The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-24 00:00:00

FATAL EPIDEMIC AT CROYDON.

The town and neighbourhood of Croydon are in a
state of consternation, on account of the breaking out
of a fever of a very fatal character, and which during the
last fortnight has been most fatal in its results, the vic-
tims being not, as is usually the case, among the poorer
classes, but among the gen4ry, and the principal trades-
men of the town. A great many exaggerated reports
have been in circulation, but we are enabled, from in-
quiry in the best quarters, to lay before the public the
real facts connected with the matter, which, from the
communications that have taken place with the General
Board of Health, and the general interest taken in sani-
tary matters at the present time is, of course, of very
great imporaance. In accordance with the provisions of
the act of Parliament, a local board of health has been
established at Croydon, and under their authority a
complete system of drainage of the most extensive
character has been carried out, and in the neces-
sary works for that purpose a great many old drains and
cesspools have been disturbed, particularly in the High-
street. The whole of these works have been just com-
pleted ; but whether from the miasma created by the
disturbance of the old drains, or from any other cause,
it would seem that tradesmen and other persons residing
in the High-street were attacked with fever of a very
serious character, baffling to a considerable extent all
the skili of the medical gentlemen of the town, and in
very many instances ending fatally, it being a remarka-
ble circumstance that those patients who were appa-
rently the most healthy were the first to succumb to
the disease. The state of things at length became so
alarming that the Local Board of Health, through
Mr. Wykes, their clerk, applied to the General Board
of Health in London, requesting them to institute an
inquiry into the nature of the malady which had created
so much alarm ; and accordingly Dr. Southwood Smith
and Dr. Sutherland were sent to Croydon to report
upon the cause and nature of the prevailing epidemic.
The following is an extract from the report made by
these gentlemen upon the subject. After some prefa-
tory remarks, the report states, "We have ascertained
that a similar disease has prevailed at Orted, a few miles
from Croydon, before any disease of a like kind was
observed at Croydon, and we have to add that, from
communications received by the General Board of Health,
it appears that for many weeks past a similar epidemic
has prevailed in various villages and towns both in Eng-
land and Wales. We apprehend the cause of the disease
is to be found at Croydon, as elsewhere, in the pecu-
liarity of the present season, the combination of excessive
moisture and heat appearing to have proved, as was an-
ticipated, the generation and spread of a low form of
fever. The last official circular of the General Board of
Health (No. 8), issued in December, warned the local
boards, from the excessive rains and consequent floodings
which had even then occurred in many places, to ex-
pect unusual outbreaks of fever, and exhorted them to
take immediate measures of precaution against such an
event." The Local Board of Health also took steps to
have the water supplied to the town analysed by Profes-
sor Way, and he reported it to be free from any metal-
lic oxide, and of a pure and wholesome character, and
that there was not the smallest ground for supposing it
to be injurious to health, or in any way connected with
the fever existing in the town , and therefore it seems
highly probable that the cause is truly stated, in the
report of Dr. Southwood Smith and Dr. Sutherland, to
be the very extraordinary state of the weather for some
time past. The number of deaths in Croydon last
week was 16, and, on Saturday, according to the regis-
trar's report, the number was 17, the greater portion
of them being the result of the epidemic. A great
number of persons are now lying ill, and among them
Mr. Harrison, the assistant to one of the medical officers
of the Union. A Quaker lady named Steele, very much
respected in the town, left it to pay a visit at Walworth,
on account of the dread she entertained of being attacked
with the malady, which had proved so fatal to many of
those around her ; but strange to say, she was seized
almost immediately after she had removed with all the
symptoms of the disorder, and died in two days. It is
needless to add, that a very strong feeling of alarm pre-
vails very generally in the town, and it is feared that,
unless there should be some more seasonable weather,
the mortality will be more serious than it has been
hitherto.