak of the disease in the
districts supplied with the East London water, were
as follows: Bromley, June 27th; Poplar and Bethnal
Green, June 30th; Shoreditch and Mile End,
July 7th; Whitechapel, Stepney, and St. George'sin-the-East,
July 14th; and the East London Union,
July 28th. A month therefore elapsed between
the first outbreak of the disease in the several districts.
It is, moreover, remarkable that, while it was
so violent in many of the districts of supply, it was
absolutely powerless in others. The death rate for
example of Bethnal Green was 63 per 10,000 of
the population; Whitechapel, 78; Poplar, 85; and
St. George's-in-the-East, 93; whereas the districts
of Stamford Hill, Upper Clapton, Walthamstow,