452 The Public Health. [July, 



marine. The prevention of sea-scurvy is as simple as that of small- 

 pox, but neither masters nor men will voluntarily adopt it on board 

 our ships. We have a law compelling ships to take out lemon- 

 juice, that it may be served to men on voyages beyond a certain 

 duration. But if the sailors will not inform there is no one to 

 prosecute. There ought to be a much more vigilant superintendence 

 of ships going long voyages. At any rate the law might compel 

 captains to take out lemon-juice, and when ships arrive with scurvy 

 on board, an investigation as to its cause should immediately take 

 place. The duty of superintendence should be placed in the hands 

 of the Medical Officer of Health, when there is one in the port from 

 which the vessels sail, or a special Medical Officer of Health should 

 be appointed for this duty. 



Up to the present time no alarming outbreak of cholera in 

 large populations has been reported this year, either in this country 

 or on the continent of Europe. We may hope, therefore, that for 

 the fourth time in the present century this plague has retired. 

 It would be well if we could hope that the lessons taught by the 

 last outbreak would be sufficiently impressive to render any further 

 outbreak impossible. We have learned some new facts in the last 

 outbreak — we have had old impressions confirmed, and some old 

 prejudices removed. There is no doubt now that the cholera is 

 brought here from the East, and that it travels by means of human 

 intercourse. The cholera epidemic of 1866 has shown more clearly 

 than ever that this disease is dependent on a special poison, and that 

 this poison is capable of being conveyed more particularly by the 

 agency of water. The several outbreaks of the cholera in the towns 

 of the continent showed that in all probability the water supply of 

 these towns had become contaminated, whilst the outbreak of the 

 cholera in London, confined almost entirely to one district, and 

 that district having an impure supply of water, confirmed the 

 suspicion which had been created by the history of the outbreaks 

 of cholera in 1848 and 1854, that the drinking-water of the 

 metropolis was the principal means by which the poison of the 

 disease was propagated. 



An interesting meeting for the purpose of deliberating on some 

 questions connected with cholera, took place at Weimar on the 28th 

 and 29th of April last. This meeting consisted chiefly of Grerman 

 physicians, of whom the most distinguished were Professors Petten- 

 kofer and Grriesinger. Mr. John Simon attended from England. 

 There were about sixty physicians present. The questions proposed 

 for discussion were as follows : — 



1. The causes of the spread of cholera. 



2. The advisability of using disinfectants. 



3. The nature of disinfectants. 



4. Points for further investigation. 



