CHOLERA IN KOHAT
1
1515 tp re-house 42.000 people. But he pointed out that Part I. of this scheme had cost B851.456, and " out of that sum no less than E.282,l105 had gone into the pockets of men who, instead of being compensated for their rotten property, should have been prosecuted." Then he inquired why butchers, milkmen, and others who sold unwholesome food should be punished while landlords who let unwholesome dwellings should be allowed to go free. But it is not so much the insanitary character of the dwellings as their overcrowding which does the mischief. The London County Council use the best material and construct substantial dwell- ings which will probably last from 200 to 300 years and they pay exorbitant compensation to the former owners, and all this very great outlay has to be refunded in 60 years. As a natural result they are obliged to charge high rents, and therefore their re-housing schemes do not bring any relief to the extreme poor. It is true that the new Amend- ment Act will now enable the London County Council to purchase land and to build houses outside the metro- politan boundaries. There the rents will be lower, but from this advantage must be deducted the cost of travelling and the loss of time which it involves. As a remedy Mr. Steadman proposed that the Government should give facilities for borrowing money at a cheaper rate of interest and that the repayment should be spread over a period of 100 instead of 60 years. But the great stumbliDg- block is the exaggerated compensation paid to the owners of slum property. Nothing is more profitable than the letting of houses to the extreme poor. The peorer the tenant the higher the rent he pays in proportion to the space which he occupies; but the fact that a large income is obtained by allowing the overcrowding of tenements is not a sufficient reason for paying to the owner a proportionate compensation. In any case the present state of affairs can only be allowed to continue at the peril of the community. As Lord Rosebery truly said: "There is not a close in the darkest quarters of Glasgow or a crofter’s cabin in the Hebrides which is not a matter of imperial concern," and he added : " In the great cities, in the rookeries and the slums which still survive, an imperial race cannot be reared." CHOLERA IN KOHAT. LAST July a serious outbreak of cholera occurred among the native troops comprising the garrison of Kohat in the Punjab. This has formed the subject of a report by Major R. H. Firth, R.A.M.C., sanitary officer of the Rawal Pindi district. The first cases showed themselves on July 3rd, and from that day up to and including July 19th there were 314 cases and 151 deaths. By far the greater number, both of attacks and deaths, took place between July 3rd and July 13th, after which date the disease rapidly declined. Of the 314 cases Z09 were in soldiers, either horse or foot, the remaining 105 cases being among followers. Of the 151 deaths 106 were of soldiers and 45 were of followers. This was the severest outbreak of cholera in any garrison of India which had occurred for many years and it presented three notable features-viz., (1) that although during the period under review there were some 60 Europeans resident in Kohat no single one of these was attacked by cholera; (2) that in one unit-the Punjab Garrison Battery-only one case occurred; and (3) that in another unit-the 19th Punjab Infantry-no less than 126 attacks with 56 deaths were reported. Major Firbh and the medical officers of the garrison united in attributing the outbreak to choleraic pollution of the irrigation water which flows freely through Kohat. There was no reported case of cholera either in the city or district of Kohat before July 3rd, but it was well known that cholera existed all over the Punjab In June, and Kohat is the great centre to which the roads lead. The 19th Punjab Infantry suffered most heavily of all. This regiment arrived in Kohat on July 6th and camped on a grass farm near which irrigation water ran. They were free from cholera on arrival, but 26 cases with 11 deaths occurred on July 8th, and 61 cases with 18 deaths on July 9th. It was found that the men had consumed large quantities of the irrigation water. The removal of the corps to a camp away from all irrigation and to a water above suspicion rapidly checked the outbreak. The Punjab Garrison Battery used exclusively water from the fort well and escaped with only one case of cholera, a man who was known to have had close domestic relations with the city. Among the recommendations made by Major Firth with a view to the prevention of similar mishaps is one to the effect that British officers of native corps might show more energy than they do in disseminating ideas of personal hygiene among their men. GENERAL HOSPITALS AND MENTAL DISEASES. OUT-PATIENTS suffering from mental disorders have been for long treated at St. Thomas’s Hospital and elsewhere. The results of experience have shown that good work has been done in relieving many sufferers and in avoiding the necessity for asylum care in not a few cases. The quarterly court of governors of the Newcastle In- firmary has decided to institute such a department, as reported by the Neweastlo Evening Chronicle of Nov. lst. Dr. G. H. Hume, in bringing forward the motion, pleaded for the fundamental ideas of prevention and cure, and it has been decided that a physician, qualified as the rules require and occupying an appointment in a public asylum in North- umberland or Durham, should attend at the infirmary one day in each week and prescribe for the out-patients placed under his care. MEMORIAL TO THE LATE PROFESSOR JOSEPH COATS. AT a meeting held in the Hall of the Faculty of Physicians L and Surgeons of Glasgow on Feb. 7th, 1899, it was resolved to raise a memorial to the late Dr. Joseph Coats, who first occupied the position of professor of pathology in the University of Glasgow, and it was agreed that this memorial should take the form of an endowment connected with his name for the purpose of encouraging research in pathology. Intimation was sent to his colleagues, assistants, pupils, and friends that this opportunity was afforded of testifying to their ! appreciation of his character and services, and of at the same time forwarding the work to which so much of his life had been devoted. A fund has now been raised amounting to L .&1243 and the committee representing the subscribers have .. arranged with the University Court that the University of ! Glasgow shall found a ’scholarship therewith. This endow- i ment will be known as the " Joseph Coats Memorial Scholar- ship in Pathology, founded by the friends of the late Professor Coats as a memorial of his distinguished services i to pathological science, and in recognition of the ability and ! enthusiasm which he devoted to advance the teaching of the r subject in Glasgow." The scholarship will be for the en. t couragement of original research in pathology and will be ) tenable for one year. It will be of the value of the free income of £1200 for the two preceding years and will e be awarded biennially. Candidates must be graduates of B medicine in the University of Glasgow of not more than J three years’ standing, and the scholarship will be awarded by the Senate on the results of a practical examination in . pathology conducted in the beginning of October of every second year. The successful candidate must, for not less than six months following the award, pursue research in e pathology in the Pathological Institute at the Western h Infirmary or in a laboratory elsewhere approved of by the t Faculty of Medicine, and shall not engage in medical or
Transcript of CHOLERA IN KOHAT
1515
tp re-house 42.000 people. But he pointed out thatPart I. of this scheme had cost B851.456, and " out of thatsum no less than E.282,l105 had gone into the pockets of menwho, instead of being compensated for their rotten property,should have been prosecuted." Then he inquired whybutchers, milkmen, and others who sold unwholesome foodshould be punished while landlords who let unwholesomedwellings should be allowed to go free. But it is not so
much the insanitary character of the dwellings as their
overcrowding which does the mischief. The London CountyCouncil use the best material and construct substantial dwell-
ings which will probably last from 200 to 300 years and theypay exorbitant compensation to the former owners, and allthis very great outlay has to be refunded in 60 years. As anatural result they are obliged to charge high rents, andtherefore their re-housing schemes do not bring anyrelief to the extreme poor. It is true that the new Amend-
ment Act will now enable the London County Council
to purchase land and to build houses outside the metro-
politan boundaries. There the rents will be lower,but from this advantage must be deducted the cost of
travelling and the loss of time which it involves. As a
remedy Mr. Steadman proposed that the Government shouldgive facilities for borrowing money at a cheaper rate ofinterest and that the repayment should be spread over aperiod of 100 instead of 60 years. But the great stumbliDg-block is the exaggerated compensation paid to the owners ofslum property. Nothing is more profitable than the lettingof houses to the extreme poor. The peorer the tenant the
higher the rent he pays in proportion to the space whichhe occupies; but the fact that a large income is obtained byallowing the overcrowding of tenements is not a sufficientreason for paying to the owner a proportionate compensation.In any case the present state of affairs can only be allowedto continue at the peril of the community. As Lord
Rosebery truly said: "There is not a close in the darkestquarters of Glasgow or a crofter’s cabin in the Hebrideswhich is not a matter of imperial concern," and he added :" In the great cities, in the rookeries and the slums whichstill survive, an imperial race cannot be reared."
CHOLERA IN KOHAT.
LAST July a serious outbreak of cholera occurred among thenative troops comprising the garrison of Kohat in the Punjab.This has formed the subject of a report by Major R. H. Firth,R.A.M.C., sanitary officer of the Rawal Pindi district. Thefirst cases showed themselves on July 3rd, and from that dayup to and including July 19th there were 314 cases and 151deaths. By far the greater number, both of attacks and
deaths, took place between July 3rd and July 13th, afterwhich date the disease rapidly declined. Of the 314 casesZ09 were in soldiers, either horse or foot, the remaining 105cases being among followers. Of the 151 deaths 106 were ofsoldiers and 45 were of followers. This was the severestoutbreak of cholera in any garrison of India which hadoccurred for many years and it presented three notable
features-viz., (1) that although during the period underreview there were some 60 Europeans resident in Kohatno single one of these was attacked by cholera; (2)that in one unit-the Punjab Garrison Battery-only onecase occurred; and (3) that in another unit-the19th Punjab Infantry-no less than 126 attacks with 56deaths were reported. Major Firbh and the medicalofficers of the garrison united in attributing the outbreakto choleraic pollution of the irrigation water which flowsfreely through Kohat. There was no reported case of
cholera either in the city or district of Kohat before July 3rd,but it was well known that cholera existed all over the
Punjab In June, and Kohat is the great centre to which
the roads lead. The 19th Punjab Infantry suffered most
heavily of all. This regiment arrived in Kohat on July 6thand camped on a grass farm near which irrigation water ran.They were free from cholera on arrival, but 26 cases with 11deaths occurred on July 8th, and 61 cases with 18 deaths onJuly 9th. It was found that the men had consumed largequantities of the irrigation water. The removal of the corpsto a camp away from all irrigation and to a water abovesuspicion rapidly checked the outbreak. The PunjabGarrison Battery used exclusively water from the fort
well and escaped with only one case of cholera, a man
who was known to have had close domestic relations withthe city. Among the recommendations made by MajorFirth with a view to the prevention of similar mishaps isone to the effect that British officers of native corps mightshow more energy than they do in disseminating ideas ofpersonal hygiene among their men.
GENERAL HOSPITALS AND MENTAL DISEASES.
OUT-PATIENTS suffering from mental disorders have beenfor long treated at St. Thomas’s Hospital and elsewhere.The results of experience have shown that good work hasbeen done in relieving many sufferers and in avoidingthe necessity for asylum care in not a few cases.
The quarterly court of governors of the Newcastle In-
firmary has decided to institute such a department, as
reported by the Neweastlo Evening Chronicle of Nov. lst.Dr. G. H. Hume, in bringing forward the motion, pleadedfor the fundamental ideas of prevention and cure, and it hasbeen decided that a physician, qualified as the rules requireand occupying an appointment in a public asylum in North-umberland or Durham, should attend at the infirmary oneday in each week and prescribe for the out-patients placedunder his care.
MEMORIAL TO THE LATE PROFESSOR JOSEPHCOATS.
AT a meeting held in the Hall of the Faculty of PhysiciansL and Surgeons of Glasgow on Feb. 7th, 1899, it was resolved
to raise a memorial to the late Dr. Joseph Coats, who firstoccupied the position of professor of pathology in theUniversity of Glasgow, and it was agreed that this memorialshould take the form of an endowment connected with his
name for the purpose of encouraging research in pathology.Intimation was sent to his colleagues, assistants, pupils, andfriends that this opportunity was afforded of testifying to their
! appreciation of his character and services, and of at the sametime forwarding the work to which so much of his life hadbeen devoted. A fund has now been raised amounting toL .&1243 and the committee representing the subscribers have.. arranged with the University Court that the University of! Glasgow shall found a ’scholarship therewith. This endow-i ment will be known as the " Joseph Coats Memorial Scholar-
ship in Pathology, founded by the friends of the lateProfessor Coats as a memorial of his distinguished servicesi to pathological science, and in recognition of the ability and! enthusiasm which he devoted to advance the teaching of ther subject in Glasgow." The scholarship will be for the en.t couragement of original research in pathology and will be) tenable for one year. It will be of the value of the freeincome of £1200 for the two preceding years and wille be awarded biennially. Candidates must be graduates ofB medicine in the University of Glasgow of not more thanJ three years’ standing, and the scholarship will be awarded
by the Senate on the results of a practical examination in. pathology conducted in the beginning of October of every
second year. The successful candidate must, for not lessthan six months following the award, pursue research in
e pathology in the Pathological Institute at the Western
h Infirmary or in a laboratory elsewhere approved of by thet Faculty of Medicine, and shall not engage in medical or
