Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-03
A LESSON TO BE REMEMBERED
Incidents of the Epidemic of 1854.

Incidents of the Epidemic of 1854.
On the morning of Friday, Sept. 1,
1854, says the New York Medical Register,
the cholera suddenly attacked a number
of persons residing in the sub-district of
Berwick in the city of London. The out
break was confined to the immediate
vicinity of a well situated on Broad
street.
This well was the centre of an infected
district: ''a person starting from thence
and walking at a moderate pace would
have got beyond its limits in three MN
utes." English Rivers Pollution
Reports During the month of August
preceding the outbreak, only twenty-six
cases of cholera were reported to the
London authorities from this district
(Berwick).
The epidemic reached its height on Sept.
2, and declined about 80 per cent. on the
9Th; after which it dwindled off until the
goth. this day being the first on which no
deaths in the district from the LIST up to
this date was 500.
Investigation showed that about 10
hours before the great Outburst of the dis
ease a child was attacked with cholera in
the house No. 40 Broad street, and its
objections were emptied into drain
which ran within few feet Of the well.
lar in the neighbOrhood.
Analysis showed that it contained in
100000 parts 1877 parts total solids and 7.72
parts organic and volatile matter. 1t was
clearly shown that nearly all the persons
attacked with the disease had drank the
water from this well,
In one case, an old lady and her niece,
residing at a distance, had been III the
habit of having the water sent to them
ho1 oh rr1i
of their neighbors contracted it.
The history of this well should be en-
graved on the mind of every sanitarian.
The activity displayed by health authorl-
ties in searching out and stopping the
water from city wells shows that it has
not been lost on them. The use of such
water for the preparation of aerated
drinks is the more dangerous, since such
beverages are prescribed for invalids.
The history OF the cholera in Manchester
and Glasgow illustrates most forcibly the
Importance of a pure water supply for
cities. Until 1851 the people of Manches-
ter and Stafford obtained water partly
from wells and partly from the river
Irwell. Both these sources were much
polluted with excrementitious matter.
In 1851 pure supply of water was in
trOduced into these towns. The following
figures, taken from the report of the rivers
pollution commission, show the mortality
during the polluted and pure-water
periods: Total mortality in Manchester
and Stafford, polluted-water period: 1882,
800; 1S49, Lib; pure-water period 1854,
80; 1866, SO.
The history of the disease in Glasgow
affords evidence equally conclusi6e.
Until 1859 the water supply was
drawn from the Clyde, and
was polluted by the drainage of towns
higher up the river. After that year
pure supply was obtained from Loeb
Katrine.
Total martality in Glasgow, polluted
water period: 1882, 1,842; 1849, 8, 772; 1854,
1856; pure water period: 1866, 6S. Nor
tality per 10000 population, polluted
water period: 1882, 40; 1919, 106; 1854,
119; pure water period: 1866, 16.
These facts are not new to sanitarians
who have studied the subject, and they
can be multiplied to any extent desirable
to prove the intimate connection of
cholera with water supply. We repeat,
then, we are glad to see that the health
authorities in this city are so thoroughly
alive to the inspection of wells and are so
strenuously in favor of preventing the use
of the water from them for drinking pur-
poses.