Mr. Marshall, surgeon, of Greek Street, was kind enough to inquire
respecting seven workmen who had been employed in the manufactory of
dentists’ materials, at Nos. 8 and 9 Broad Street, and who died at their
own homes. He learned that they were all in the habit of drinking water
from the pump, generally drinking about half-a-pint once or twice a day;
while two persons who reside constantly on the premises, but do not
drink the pump-water, only had diarrhœa. Mr. Marshall also informed me
of the case of an officer in the army, who lived at St. John’s Wood, but
came to dine in Wardour Street, where he drank the water from Broad
Street pump at his dinner. He was attacked with cholera, and died in a
few hours.
I am indebted to Mr. Marshall for the following cases, which are
interesting as showing the period of incubation, which in these three
cases was from thirty-six to forty-eight hours. Mrs. ——, of 13 Bentinck
Street, Berwick Street, aged 28, in the eighth month of pregnancy, went
herself (although they were not usually water drinkers), on Sunday, 3rd
September, to Broad Street pump for water. The family removed to
Gravesend on the following day; and she was attacked with cholera on
Tuesday morning at seven o’clock, and died of consecutive fever on 15th
September, having been delivered. Two of her children drank also of the
water, and were attacked on the same day as the mother, but recovered.
Dr. Fraser, of Oakley Square, kindly informed me of the following
circumstance. A gentleman in delicate health was sent for from Brighton
to see his brother at 6 Poland Street, who was attacked with cholera and
died in twelve hours, on 1st September. The gentleman arrived after his
brother’s death, and did not see the body. He only stayed about twenty
minutes in the house, where he took a hasty and scanty luncheon of
rumpsteak, taking with it a small tumbler of brandy and water, the water
being from Broad Street pump. He went to Pentonville, and was attacked
with cholera on the evening of the following day, 2nd September, and
died the next evening.
Dr. Fraser also first called my attention to the following
circumstances, which are perhaps the most conclusive of all in proving
the connexion between the Broad Street pump and the outbreak of cholera.
In the “Weekly Return of Births and Deaths” of September 9th, the
following death is recorded as occurring in the Hampstead district: “At
West End, on 2nd September, the widow of a percussion-cap maker, aged 59
years, diarrhœa two hours, cholera epidemica sixteen hours.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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