Papers relative to the disease called cholera spasmodica in India, now prevailing in the north of Europe : with extracts of letters, reports, and communications received from the continent.

  • Great Britain. Privy Council.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Papers relative to the disease called cholera spasmodica in India, now prevailing in the north of Europe : with extracts of letters, reports, and communications received from the continent. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    By such means this fatal disorder, in spite of all quarantine regulations, and of the utmost vigilance on the part of the govern- ment, might be introduced into the United Kingiloni ; and as it is clear that this danger can only be obviated by the most strenuous efforts on the part of all persons of any influence to put a stop to such practices, their utmost exertions should be used to effect this end. The magistrates, the clergy, and all persons resident on the coast, it is hoped, will endeavour to impress upon the population of their different districts (and particularly of the retired villages along the sea-shore) the danger to which they expose themselves by engaging in illicit intercourse with persons coming from the continent; and should appeal to their fears in warning them of the imminent risk which they incur by holding any communication with smugglers, and others who may evade the quarantine regula- tions. To meet the other objects adverted to in the introduction, namely, to prepare for the possible contingency of the country being visited by this disorder, as well as to assist in its prevention, it is recommended that in every town and village, commencing with those on the coast, there should be established a local board of health, to consist of the chief and other magistrates, the clergymen of the parish, two or more physicians or medical practitioners, and three or more of the principal inhabitants ; and one of the medical members should be appointed to correspond with the Board of Health in London. Every large town should be divided into districts, having a dis- trict committee of two or three members, one of whom should be of the medical profession, to watch over its health, and to give the earliest information to the Board of Health in the town, whose in- structions they will carry into effect. As the most effectual means of preventing the spreading of any pestilence has always been found to be the immediate separation of the sick from the healthy, it is of the utmost importance that the very first cases of cholera which may appear should be made known as early as possible. Concealment of the sick would not only endanger the safety of the public, but (as success in the treatment of the cholera has been found mainly to depend on me- dical assistance having been given in the earliest stage of the disease) would likewise deprive the patient of his best chance of recovery. To carry into effect the separation of the sick from the healthy, it would be very expedient that one or more houses should be kept in view in each town or its neighbourhood, as places to which every case of the disease, as soon as detected, might be removed, provided the family of the affected person consent to such removal ; and in case of refusal a conspicuous mark (' Sick ') should be placed in front of the house, to warn persons that it is in quarau-