Shadow of great britain

Although I knew early on that the Central Health Commission would not bring any good news, from the analysis of written documents and oral statements brought by Dr. Russell and Dr. Barry, the current situation can no longer be summarized with just the word "bad".

Even before cholera struck, the British government had noticed this disease originating from the South Asian subcontinent and had sent experts to various cholera outbreak countries in advance for inspection and study. Even, in order to prevent the importation of cholera, they also determinedly restarted the port quarantine measures adopted in the Middle Ages against the Black Death.

However, when cholera actually came to the island, their efforts collapsed.

In the past two months, more than 700 local health committees have been established across the country. However, due to Britain's unique national character and ancient self-governance tradition, the Central Health Commission's exchanges and guidance with these local health committees have been quite limited. is limited.

Many measures deemed feasible by the Central Health Commission can only be labeled as 'suggestive' initiatives when they are issued to local governments to avoid being attacked as trampling on free civil rights and restoring authoritarianism.

Of course, in addition to worrying about being attacked on a spiritual level, the cabinet's tendency to compromise is also due to the constant pressure exerted on the government in parliament by traders who are worried about the impact on shipping trade. On the other hand, they are also afraid of local riots that may occur at any time around government agencies, hospitals and cemeteries.

Therefore, this has led to a series of sanitation recommendations from the Central Health Commission being issued to local governments. The final result is that what local governments have done most is to unswervingly and resolutely clean up garbage.

It is undeniable that cleaning up urban garbage is indeed an indispensable part of the process of preventing and controlling infectious diseases, and it can indeed play a role in improving the sanitary environment.

But the problem is that except for cleaning up garbage, in other aspects, the local achievements are really lackluster.

However, the reason why they did this was, to a certain extent, a helpless move.

After all, garbage removal can be said to be the cheapest and most efficient preventive measure, and it also allows everyone to see that the government is indeed doing its job.

As for the other measures recommended by the Central Health Commission, they may be really good, but they are really unaffordable except for very few areas. Moreover, from a legal perspective, the parliament does not confer any power on temporary institutions such as local health committees.

There is no law on public health in the country, and the cabinet cannot directly jump over the parliament to grant temporary administrative powers to local health committees, and then go around and around. They really can only make fuss on the streets.

What's worse is that even if they make a fuss on the streets, many places still declare that their "ammunition depots" are exhausted two months after the war against cholera began.

According to the Central Health Committee report, the local health committee of Exeter, Devon, yesterday sent an urgent call of 800 miles to London.

The Exeter authority declared itself in a state of complete paralysis, as it could now neither provide a separate cemetery nor the capacity to continue cleaning up the filth in private homes.

They petitioned the Cabinet for a Poor Societies formed from the amalgamation of local Poor Boards to take over the powers of the Exeter Sanitary Board under an earlier Order in Council.

It wasn't until he saw this place that Arthur understood why the Bishop of Exeter had led the charge there. It turns out that the local health committee is under control in every aspect. If His Majesty the Bishop does not help to preside over the funeral and use his power to assist in the prevention and control work, then I am afraid that he will not even be able to approve the burial of the deceased.

But although the situation in Exeter was bad, compared with the news coming from Leith, they were not bad.

After all, under the leadership of a highly respected and socially responsible figure like the Bishop of Exeter, the Exeter believers, with a population of less than 10,000, were at least united and had the money and strength to contribute.

In an earlier letter submitted to the Privy Council requesting central financial assistance, Mr. James Snells, chairman of the Leith Local Health Board, was full of denunciations and cynicism towards the local wealthy.

He said: "In a town like Leith, don't expect any voluntary donations to provide effective preventive measures to ensure the hygiene and comfort of the living environment of the lower class. We have no municipal funds, and even police security funds can be used for public purposes in accordance with the law. Hygiene is also currently exhausted.”

To this end, Parliament urgently passed a Cholera Act, in which the government required local parish councils to pay part of the public health expenditure, and if the parish refused to pay, it would be punished accordingly.

Sanctions include, but are not limited to: the Parish Council shall not withhold taxes and return funds from church funds to parishioners while receiving the sanction.

However, the bill was passed.

However, judging from the feedback received by the Central Health Commission, the effect is obviously not satisfactory.

Not every priest can be as brave as the Bishop of Exeter to take on responsibilities. Although this old man once reprimanded Scotland Yard for the 'London Orioles Pandemic' phenomenon, judging from his subsequent actions, the old man's words All of them are indeed out of public interest.

In sharp contrast to the Bishop of Exeter's example, the diocesan councils remained resolutely opposed to any increase in financial expenditure in connection with the implementation of the Central Health Board or Privy Council Orders after the Cholera Act was enacted.

The Diocese of Christchurch is such a negative example. After the Chancery, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Central Health Commission repeatedly requested the diocese to implement orders, the Diocese of Christchurch still refused to pay public health expenses. In response to government documents, Can't read back.

As the top person in charge of national health work, Lord Justice Brougham was naturally furious at the rebellious behavior of the Christchurch Diocese.

He asked the Chancery Chamber to publish an order directly in the British Gazette, requiring the diocese of Christchurch to pay 200 pounds from the poor tax within a week for cholera treatment.

But what is humorous is that the local parish council's response to the Chancery Hall was just a flippant sentence - Christchurch refused to comply with this order.

But what is even more dramatic, and quite British, is that after weeks of stalemate between the two sides, the Chancery finally relented.

A week later, the Chancery republished a new order in the London Gazette. It no longer required Christchurch to enforce the order, but instead agreed to authorize the local health board to raise 100 pounds of medical funds through public donations.

When Arthur read these reports, he finally understood the reason why the two doctors were angry.

He got angry just looking at these things, let alone these two people working inside.

Dr. Russell took off his hat and fanned himself. Although the winter in London was very cold, it did not affect his ability to overclock the brain at the Central Health Commission.

Russell said: "Speaking of which, Mr. Hastings, we have also seen the report you returned from Liverpool. In fact, not only are Liverpool conducting investigations into the source of cholera, we are also conducting similar investigations in London. . However, it is indeed a good attempt to introduce statistics into medical work. We analyzed the cases in London based on the experience of Liverpool, but the results obtained..."

Arthur raised his eyebrows, put down the document and asked, "Is there any discrepancy in the results?"

Dr. Barry nodded and said: "According to investigation, nearly half of the cases in London occurred south of the Thames. In order to understand why, our medical investigators were sent to Bermondsey, the origin of cholera in London. Is such that.

According to the reports returned by the investigators in London Street, we did find that the local drinking water situation is not good. It was filled with stinking sewers, and a narrow strip of water would even appear thick green and sticky under the bright sunlight.

Some of the water couldn't even be called water, it looked more like mud. But we learned that this is the drinking water in the area. However, although the drinking water situation is so bad, based on data comparison, we do not have enough evidence to show that residents who draw water from this well suffer greater losses than residents who draw water from other sources.

Residents of the Bermondsey area have no higher incidence rates than residents of surrounding areas. Of course, we agree with you to a certain extent. The water flowing from such dirty wells will definitely lead to the deterioration of the health of local residents. However, we cannot easily judge whether it is a vector of cholera infection. "

Dr. Russell also added self-deprecatingly.

“But having said that, if you want to transform the poor sanitary environment in slums, I support it with all my hands. Because even if transforming cities does not prevent cholera, it will certainly have a preventive effect on other diseases such as scarlet fever and whooping cough.

However, we have no say in whether we should transform slums or reshape the city's water supply system. Councilors have budget overruns to reckon with and parish councils are unwilling to spend a penny more on public health. Even if Barry and I carry shovels and work hard at the site, digging more than ten feet a day is our limit. "

Bahrain also nodded slightly. He looked at Arthur beside him and said: "So, this is the problem now. Everyone sitting here agrees to transform our city. But the problem is that the budget must go through With the approval of the parliament, the concept needs to be recognized by society, and those who are willing to invest in public health are now in the minority.”

Disraeli said: "Mr. Baring, to be honest with you, although you are a Whig and I am a Tory, we have the same views on investment in public works. Instead of doing this every time When a disease comes, temporary borrowing for prevention is not as good as direct large-scale investment to solve the fundamental problem. If we can prevent diseases through urban renovation, in the long run, this investment will actually make money for the government because it avoids and large, uncertain, temporary public health expenditures.”

Baring replied: "We do have the same views, but the problems we encounter are different. As far as my Whig party is concerned, their main objection is the expansion of government power caused by cholera, but they are not interested in borrowing money for construction. Not too conflicting.

But your Tory party, even though Sir Peel is a Tory liberal, he still insists on establishing a strong government system. If he were in Lord Brougham's position, he would definitely try his best to make it The Diocese of Christchurch pocketed the money.

But accordingly, Sir Peel was very sensitive to government debt, as were many people in the Tory Party. If the government were to issue so many construction bonds all at once, and the investment returns were uncertain, it would be difficult to get through. "

When Arthur heard this, he immediately said: "Actually, your worries are unnecessary. In my opinion, these problems can be easily solved."

Balin took a look at the young superintendent: "Do you have any good ideas?"

Arthur said: "I fully understand the concerns of the Whig MPs and their determination to maintain the tradition of British freedom. But time flows, and traditions are always changing. Just like at the end of the last century, there are still people in the Whig Party Many members of Congress were very enthusiastic about the French Revolution. Edmund Burke once sang praises for the French Revolution.

But as the madness of the Revolution grew higher and higher, the gentlemen gradually calmed down. At this time, they looked back and realized that some of their previous opinions seemed to be just hot-headedness when their blood was flowing. Seemingly overnight, the entire Whig mood changed.

What you insist on now does not mean you will persist in the future. I believe that if they continue to waver on the issue of cholera prevention and control, when the disaster affects themselves, they will agree to sacrifice part of their freedom in exchange for the health of the entire society.

If you observe carefully, public opinion today has actually changed a lot compared to when cholera first came. In the past, the traditional view of British society was that infectious diseases were diseases of the poor. But now, if you look through London newspapers, all the editorials have begun to focus on the poor way of living, lack of food and clothing, filthy living conditions, and indulgence. The impact of lifestyle on health.

Although gentlemen and ladies have paid close attention to the phenomenon of poverty in the past, it is probably the first time that it is discussed almost every day like this. The slogan 'cleanliness is next to piety' shouted by the Bishop of Exeter has almost become a creed now, and perhaps this can be engraved on his epitaph in the future. "

As a prominent figure in the London publishing world, Disraeli was certainly aware of this phenomenon of changing trends. As a forward-looking writer, he had already begun to develop new books around this new hot topic.

Not only that, he even planned to drag Dickens to come to Boston with him.

Although they are now regarded as leaders in fashionable fiction, in Disraeli's opinion this was not a good reputation. Even though he made his fortune by writing fashion novels, if he wants to become a great writer like Shakespeare, he should still write some works with depth and content and rely on traditional British literature.

After all, he had been unhappy for a long time with the enemies of "Blackwood" who claimed to have the highest literary taste in Britain.

Disraeli echoed.

“Actually, I have also discovered this change. In the past, our upper and middle classes have always upheld the concept of freedom and were not willing to interfere with the lifestyle of our lower class people.

But in the past few months, somehow, they have all shifted their attention and are willing to share their healthy lifestyle with them. From the tactful advice at the beginning, to the passionate and almost fierce criticism, some gentlemen and ladies even began to hope that some... um... positive, proactive, and less free methods could be used to 'help' them change. living habit.

This year's criticism of workers' "drinking" behavior may be the largest I have ever seen in my lifetime. The bishops are also flattered by the sudden gain of so many supporters. The Bishops' Conference of the House of Lords even hopes to take this opportunity to promote a nationwide ban on alcohol. It would be even better if it can also ban opium..."

When Balin heard this, he just coughed slightly: "Mr. Disraeli, you have gone too far."

Disraeli also understood what Baring meant.

Although he and Bahrain share the same views on urban transformation, their bases are still different due to their different parties.

Disraeli rose to power by playing the traditional card, and he should speak on behalf of conservatives like the clergy.

But behind Bahrain is the entire City of London and the British trading group. For this group of people, there is no need to talk about prohibition of alcohol or opium.

However, correspondingly, if it really came to the point of banning alcohol and opium, it seems that it would not be out of the question for the Whigs to expand the power of the Health Commission. After all, the current situation of cholera is right in front of us. Among the two benefits, which is the most severe, and between the two evils, which is the least. This multiple-choice question is very simple to solve.

Arthur's words opened up new ideas for Baring. He raised his brows and suddenly asked Disraeli softly: "If...I mean if...the Tories ask the House of Commons to organize a prohibition committee, what do you think is the success rate?" Is it high?"

Disraeli's smile froze at first, then blossomed even brighter: "Although the success rate is not high, if the bishops are so determined, then as their loyal supporter, I can only do so reluctantly."

Balin closed the document seriously: "Of course, although saying this may offend the sacred majesty of the bishops, I don't think prohibiting alcohol can solve the problem. After all, you have also seen that when Mr. Hastings was in Liverpool, he proposed An important preventive measure is to replace unclean drinking water with beer.”

When Dr. Russell heard this, he couldn't help but smile on his tired face: "I've heard about that too. Arthur Hastings, British Royal Cask produced by the University of London in 1829. No. Not to mention, the bishops are really vicious when they curse people. In fact, drinking alcohol may actually be healthier than drinking those unclean green mushy water."

Arthur said nonchalantly: "If the bishops had read our latest report, they might not be so opposed to drinking beer."

"Huh?" Dr. Barry asked, "Is there any new progress on your side?"

Arthur nodded slightly and said: "Actually, after returning to London, I privately sponsored a cholera investigation team led by the London University School of Medicine. The leader was a young man I brought back from Liverpool. It was his report that convinced me I believe that there is a certain correlation between cholera and water sources. Of course, my private investigation can only provide some reference for the Parliament at best.

However, I think that if the Whig gentlemen want to clarify that there is no necessary connection between cholera and beer drinking, it would be best to launch a special committee of inquiry into the origin of cholera in the House of Commons. If they are willing to do so, I will be happy to share with them the information I have on hand. "

When Balin heard this, he laughed loudly and raised his beer to clink glasses with Arthur: "Heroes think alike. Mr. Hastings, in my opinion, both Guinness and Chivas Regal should share some of their advertising fees with you. .”

Arthur just laughed lightly when he heard this. He waved his hand and said: "Mr. Baring, you misunderstood. I am just a small policeman from Scotland Yard. If they really want to advertise, they can contact Disraeli." Discuss in detail, sir.”