40 



Dr. Bucha- 

 nan considers 

 the outbreak 

 was due to 

 impure water 

 supply. 



Further 

 source of im- 

 purity in 

 water supply 

 suggested, 

 viz., the com- 

 munication 

 between 

 Water Com- 

 pany's pipes 

 and river 

 (Wey), which 

 is greatly 

 contaminated 



8th February, 

 1868. 



The Lancet, 

 with extracts 

 from lleport 

 of Dr. Thorne 

 of the Medi- 

 cal Dc])art- 

 ment of the 

 Privy Council 

 on the Ter- 

 ling Fever of 

 1867-8. 



" to the higher parts of the town by engine povi'cr,' but 

 " the pumping engine broke down on August 1st, after 

 •' which date no water was drawn from the new well, the 

 " supply being from the old well to both the high and 

 " low services of the town till ITth August. 



" On that day, the water which had been stored in the 

 " neto reservoir (from the new well) was distributed to the 

 " high-service houses of the town : ' it was distributed on 

 •' no other day, and to no other houses.' Now, it turns out 

 " that all the houses first attacked with typhoid fever in 

 " the beginning of September had received water from this 

 " reservoir ; and, without giving detailed statistics, it is 

 " sufficient to state that of the 150 cases occurring in the 

 " fortnight from August 28 to September 10 there were 

 " hardly a dozen persons attacked ' ivJio had not had daily 

 " and hourly access to the water of the high service..^ Dr. 

 " Buchanan was unable, on careful and detailed inquiry, 

 " to find any condition at all coincident with the outbreak 

 " of the fever, save that of the water supply. 



" But Dr. Buchanan suggests a possible further source 

 " of impurity in the water supply. ' There exists a coni- 

 " municatiuii between the ricer and the pipes of the water- 

 " works. This is said to he very rarely used, and only 

 " for the purpose of getting a first sucking power to the 

 " pumps ; and it is stated not to have been used at all 

 " during the present sunnner.' Whether this latter aver- 

 " ment be true or not, is immaterial now, but with the 

 " story of the East London cholera outbreak fresh in our 

 " remembrance, Ave cannot hut protest against the power 

 " thus left in the hands of the water engineer to throw at 

 " any moment into the service maif/s the water of a river 

 " so contaminated as the Wey at Guildford must, of 

 " necessity, be. 



" In country towns and outlying hamlets, the poisoned 

 " water spring saps the vigour of the population, and 

 " swells, to a degree much greater than is generally sup- 

 " posed, the death-rate of the whole country" 



The Outbreak of Fever at Terling, Essex. 



*' The lengthened inquiry of Dr. Thorne, the medical 

 " inspector sent down to Tcrling by the Medical Depart- 

 " ment of the Privy Council Office, has been brought 

 " to a close. 



" The present epidemic is one of true typhoid fever, 

 " and deserves notice both on account of its magnitude 



