1867.] and the Cholera. 317 



the metropolitan population which was supplied by water taken 

 from the Thames, at Kew, suffered a mortality from cholera of 

 8 in 10,000. Of every 10,000 people supplied with water taken 

 from tbe river at Hammersmith, 17 died. Of the inhabitants of 

 Belgravia, St. George's, Hanover- square, Chelsea, and Westminster, 

 supplied with water taken below Chelsea Hospital, 47 in 10,000 

 died. Whilst the populations drawing their supply still lower 

 down, viz. at Battersea, and between Hungerford and Waterloo 

 bridges, where the river was still more foul, suffered to the extent 

 of 163 in 10,000. In the year 1854 one-half of this latter district 

 was supplied by water taken above Teddington Lock, and the 

 deaths fell to 87 — httle more than one-half ; whilst last year, when 

 the whole supply was drawn above Teddington Lock, the loss of 

 life from cholera was only 8 in 10,000. Again Manchester, which 

 is in other respects one of the most unhealthy cities in the United 

 Kingdom, furnishes remarkable evidence that cholera can never 

 establish itself as an epidemic unless the water supply of a com- 

 munity be tainted with organic impurity ; this city suffered fear- 

 fully from cholera in 1832 and 1849 whilst supplied with impure 

 water, but after the introduction of pure water from the Derbyshire- 

 hills, the return of the disease in 1854, and again last year, 

 manifested itself in Manchester by a few sporadic cases only. 



All the water withdrawn from the Thames for the supply of 

 London is now taken above Teddington Lock, and its nitration before 

 distribution is rendered compulsory by the Metropolitan Water Act 

 of 1852. The wisdom of thus taking the water at a higher point 

 and of enforcing its filtration is evidenced by the comparative 

 slight mortality from cholera last year in those districts supplied 

 with Thames water. Far different, according to the returns of the 

 Begistrar-Greneral, was the fate of that portion of the metropolis 

 which had the misfortune to be supplied from reservoirs at Old 

 Ford, belonging to the East London Water Company. The 

 suddenness and virulence of the outbreak of cholera in the east of 

 London last summer at once aroused the suspicions of the Begis- 

 trar-General, who requested me to make an immediate investigation 

 into the East London Water Company's supply. I found the chief 

 reservoir at Old Ford to be situated close to the river Lea, which 

 is there little better than an open sewer. This reservoir is also 

 sunk 16 feet beneath the low ground, which is there only just above 

 the level of spring tides ; consequently the water in the reservoir is 

 always below Trinity high-water mark. It was evident that 

 soakage from the adjacent foul river and from the surrounding soil, 

 saturated as it was with sewage, must take place into such an 

 excavation with its floor of two and a half acres in extent, and this 

 has since been confirmed by recent investigation when this reservoir 

 was emptied as far as possible by pumping. The foreman at the 



