Although I knew early on that the Central Health Commission would not bring any good news, the analysis of the written documents and oral statements brought by Dr. Russell and Barry showed that the current situation could no longer be summed up by the word "bad" alone.

Even before cholera struck, the British government was aware of the disease that originated in the South Asian subcontinent and sent experts to study in various countries where cholera broke out. In order to prevent the importation of cholera, they even restarted the medieval quarantine measures in the port against the Black Death.

But when cholera did hit the island, their efforts were still in vain.

In the past two months, more than 700 local health committees have been established across the country, but due to Britain's distinctive national character and ancient tradition of self-government, the Central Health Commission has limited communication and guidance to these local health committees.

Many of the measures that the Central Health Commission deems feasible can only be described as 'suggestive' initiatives when they reach the local level, in order to avoid being attacked as trampling on free citizenship and authoritarian restoration.

Of course, in addition to the fear of these psychological attacks, the Cabinet's tendency to compromise is also due to the constant pressure on the government in Parliament by traders for fear of affecting shipping trade. On the other hand, they are equally afraid of local mass uprisings that can occur at any time in the vicinity of government offices, hospitals and cemeteries.

Therefore, this has led to a series of sanitation recommendations issued by the Central Health Commission to the local government, and the final result is that the most local government has done is to unswervingly and firmly sweep away garbage.

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

But the problem is that, apart from garbage sweeping, local achievements are really lackluster.

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

After all, garbage sweeping can be said to be the cheapest, most efficient, and it can also show everyone that the government is indeed doing something about prevention and control measures.

As for the other measures recommended by the Central Health Commission, they may be really good, but they are really unaffordable except in very few areas. Moreover, the council does not legally give any powers to such temporary bodies as local health committees.

There is not a single law on public health in the whole country, and the cabinet cannot directly bypass the temporary administrative powers given to the local health committees by the parliament and go around and go back, and they can really only make a fuss on the streets.

To make matters worse, even on the streets, there are still many places where 'ammunition depots' are depleted two months after the start of the war against cholera.

According to the Central Health Board report, the local health commissioner in Exeter, Devon, sent an eight-hundred-mile rush to London yesterday.

The Exeter authorities have declared themselves to be in a state of complete paralysis as it is now neither able to provide a separate cemetery nor able to continue cleaning up the filth of private homes.

They petitioned the Cabinet to take over the powers of the Exeter Health Board by an earlier Privy Council order to form a workhouse formed by the merger of a number of local Poor Committees.

It wasn't until he saw the place that Arthur understood why the Bishop of Exeter had led the charge in the area. It turned out that the local health committee was under control everywhere, and if His Majesty the Bishop did not help to preside over the funeral and use his power to assist in the prevention and control work, then I am afraid that even the cemetery of the deceased would not be approved.

However, although the situation in Exeter is bad, compared to the news from Leith, they are okay.

After all, under the leadership of a respected and socially responsible figure like the Bishop of Exeter, the Exeter believers, with a population of less than 10,000, are at least united in their hearts and minds.

Mr. James Snells, Chairman of the Leith Local Health Committee, had earlier submitted a letter to the Privy Council requesting central financial assistance, and his words were full of denunciations and yin and yang anger against the local wealthy.

"Don't expect any voluntary donations in a town like Leith to provide effective preventive measures to ensure the hygiene and comfort of the lower classes," he said. We don't have municipal funds, and even if they could be used for public health in accordance with the law, they're running out. ”

To this end, Parliament urgently passed a Cholera Act, in which the Government requires local parish councils to pay part of the public health costs, and if the diocese refuses to pay the expenses, it will be punished accordingly.

Penalties include, but are not limited to: the parish council may not withhold taxes while accepting the penalty, returning funds from the church fund to parishioners.

However, the bill was erected.

However, judging from the feedback received by the Central Health Commission, it is clear that the results are not satisfactory.

Not every priest is as responsible as the Bishop of Exeter, and although the old man has rebuked Scotland Yard for the 'London warbler pandemic', judging from what he has done afterwards, the old man's words and deeds are indeed out of public interest.

In stark contrast to the Bishop of Exeter, the diocesan councils everywhere, after the enactment of the Cholera Act, remained adamantly opposed to any increase in financial expenditure as a result of the introduction of the Central Health Commission or the Order in Council.

The Diocese of Christchurch is a case in point, refusing to pay for public health and failing to read government documents after the Chancery, the Ministry of the Interior and the Central Health Commission repeatedly asked the diocese to carry out the order.

Lord Breham, the Chief Justice, was naturally furious at the rebellion of the Diocese of Christchurch.

He asked the Chancellor's Chamber to publish an order directly in the British Gazette that the Diocese of Christchurch must pay £200 from the poor tax for cholera treatment within a week.

Humorously, however, the local parish council's response to the Chancellor's Hall was a flirtatious remark – and Christchurch refused to obey it.

But even more dramatically, and rather British, after weeks of stalemate, the Chancellor's Chamber finally relented.

A week later, the Chancellor's Hall republished the new order in the London Gazette, no longer requiring Christchurch to enforce the order, but instead agreeing to authorise the local health board to raise £100 in medical funding through public donations.

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

These things, he looked at them all on fire, not to mention these two doing things inside.

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

Russell spoke: "Speaking of which, Mr. Hastings, we have seen the report you brought back from Liverpool. In fact, it is not only Liverpool that is investigating the source of cholera, but we are also conducting a similar investigation in London. However, it is indeed a good attempt to introduce statistics into medical work. We analysed the London outbreak based on Liverpool's experience, but the results were ......"

Arthur raised his eyebrows, put down the file and asked, "Is there a discrepancy in the results?" ”

Dr. Barry nodded: "According to the survey, nearly half of the cases in London have occurred south of the River Thames. In order to find out why, our medical investigators were sent to Bermonsay, the birthplace of cholera, in London.

Based on the reports from the investigators on London Street, we did find that the local drinking water situation is not good. It was filled with foul-smelling sewers, and a narrow strip of water would even take on a dark green sticky shape in the bright sunlight.

Some of the water can't even be said to be water anymore, it looks more like mud. But we learned that this is the drinking water of the area. However, despite the poor state of drinking water, there is not enough evidence to show that the people who take water from the well suffer more losses than those who take water from other sources.

The incidence is no higher in the inhabitants of the Bermonsay region than in the surrounding areas. Of course, we agree with you to a certain extent that the water coming out of such a filthy well will certainly lead to a deterioration in the health of the local population, but we cannot easily judge whether it is a vector of cholera infection or not. ”

Dr. Russell added with self-deprecation.

"But having said that, if you want to remediate the poor sanitation in the slums, I'm in favor of it. Because even if the transformation of the city does not work against cholera, it will certainly have a preventive effect on other diseases such as scarlet fever and whooping cough.

However, whether to transform the slums or whether to reshape the city's water supply system is a matter of not being said. Members of parliament have budget overruns to consider, and parish councils are reluctant to pay an extra penny for public health. Even if Barry and I carried shovels to the ground and did the real work, digging a dozen feet a day would be our limit. ”

Balin also nodded slightly, he looked at Arthur beside him and said, "So, this is the problem now." Those sitting here have agreed to transform our city. But the problem is that budgets must be approved by parliament, concepts need to be accepted by society, and there are now minorities willing to invest in public health. ”

Disraeli spoke, "To tell you, Mr. Balin, that although you are a Whig and I am a Tory, we have the same views on public works investment. Rather than borrowing temporarily to prevent the disease every time it arrives, it is better to invest directly and in large quantities to solve the root problem. If we can prevent disease through urban regeneration, the investment will actually be profitable for the government in the long run, because it avoids large, uncertain temporary public health expenditures. ”

Bahrain replied: "We do have the same views, but we have different problems. In the case of my Whigs, they were primarily averse to the expansion of government power due to cholera, but they were not too resistant to borrowing for construction.

But your Tories, even if Sir Peel is a Tory liberal, still insist on a strong system of government, and if he were in Lord Broughham's position, he would have done everything he could to get the Diocese of Christchurch to pay for it.

But, correspondingly, Sir Peel was sensitive to the government's debt, as was many members of the Tories. It will be difficult for the government to issue so many construction bonds at once, and it is also a public bond with an uncertain return on investment. ”

When Arthur heard this, he immediately spoke up: "Actually, the worries of the two are superfluous, and in my opinion, these problems are easy to solve." ”

Balin glanced at the young superintendent: "Do you have any good ideas?" ”

Arthur spoke: "I fully understand the apprehension of the Whig MPs about their determination to uphold the liberal traditions of Britain. But time flows, and tradition is always changing. Just as at the end of the last century, there were many members of the Whig Party who were very enthusiastic about the French Revolution, and Edmund Burke also sang the praises of the French Revolution.

But when the madness of the Revolution rose higher and higher, the gentlemen slowly calmed down. At this time, they looked back and realized that some of their views seemed to be just hot-headed when their blood was surging. It seemed that overnight, the ethos of the entire Whig Party had changed.

What you insist on now does not mean that you will persist in the future. I believe that if they continue to vacillate on the issue of cholera control, they will agree to sacrifice some of their freedom for the health of society as a whole when the disaster strikes them.

If you look closely, public opinion has changed a lot now compared to when cholera first arrived. In the past, the traditional view of British society was that infectious diseases were diseases of the poor, but now, if you look through the newspapers in London, all the editorials are concerned about the health effects of poor lifestyles, lack of food and clothing, dirty living conditions, and indulgent lifestyles.

Although gentlemen and ladies have been concerned about poverty in the past, it should be the first time that such a situation has been discussed almost every day. The Bishop of Exeter's slogan, 'Purity is second only to piety,' is now almost a creed, and perhaps it will be engraved on his epitaph in the future. ”

Disraeli, one of the biggest names in London's publishing industry today, is certainly aware of this shift, and as a forward-thinking writer, he has already begun to write new books around this new hot spot.

Not only that, but he even planned to bring Dickens with him.

Although they are now known as fashion leaders, it is not a good name in Disraeli's eyes. Even if he made his fortune by writing fashion, if he wants to become a great writer like Shakespeare, he should still write something with depth and connotation, leaning on the traditional literature of Britain.

After all, he had been unhappy for a long time with the self-proclaimed best literary tastes in Blackwood.

Disraeli chimed in.

"Actually, I also noticed this change, because in the past, our upper and middle classes have always adhered to the idea of freedom, and they are not very willing to interfere with the way of life of our lower classes.

But in the past few months, somehow, they have all turned their attention away and are happy to share their healthy lifestyle with them. From the initial euphemistic persuasion, to the enthusiastic and almost fierce criticism, there are even some gentlemen and ladies who begin to hope that some ...... Well...... Active, proactive, less liberal means to 'help' them change their habits.

This year's critique of workers' "alcoholism" is probably the largest I've seen in my life. And the bishops were flattered by the sudden gain of so many supporters, and the Upper House of Bishops even hoped that it would be an opportunity to push for a national ban on alcohol, which would be even better if it could be accompanied by a ban on opium......"

When Bahrain heard this, he only coughed lightly: "Mr. Disraeli, you are going too far. ”

Disraeli also understood what Bahrain meant.

Although he and Bahrain share the same views on urban transformation, their fundamentals are different because of their different party affiliations.

Disraeli's ascension to the throne relied on playing the traditional card, and he should speak on behalf of a conservative like the Padres.

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

Correspondingly, however, if it really gets to the point of banning alcohol and opium, it seems that it is not impossible for the Whigs to expand the powers of the Health Committee. After all, the current situation of cholera is in front of us, and the two benefits are the most important and the two evils are the lighter, and this kind of multiple-choice question is very simple to do.

Arthur's words opened up a new train of thought to Balin, he raised his eyebrows, and suddenly whispered to Disraeli: "What if...... I mean, if ...... The Tories have asked the House of Commons to form a Prohibition Committee, do you think the success rate is high? ”

Disraeli's smile froze at first, and then bloomed even brighter: "Although the success rate is not high, if the bishops' will is so strong, then I, as their loyal supporter, can only be reluctantly embarrassed." ”

Bahrain solemnly closed the document: "Of course, although it may be offensive to the sacred majesty of the bishops to say this, I do not think that the prohibition of alcohol will solve the problem." After all, as you can see, one of the most important precautions that Mr. Hastings came up with when he was in Liverpool was to replace unclean drinking water with beer. ”

When Dr. Russell heard this, a smile appeared on his tired face, "I've heard about that, too." Arthur Hastings, British Royal Cask, 1829, produced by the University of London. I have to say that the bishops' scolding is really poisonous. In fact, drinking alcohol may indeed be healthier than drinking those unclean green pasty water. ”

Arthur said unconcernedly, "If the bishops had read our latest report, they might not have been so opposed to drinking beer. ”

"Huh?" Dr. Barry asked, "What's new on your side?" ”

Arthur nodded slightly: "Actually, after returning to London, I personally sponsored a cholera investigation team led by the University of London Medical School, led by a young man I brought back from Liverpool, and it was his report that convinced me 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.

I think, however, that if the Whig gentlemen want to clarify that cholera and beer drinking are not necessarily linked, it would be better to set up a special committee of inquiry into the source of cholera in the House of Commons. If they are willing to do so, I will be happy to share with them what I have on hand. ”

When Balin heard this, he laughed and raised his beer to clink glasses with Arthur: "The hero sees something the same." Mr. Hastings, it seems to me that both Guinness and Chivas should give you a little of the advertising money. ”

Arthur only laughed lightly when he heard this, he waved his hand and said, "Mr. Balin, you misunderstood, I am just a little policeman in Scotland Yard." If they really want to advertise, they can talk to Mr. Disraeli in detail. ”

(End of chapter)