Dr. Blaxall's report to the local government board upon an epidemic of enteric fever in the village of Selborne, Hants.

  • Blaxall, F. H.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Blaxall's report to the local government board upon an epidemic of enteric fever in the village of Selborne, Hants. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    1/18
    Dr. Blaxall’s Report to the Local Government Board upon an Epidemic of Enteric Fever in the Village of Selborne, Hants. Edward 0. Seaton, M.D. Medical Department, August 18th, 1879. In consequence of the persistent presence of enteric fever in the village of Selborne, Alton Union, the Rural Sanitary Authority made application to the Local Government Board that a medical inspector might be sent down to investigate the particulars of the epidemic, and advise as to the measures necessary to be adopted to prevent the spread of the disease. Being in- structed for the duty, I went to Selborne on the 5th of May. I immediately placed myself in communication with the clerk to the Sanitary Authority and the Medical Officer of Health, and during my subsequent inspection of the various parts of the village I was accompanied by the Inspector of Nuisances or the Medical Officer of Health, the latter affording me much information respecting the several cases of enteric fever that had come under his observation and treatment. Before however proceeding to enter into the particulars of the epidemic, I propose to state the result of my inquiry into the sanitary condition of the village, in order to assist in the more complete comprehension of the various conditions and circumstances which have apparently combined to favour the spread of the disease. The parish of Selborne, the interesting features of which have been so Description graphically delineated by its celebrated historian Gilbert Wliite, is ])urely an (geuciiil). agricultural hop-growing district, charmingly situated in the east of Hants, not far from the borders of Surrey and Sussex, and comprising, according to the census of 1871 a population of 1,313 persons, of whom 697 reside in the Topulation. village of Selborne. The geological formation belongs to the Cretaceous system, and includes the Geology Chalk,Upper Greensand, Gault, and Lower Greensand. The village stands upon the Upper Greensand at its junction with the Chalk Marl. The Gault is here at a depth of from 60 to 70 feet or thereabouts, but in the Priory valley on the north-east the Gault appears at the surface. The village stands on rising ground closed in by richly-Avooded hills, Topograpliy. notably so on the south-west side, where it is separated by park lands from the beautiful hanging wood of Selborne hill. Two streams take their rise from the chalk hills at opposite extremities of the village. The one from the north-west flowing in an easterly direetion through meadows, thence under the garden belonging to Fisher’s Buildings, when again appearing at the surface it passes Fisher’s Buildings and is led under the highway, after Avhich it runs soutlnvards a short distance, folloAving the course of the road in the vicinity of dAvellings, then taking a sharp turn to the east it floAvs on through meadows, and so to the Priory Amlley, Avhere it is joined by the other stream. This latter issues from the ‘‘ Well Head ” at the south of the Aullao’e, and flowing in a northerly direction passes under the main road near Ketcher’s Farm ; resuming an open course, it runs by the side of the road in the neigh- bourhood of dAvellings, and passing under Black Moor Road, enters the deep valley to the east of the Aullage, and floAvs on to Priory Amle, Avhere, as already stated, it forms a junction Avitli the stream from the north-Avest; then con- tinuing its course, ultimately unites with the Wey, and finally enters the Thames. The village consists mainly of one long straggling street, running in a direction from south-east to north-west, where it bifurcates into Gracious Street and the Alton Road. M 486. AVt. 3.519. A