On the mode of communication of cholera — John Shaqi
On the mode of communication of choleraSnow, John
History
On the mode of communication of cholera
Snow, John
Cholera
that was not ascertained: at all events it was unable to convey the
water flowing into it during the storm on July 26th, as it burst near
the house No. 8, and inundated the lower premises of that and the
adjoining house, No. 9, with fœtid water; and it was from this time that
the water, which had occasionally been complained of before, was found
by most of the people in these seventeen houses to be more or less
impure or disagreeable. The water broke out of the drain again at No. 8,
and overflowed the kitchens, during a heavy rain on August 2nd. It
should be particularly remarked, that the tanks were placed on the same
level, so that pumping from one would draw water from the others, and
that any impurity getting into one tank would consequently be imparted
to the rest.
The first case of cholera occurred at No. 13, on July 28th (two days
after the bursting of the drain), in a lady who had had premonitory
symptoms for three or four days. It was fatal in fourteen hours. There
was an accumulation of rubbish in the cellar of this house, which was
said to be offensive by the person who removed it; but the proprietor of
the house denied this. A lady at No. 8 was attacked with choleraic
diarrhœa on July 30th: she recovered. On August 1st, a lady, aged
eighty-one, at No. 6, who had had some diarrhœa eight or ten days
before, which had yielded to her own treatment, was attacked with
cholera: she died on the 4th with congested brain. Diarrhœa commenced on
August 1st in a lady aged 60, at No. 3; collapse took place on the 5th,
and death on the 6th. On August 3rd, there were three or four cases, in
different parts of the row of houses, and two of them terminated fatally
on the same day. The attacks were numerous during the following three or
four days, and after that time they diminished in number. More than half
the inhabitants of the part of the terrace in which the cholera
prevailed, were attacked with it, and upwards of half the cases were
fatal. The deaths occurred as follows; but as some of the patients
lingered a few days, and died in the consecutive fever, the deaths are
less closely grouped than the seizures. There was one death on July
28th, two on August 3rd, four on the 4th, two on the 6th, two on the
7th, four on the 8th, three on the 9th, one on the 11th, and one on the
13th. These make twenty fatal cases; and there were four or five deaths
besides amongst those who were attacked after flying from the place.
The fatal cases were distributed over ten out of the seventeen houses;
and Mr. Mimpriss of Wandsworth Road, who attended many of the cases, and
to whose kindness I am indebted for several of these particulars, stated
that cases occurred in the other seven houses, with the exception of one
or two that were empty, or nearly so. There were five deaths in the
house No. 6; and one of a gentleman the day after he left it, and went
to Hampstead Heath. The entire household, consisting of seven
individuals, had the cholera, and six of them died.
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