Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser,
Dublin, October 16th, 1865.
Her Majesty’s Privy Council have now ordered an official enquiry to be made into the nature of the pestilence now raging at Thoydon, near Epping.
The medical gentlemen who have given attention to the subject are divided in opinion as to whether or not it is the Asiatic cholera, the black fever of the West Indies, or the Russian rinderpest, that is now attacking the human system. The reason for thinking that it is a form of rinderpest is because a large quantity of manure from a London dairy was purchased and brought upon the premises.
Since the report which appeared on Thursday, we have been able to obtain fuller and more authentic particulars relative to the persons who have been attacked and died by the disease, and we are sorry to state that the death of the medical gentleman who attended the family is corroborated.
The following may be relied upon:
The house where the pestilence has raged is situated at Thoydon, upon a high hill, and is half a mile distant from any other house, and before the disease made such a frightening havoc was inhabited by a family named Groombridge, who farmed a considerable estate. In the early part of last week Mrs Groombridge returned from Weymouth but was shortly taken very ill. Her daughter very soon after was seized with similar symptoms, and the medical attendant, Dr McNab, was sent for, and immediately attended them. Mrs Groombridge recovered, but the daughter died in six hours, viz., on Tuesday evening, the 3rd instant. The next morning, Dr McNab was seized and died within a few hours. The following day Mr Groombridge was attacked and died, but his death was kept a secret from his wife. Friday passed over and no death, but on Saturday last, the groom was seized and died within a few hours, though he himself it is said had not been in the house. The woman who laid his body out was shortly afterwards attacked and died the following day. Mrs Groombridge was again seized with the disease and died on Tuesday night.
There is a strong prevailing opinion that the disease was not brought by Mrs Groombridge from the watering town, as was first supposed; but that was the bad smell of the manure brought form the London dairy. The neighbouring farmers, especially those who have lost cattle, have taken great alarm, and instead of the wagons that go to London with cabbages and other green produce, returning as usual with manure, they are going along the streets of Stratford in numbers loaded with quicklime, which is being thrown upon the dung fresh brought.
The subject was brought before the West Ham Board of Guardians on Thursday, when Mr Meeson called the attention of the board to the subject, and strongly pressed upon certain members the positive necessity of removing several nuisances in East Ham – several members of the board being a committee for that purpose.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
The Asiatic cholera in a very virulent form has made its appearance in the neighbourhood of Epping, and up to the present time there have been twelve cases, out of which six deaths have occurred, but one of which is not attributed to the epidemic. The remaining cases have either recovered or are progressing favourably.
The disease appears to have been imported into the neighbourhood, and, up to the present time, not to have extended beyond the house into which it was brought and those directly connected with it, or with those who were connected with the parties who belonged to the house.
The circumstances leading to this sad occurrence are remarkable. Mr Groombridge, a farmer, residing at Thoydon, a village about two miles west of Epping, had been to Weymoth for change of air, and whilst there he had a severe attack of cholera. He, however, got better from it, and returned to his home on Sunday 24th of September. On Tuesday, the 26th, Mrs Groombridge was attacked, but recovered from it, although left in a very delicate state after it. On Saturday, the 30th, a little daughter of Mr Groombridge’s was attacked and died in about eight hours. The same night a boy who used to sleep in a room in one of the outbuildings was taken ill but recovered.
These patients had been attended by Dr McNab, sen., Dr. McNab, jun., and Dr. Clegg, all of whom were unremitting in their attention to the patients, but they were not long destined to work together. On Monday, Dr McNab, sen., was seized with cholera and was attended by his son and Dr Clegg, but all their exertions could not save him for he died on Tuesday morning, about ten hours after he was first attacked. On Tuesday another daughter of Mr Groombridge was taken ill, but under the treatment of the medical man above named has recovered. The next day the housemaid was attacked, but has also got over it.
The disease however, had not left the house; for on Friday last Mr Groombridge was again attacked by it and died after an illness of ten hours. A man named Riley, a farm labourer at work on the premises, was attacked by it on Friday night, and died early on Saturday morning. The mother of Mrs Groombridge, a lady of eighty-seven years of age, also caught the disease on the same day, but is at present alive. Mrs Groombridge has got over the attack of cholera, and was doing very well until she heard that her husband was dead, and then she said she had nothing more to live for. She refused to take food or anything that was proper for her in her then state of health, and the consequence was that she soon sank and died, but her death cannot be attributed to cholera. The next and last victim of this fearful malady up to the present time is Mrs Saville, a poor woman who went to lay Riley out. She was attacked a day or two after, and died o Tuesday, the 10th.
The whole of the above cases are most decided cases of cholera, amounting to twelve in number, and resulting in five deaths. There are besides several cases of severe diarrhoea, in which men go out to their work in the morning and return about noon scarcely able to stand, but they are not cases of cholera.
When Dr Clegg was called in to see the family of the Groombridges he discovered that there was a communication between the water-closet and the well from which the household drank, and he at once put a stop to their using it. He also examined the neighbourhood, and from what her saw he though it necessary to write to the Privy Council. In consequence of his communication, a sanitary inspector was sent down on Wednesday, and after an examination of the neighbourhood he left to draw up his report to the Board of Health.
When the epidemic appeared and proved so fatal the neighbourhood was greatly alarmed, and very vigorous efforts were made to meet and check the evil. Mr Smee, a gentleman of independent property has at his own expense supplied the poor people twice a day with pure water, by means of water barrels or carts, free of expense,
The Magistrates on the 7th of this month issued the following notice to the public:-
“Notice – in consequence of the cholera having caused the death of several persons in and near Epping, the inhabitants are warned to disinfect, by application of quicklime or other substance, any place in their occupation producing bad smells. A sanitary inspector is expected from London, and all parties are notified that they will incur the full penalties of the law by neglecting to disinfect premises.
By order of the Magistrates
Epping, Oct 7, 1865.”
Dr Clegg, who visits the neighbourhood once or twice daily, admits that there is a great deficiency in the supply of water, and the drainage sadly wants replacing.
************
The Glasgow Herald 25th October
CAUSE OF THE CHOLERA AT EPPING
Mr Thomas Forshall, consulting surgeon has written a letter to the London papers on the subject of the recent outbreak of cholera at Epping. He says:- “Having read this morning an announcement of the death of the late Mr Groombridge’s mother at Thoydon, near Epping, I am induced to send you the following statement, as it may in some measure tend to lessen the alarm and relieve Weymouth of the suspicion of having been tainted with Asiatic cholera during the period of the late Mr Groombridge’s stay there. Very early in June last the late Mr Groombridge consulted me and he told me he had felt unwell fir the last two years; that he had been troubled with indigestion and great depression of spirits, which he said he could not all account for, as his circumstances were comfortable, and that he had made money not only by farming, but also by brickmaking. I found that he had been under medical treatment frequently for a year or two past, but that he had only found very temporary relief. As the medicines I prescribed did not produce so much benefit as I expected, I inquired particularly as to the locality of his residence, the drainage and water supply. He told me that, with the exception of a little rain water occasionally, their sole supply was from a deep well and that the water was very hard, and made the tea very disagreeable. I requested him to bring me a bottle of water on the next visit, which he did on the 17th June last. I found that, although the water was perfectly limpid, it had an unpleasant odour and nauseous taste, amply accepted for by recent disclosures as to the leakage from the cesspool into the well. I handed the bottle of water to Mr. Goff, the well known operative chemist of Kingsland, who after examination of the contents, stated to me that he had detected sulpheretted hydrogen gas, with a considerable quantity of organic matter. Mr Groombridge got me to prescribe fir his wife, her mother, both of whom had been, to his own expression, out of sorts for a long time. Comment upon the forgoing statement is needless. I advised change to the sea coast; they went to Weymouth, came back to Thoydon to drink impure water – their constitutions enfeebled by long continued functional disorder of the digestive organs, and speedily succumbed to the cholera when attacked.”
**********
The 1861 Census shows William Groombridge (45 years), living with his wife Elizabeth (also 45 years) at Little Gregories Farm, Theydon Bois. William is described as a farmer, employing 2 men and 2 boys.
William’s mother-in-law, Alice Parsell (82 years) is also living with them. A daughter Sarah Groombridge (16 years) and son Charles (14 years) are also shown.