Discussion on the prevention of enteric fever / opened by George Vivian Poore and continued by W.T. Gairdner [and others].
- George Vivian Poore
- Date:
- 1898
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Discussion on the prevention of enteric fever / opened by George Vivian Poore and continued by W.T. Gairdner [and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
99/140 page 91
![9] I feel certain we have passed through two epidemics : one of influenza^ in which the cases were numerous and many of them had abdominal symptoms ; the second and most serious epidemic was one of severe enteric fever produced by sewer-gas poisoning owing to tlie entire absence of ventilation of the main drains of Clifton, and that thus, owing to a prolonged drought in August, Sep- tember, and October, the drains were not flushed, and being ill-ventilated, sewer-gas in volumes was forced back, through over-pressure in the mains, through the street gratings and into the houses attacked, which stand on high ground and in close proximity to the large main sewer, which, after descending a steep declivity of about 270 feet, empties itself at all tides direct into the River Avon a short distance below the Suspension Bridge. The stinks of Clifton have been in tlie summer almost unbear- able for years, and unless steps are taken at once to ven- tilate the main drains, and to divert the sewage of Bristol and Clifton entirely out of the Avon, it is much to be feared that the present visitation will be nothing to what will follow should a prolonged drought again occur. Mr. PERCY ADAMS (Deputy M.O.H. Maidstone). One of the most interesting features in the Maidstone epidemic, to which I would draw attention (as owing to the public inquiry to be held by the Local Government Board, my mouth is closed in respect of the incidents of the epidemic which has visited our town), is the pre- cedence of diarrhoea before the epidemic itself began. I hand round a rough sketch showing how this was the case. We distinguish between the ordinary infantile diar- rhoea and this extraordinary diarrhoea by marking the cui'ves in different colours. I believe it is an accepted doctrine or opinion, that as a rule the incidence of autumnal diarrhoea is higher in males than in females. In Maidstone, however, the contrary obtained probably,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20414924_0099.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
