Reports and papers on cholera in England in 1893 / with an introduction by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board.

  • Great Britain. Local Government Board.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports and papers on cholera in England in 1893 / with an introduction by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    and the adjoining sanitary district of Cleethorpe-with-Thrunscoe, both situated on the southern shore and near the mouth of the Humber. On August 21st, the Board were informed by the local Medical Officer of Health of these districts, that three deaths from “cholera nostras ” had occurred between August 11th and 20th, it being added that in one of the cases the medical practi- tioner in attendance, who had certified the death as due to “ cholera nostras,” had referred to the symptoms as being those of Asiatic cholera. Towards the close of the month deaths registered as due to cholera nostras, choleraic diarrhoea, and diarrhoea, became more numerous in Grimsby, and Dr. Reece was instructed to visit the borough without delay. His report, which deals with both Great Grimsby and with Cleethorpe- with-Thrunscoe, commonly known as Cleethorpes, will be found in Appendix A., No. 2. Directly the matter was investigated, it transpired that disease of a choleraic character had been prevalent and fatal in Grimsby ever since the beginning of the month of August. Thus, a man who had arrived in Grimsby port on August 2nd, on board the SS. “ Dania,” from Antwerp, and who had died the following day of “ choleraic diarrhoea ” in the Port Hospital Ship, had been buried with precautions—including the wrapping of the body in sheets soaked in carbolic acid, and the surrounding of the coffin with quicklime—such as are sufficient to indicate that grave suspicion was locally entertained as to the real nature of the disease in question. On August 11th, there was a fatal attack styled “ cholera nostras ” in the town, itself, and by August 30th there had been no less than 15 deatlis of a similar character, 14 of which had occurred in the town. There had also occurred a fatal attack, registered as due to “ cholera nostras,” on August 15th, in a suburb of Grimsby, but just within the jurisdiction of the Cleethorpes Urban Authority. But not until August 31st, two days after Dr. Reece’s arrival in Grimsby, was the first certificate of death indicating the presence of true cholera issued. In Cleethorpes, where four more fatal attacks of “ diarrhoea ” or of “ choleraic diarrhoea ” took place between August 27th and September 2nd, the first deatli referred to “ cholera ” was so certified on the last-named date. Reviewing the circumstances in the light of subsequent knowledge, it appears that, in addition to the death of tlic man removed from the SS. Daniu,” cholera caused, in Great Grimsby, 15 deaths in August, 18 deaths in September, and 2 in October ; and that there were in Cleethorpes, 3 fatal attacks in August and 4 in September, making 43 deaths in all in these two adjacent places. Directly it became evident that cholera was prevailing in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, the Board, acting under the powers conferred upon them by section 134 of the Public Health Act, 1875, issued an Order declaring certain epidemic regulations to be in force within these districts. This Order was issued on September 1st, 1893, and it was followed by a supplemental