History of Sanitation

HISTORY OF SANITATION 103 of the inside of the well, the first 13 feet deep from the level of the street paving, the second 18 feet deep, and a third was afterward opened still lower, when the washed appearance of the ground and gravel fully corroborated the assumption. In addition thereto, the ground was dug out between the cesspool and the well to 3 feet below the bottom of the former, and its black, saturated, swampy condition clearly demonstrated the fact, as did also the small furrowed appearance of the underlying gravel observed from the inside of the well, from which the fine sand had been washed away during the process of filtration. It was thus established as clearly as can be done by circum- stantial evidence, that the great epidemic in St. James’ Parish, Westminster, London, in 1854, was caused by the polluted water of the Broad Street well, which for a very few days was probably infected with cholera germs. It is much less clear how the well became infected, but it seems probable that the dejecta of a cholera patient found tolera- bly direct access to the well from the cesspool or drain of a house nearby. There is no evidence whatever that the germs multiplied in the well, but rather much evidence that they rapidly died out. It is repeatedly stated in the report that the water was preferred for drinking because it was cold, i. e., colder than the cistern water derived from public water supply and this condition would probably favor such dying- out. That the water had long been polluted there can be no doubt. There was evidence of this, and also some evidence that it was worse than usual at the time when it was probably infected. One consumer spoke of it as having been at the time offensive in taste and odor. It is instructive to note that mere pollution seems to have done no obvious harm. Specific infection, however, pro- duced Asiatic cholera. Mr. Whitehead in his singularly fair and candid report raises an interesting question, viz: Why, if an early and unrecognized case in the house in question brought about infection of the well, should not the four severer cases of