The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-18 00:00:00

Threatened Epidemic of Cholera.

Yesterday afternoon, in accordance with an invitation
from the Council of the Association for the Promotion of
Social Science, a conference of medical officers of health,
members of the Epidemiological Society, parochial clergy,
and others interested in the sanatory condition of the me-
tropolis and of the kingdom generally, was held at the
offices of the association just named, No. 1, Adam-street,
Adelphi, to consider what steps should bo taken at the
present moment,, in view of the threatened epidemic of
cholera.

Amongst the gentlemen present were Dr. Brewer, Rev.
Dr. Allen, rector of St. George's, Southwark; Rev. C. E.
Oakley, rector of St. Paul's, Covent-garden ; Dr. Richard-
son, Mr. Edwin Chadwick, Dr. Stewart, Rev. W. H. Fre-
mantle, the bishop's chaplain; Dr. Aldis, Dr. Richardson,
Mr. Liddle, Mr. R. N. Fowler, Dr. Garth Wilkinson, Mr.
Edward Webster, Dr. Rendle, Mr. Vieweg, Mr. Lilwall, &c.
Lord Ebury presided in the absence of the Bishop of
London, who was unable to be present at the commencement li
of the meeting. The rev. prelate did, however, make his
appearance in the course of the proceedings, and the noble
lord resigned his position to him.
Dr. H. GREENHOW, who acted as secretary to themeeting
in the absence of Mr. Hastings, the secretary to the Asso-
ciation for the Promotion of Social Science, explained the
circumstances under which the meeting had been called.
It was not a meeting of the association, which would not
be compromised by anything that might be done, but simply
a meeting of gentlemen interested in the subject. He then
read a statement tracing the origin and progress of the
cholera to its previous visitations. He then read a
lengthened statement cf the Standing Committee of Health
on the threatened epidemic of cholera, from which we give
the following extracts :
"An outbreak of cholera has taken place in Asia. It has
broken through close quarantines and appeared with great
severity at Malta. It has also appeared with great severity
at Ancona, in Italy. It has broken out in Spain and at
Marseilles. Cholerine is reported to be prevalent in Hano-
ver. Diarrhoea has been excessive in the metropolis. Ex-
traordinary epidemic visitations on cattle are common pre-
cursors of epidemic visitations on the human species— and
a severe epidemic in cattle has appeared in England. The
extraordinary epidemic of cholera in 1832 slew 32,000 per-
sons, and that of 1848-49 slew 72,000 persons in Great Bri-
tain. The recorded evidence of medical officers in every
part of the country proved that where measures founded
on careful observations of the previous course of the epi-
demic visitation of 1832 were duly taken in time, the at-
tacks were greatly diminished in number, in intensity, and
in fatality. The most severe attacks were met with in
places where typhus, dysentry, and diarrhea% prevailed, and
which slued nearly 100,000 pet: antium in Great Britain
alone. These attacks were, however, in the greater num-
ber of instances preventable, but On former occasions the
preventive measures recommended by the general board
had either been disregarded or only partially attended to.
The committee, therefore, recommend a house-to-house
examination of the houses, and the courts, alley, streets, or
habitations from whence foul air diseases do now arise, for
which purposes lists should be got from the local registrars
of the houses that have been of late visited by diseases of
the zymotic class; also lists from the relieving officers and
the medical officers of unions of the houses and places most
frequently visited by such diseases."
Mr. CHADWICK then moved the following resolution :
" That the outbreak of cholera in Constantinople, Egypt,
Malta, Italy, Spain, and Marseilles, and the occurrence of
scattered cases of cholera in the metropolis, and also the
outbreak in this country of an extraordinary epidemic in
cattle, which has often been the precursor of extraordinary
epidemic attacks on human beings, must be taken as por-
tending an extraordinary epidemic visitation on the people
of this country, which should be guarded against by all
means available from voluntary exertion, as well as from
the exercise of governmental and local apthority." In doing
so, he said it was a remarkable fact in connection with
the last visitation of the cholera that it appeared
with remarkable pertinacity in the same places it had
formerly visited. It broke out sometimes on one side of a
street, sometimes on another. It had also been ascertained
that in almost all cases there were premonitory symptoms,
chiefly of diarrhoea, and that where these symptoms were
regarded by the removal of the person attacked to refuges,
it was a great means of prevention. There were places
which the cholera never touched, and amongst these were
the model prisons, the best-conditioned of our union-houses,
and district schools.

Dr. ALDIS seconded the resolution. In his own district,
that of Belgravia, they had not had many cases, but it was
a remarkable fact that in almost all the cases that had oc-
curred they had been preceded by smallpox. He had lately
been called to a case of cholera even in that favoured spot.
Dr. RICHARDSON thought a few simple rules ought to bo
given to the people for their protection, especially when
there was so much writing about cholera by gentlemen
who had evidently never followed out a case to the end.
He did not think that the adoption of a series of resolu-
tions by such a meeting would be of any advantage, either
to the profession or the public. He thought the best plan
for the association to adopt would be to appoint a scientific
commission, which should draw up a report as to the ori-
gin, progress, and prevention of the disease.
Mr. LIDDLE was of opinion that the disease was com-
municable in many ways, and he strongly recommended
strict cleanliness as a preventive measure. He would also
appoint additional inspectors of nuisances, and enforce a
better supply of water, especially from the main. He con-
sidered also that the Legislature should be called upon to
pass a new building act, the present act being most defec-
tive.

The resolution was then put from the chair, and unani-
mously adopted.
Dr. RICHARDS moved the next resolution, which was—
" That having regard to the known character of the threat-
ened visitation, and to the course of the previous extraor-
dinary epidemics, it is probable that the great severity of
the visitation will be upon the same places and upon the
same classes that are now most severely scourged by typhus,
dysentery, and the various species of foul air diseases, and
that all well-directed exertions protective of those classes
from the extraordinary epidemic, should the threatened
attack be spared, will nevertheless be preventive of the so-
called zymotic or fermenting diseases; which aro never ab-
sent from the districts chiefly inhabited by the poor, to
which nearly 20 per cent. of the extraordinary death rates
are due, and an annual sacrifice, approaching to 100,000
lives, is occasioned." In support of the resolution he stated
that the safety of the better classes depended upon the care
bestowed upon the humbler classes, and it was therefore
their duty to take measures for that purpose,
Dr. GRANT WILKINSON wished to take the opportunity
before the resolution was seconded of stating that it had
been established by a Parliamentary inquiry that the
homoeopathic principle had been found to be most valuable,
and in point of fact effectual in the case of cholera.
Mr. CHADWICK, in reply to Mr. Webster, stated that it
was a difficult thing to say what was a remedy in regard to
cholera. All the preliminary suggestions he had made were
desirable as a preventive. Once the cholera seized a per-
son in its virulent character it carried the patient off, and
there could be no answer to the question. If, therefore,
anything *as to be done to defeat it, such must be by pre-
liminary and preventive arrangements.
Dr. RENDLE, in seconding the resolution, expressed his
fears that the vestries, unless under the coercion of an Order
in Council, would not operate in the matter. The vestries
were in many cases composed of persons who had an inte-
rest in maintaining the property as it was, and did nothing
until the time of visitation came, and then they did those
unwise things which tended to create a panic.
The resolution was agreed to.
Lord EBURY next moved the following resolution—
" That in order to disseminate instruction for the guidance
of the voluntary exertion that may be needed or serviceable
to aid or supplement the action of the central or local autho-
rities, and to sustain the general interest in the prevention
of excessive disease and premature mortality, this con-
ference recommends that the active co-operation. the