Just at the time when the great outbreak of cholera occurred in the
neighbourhood of Broad Street, Golden Square, there was an equally
violent irruption in Deptford, but of a more limited extent. About
ninety deaths took place in a few days, amongst two or three score of
small houses, in the north end of New Street and an adjoining row called
French’s Fields. Deptford is supplied with very good water from the
river Ravensbourne by the Kent Water Works, and until this outbreak
there was but little cholera in the town, except amongst some poor
people, who had no water except what they got by pailsful from Deptford
Creek—an inlet of the Thames. There had, however, been a few cases in
and near New Street, just before the great outbreak. On going to the
spot on September 12th and making inquiry, I found that the houses in
which the deaths had occurred were supplied by the Kent Water Works, and
the inhabitants never used any other water. The people informed me,
however, that for some few weeks the water had been extremely offensive
when first turned on; they said it smelt like a cesspool, and frothed
like soap suds. They were in the habit of throwing away a few pailsful
of that which first came in, and collecting some for use after it became
clear. On inquiring in the surrounding streets, to which this outbreak
of cholera did not extend, viz., Wellington Street, Old King Street, and
Hughes’s Fields, I found that there had been no alteration in the water.
I concluded, therefore, that a leakage had taken place into the pipes
supplying the places where the outbreak occurred, during the intervals
when the water was not turned on. Gas is known to get into the
water-pipes occasionally in this manner, when they are partially empty,
and to impart its taste to the water. There are no sewers in New Street
or French’s Fields, and the refuse of all kinds consequently saturates
the ground in which the pipes are laid. I found that the water collected
by the people, after throwing away the first portion, still contained
more organic matter than that supplied to the adjoining streets. On
adding nitrate of silver and exposing the specimens to the light, a
deeper tint of brown was developed in the former than in the latter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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