The Shadow of Great Britain

538: Chapter 279 The Power Lust of Scotland Yard_2 538: Chapter 279 The Power Lust of Scotland Yard_2 Arthur, however, wasn’t much concerned about the threat of the Red Devil; on the contrary, he was more concerned about the situations of Great Dumas and Heine.

Although he hadn’t received a formal medical education, he at least had a concept of bacteria and viruses in his mind.

Therefore, even though he couldn’t figure out what caused the various diseases that were rampant in the 19th century, persistently drinking hot tea, eating only cooked food, and regularly cleaning his clothes and bed linens had helped Arthur dodge most illnesses without too much trouble.

But the case for Great Dumas, a true 19th century Parisian, was different; as a well-known epicure, the Frenchman’s breadth of diet was second only to Darwin who would taste exploding insects, among Arthur’s circle of friends.

Most importantly, this big eater normally showed no aversion to raw and cold foods.

And since coming to London, the only change for which he could be grateful was that under Eld’s influence, he became a seasoned drinker, just like a veteran sailor in the Royal Navy.

Before publishing “The Count of Monte Cristo,” when he was strapped for cash, Great Dumas primarily subsisted on strong porter beer.

Once his financial situation improved, naturally, the big man’s palate became more discriminating; he predominantly drank brandy and Scotch whisky with the occasional Imperial Stout, which specialized in exporting, for variety.

The thought of Great Dumas now stuck in a quarantine hospital, and with the Frenchman’s flirty character, possibly sparking a love affair during the cholera epidemic, made Arthur’s hairs stand on end.

He quickly snuffed out his pipe and, clutching the documents in his hand, sought out the pondering Chadwick.

“Edwin, regarding the measures for cholera prevention and control during the epidemic, I received a letter from a friend in Paris a few days ago, which included some of the French Government’s prevention and control measures against cholera, along with a ‘Cholera Prevention Manual’ issued by the Paris Police Prefecture.

As you know, the Central Health Committee’s Russian experience will hardly be accepted by Parliament any time soon.

I suspect this report, once submitted to Parliament, will most likely be sent back immediately.

If Parliament demands amendments to the prevention measures, we might as well take a look at the French methods.

Although the French standards are still considered too strict compared to Britain’s traditional practices, they are more likely to be accepted by Parliament than the Russian methods.”

“Documents from the Paris Police Prefecture?” Chadwick took the thick booklet from Arthur’s hand: “Where did you get this?”

Arthur smiled softly, “The head of the Paris Security Department—Monsieur Francois Vidocq.

Last year, he accompanied Talleyrand to London, responsible for protecting the safety of the French delegation during the conference here.

As we were both in policing, I got along quite well with Mr.

Vidocq.

Since then, we’ve occasionally exchanged letters to share policing experiences between France and Britain.

And, as you also know, due to the concentrated outbreak of cholera in Eastern Europe, France, much like Britain, has entered a state of alert in advance.

Most of what Mr.

Vidocq has discussed with me in recent communications is the matter of cholera.”

Upon hearing this, Chadwick eagerly flipped open the documents in his hands.

As the secretary primarily responsible for health and medical affairs in the Lord Chancellor’s office, he fully understood that the Central Health Committee, an ad hoc organization established just two months ago, had virtually no authority in the eyes of Parliament.

Instead of hoping that the legislators would yield to expertise, it was better to prepare a backup plan in advance.

Although Britain and France often found each other disagreeable, they were, in many matters, like conjoined twins.

For instance, sending doctors to Russia to study prevention experience happened almost simultaneously in Britain and France.

Moreover, compared to the slow development of British medicine, French medicine had undergone a leap in development over the past half-century.

Due to the occurrence of the Great Revolution and the fact that all subsequent French regimes were anti-church, French doctors lacked neither corpses for study nor had to consider the moral and legal risks of dissecting bodies.

And because of France’s leading position in the field of medicine, Chadwick, a civil servant in public health, naturally trusted these experiences from Paris.

19th-century Britons believed one thing—the French always knew how to deal with bodies, whether those hanging in a roasting kitchen or the ones lying in a sick bed.

And the ‘Cholera Prevention Manual’ that Arthur handed to Chadwick also spoke well to the professionalism and comprehensiveness of French doctors.

1.

To prevent the risk of miasma accumulating indoors, citizens should open doors and windows for as long as possible to keep their homes ventilated.

2.

Keep warm and avoid catching cold; wear more clothing made of wool or flannel.

If you are engaged in heavy physical labor, please prioritize this week’s wages to buy a new pair of shoes; walking in shoes with holes or barefoot increases your risk of illness.

3.

Empty chamber pots regularly, do not accumulate urine and feces, and do not dispose of domestic wastewater onto the streets at will.

4.

Maintain hygiene at home, and daily wash the gutters and toilets with chlorine water.

Make good use of nearby drains and gutters to quickly dispose of rainwater, as we have reason to believe they contain some pathogenic entities.

5.

Have a regular lifestyle, combine work and rest to avoid overwork, and restrain eating and drinking to prevent overindulgence.

6.

Eat more cooked, easily digestible meat products, eggs, bread, and ripe fruits.