, 1866-04-18
THE CHOLERA,
Report or the New York Board ef
health-The lmpca0inx Pcssile0co-
4hnee in Of Eta AnnFuArh.

REPORT Q1 tu0 fSE~ A20A4N -
healtls-The lmpcndin< Pessileaeo-
Aspects Of lts Approach.
The committee appointed by the Board OF
HealtA At = regular meeting held April ioib.
1865, 70 report to this Beard without delay
the evidence there Ii Of great aud imminent
danger to the public health in this district by
reason Of the impending pcstffence, aud what
taken, and what acts he done BY this Board
for the preservation Of tho PUBLIC health, and
which IN their opinion, tho public health aud
safety demand, beg leave 10 present the fol-
lowing report:
Little time hns elapsed since the oreaniza-
ton OF the Metropolitan Board Of Health, but
during this pe1iod they have been anxious and
assfduous m their cndcayoEs to .batc or re-
move all nuisances, get The accumulated 9th
OF months and years Will render 1t impossible
to do 50 with 1betr present limited powers In
nauDer to satisfy themselves Or the rcasou-
able expectations Of the pnblic before the hot
weather shall be upon us.
"1he Atalanta arrived last November with
the cholera, which abe had brought from
Southampton. ind from the cd Of Noyem,er
four deaths on Wards Island In one paF1icu-
lar hospital, wherc the disease attacked the
couyalesence from fever. Owing to the cold
ness cf tho weather 1t did not extend, and
many were led TO believe that this feeble at
tack demonstration OF its weakness, aud
"
the dreaded enemy. Now nome are sanguine
enough to indulge 50 cheering hops-
Cholera Is already n Halifax, brought there
by the steamer England, containing 1tO cases
Of this disease, exclusive OF the forty who
died on The vosage from Liverpool.
To-day we have received from the State
Department, Washington, information that
the British brig uhla and the barque lamp
ton lad reached Bermuda with cargoes Of
rogs, and wore quarantiped there on The sus-
picIop Of having the cholera These vessels
are destined soon to arrive In Now York. and
other vessels undoubtedly will arrive With the
dIsease on board. At Quarantine We have
| only one hulk, which cannot accommodate
more than 500 persons, nor have We any pla-
ccs where the passengers can DO landed and
| Us as Board OF Health to have cur powers
increased to meet, in case Of pest1ence, such
m emergency.
| "Moreover, there Is no reason to believe that
the present threatening epidemic will diuer
from the four previous ones. In the sunmer
sud FAN Of ISL It appeared on the Western
and Northern coat Of England, reaching New
York the following Summer-that Is, on the
5th Of July, 1859, when q cases were reported
from different points In the city. In the Sum-
mer Of ISIS it tappeared in the same places,
southern shores, and then nosthwardlY 10
Scotland. I'm the I'd Of December, 1Si3, It
was brought by the ship New York TO this
port, the vessel losing seven cases during the
last week OF her voyage. During the follow
city. In 1865 the Atalanta, a. stated above,
arrived at this port with the SAME prevlous
history o. It's march through Western Europe,
reaching, as IN previous epfaemics. the south
ern parts Of Epgland, and then coming over
| to us, generally attacking America one ycar
after 1t had rnged in Europe, aud it Il highly
| probable that the same course will BE- follow
ed the present wear.
s'Cholern, then il lpsfnineut, and. whatever
| other places may he avoided BY It, the great
c1l!es Of New York and Brooklyn, which have
] such free Communication with each other
and with all the world, can hardly fall to be
| exposed to its earliest attacks.
ait would seem to be destined 10 como aud
occupy its previous haunts, where filth and
the neglect Of all sanitary precautions, under
| hot sun will develop and disseminate It's
7irulence; In view, then, Of thla great dan.
ger which th,eatens to destroy thousands Of
| lives and Injure the commerce Of tho district
l to the extent Of millions OF dollars, We would
recommend that IN appeal be- made 10 the
Governor Of the State to proc1ai1n to this
public the dnnger of an impending pestilence,
and thus authorize the Board Of Health 10
take such means aud incur srch increased ex-
| pendlture as shall be necessary to nccommo-
date the sick In the district as we'll Is those
| who arrive at quarantine to clean the streets.
] remove manure heaps, correct the vcntifa-
| lion, of0lnage ana oVefctoWdtor OF dwell
ings: to close or remove all buildings which
! me dangerous to life or health, empty and re-
move the contents OF prl7les and cesspools,
reopen obstructed sewers. wash out the gut
l tiers and sewers with water-tn fact, do nl1
| that shall be considered necessary to resist
pcstilence and protect human Life.
"And your committee would also recom-
mend that the Governor Of the State be re-
l quested to extend this increased power Of the
I Board to the 18th day Of October. AL OF
which Is respectfully submitted."
I The report waR received and fled