A Letter to the Parishioners of Fulham

The author addresses local parishioners after a severe cholera outbreak, reporting a sharp rise in deaths that often occurred within hours and affected many aged roughly five to fifty-five, with the majority of fatalities among the poorest residents. He links the disaster to overcrowded, poorly ventilated and drained housing and to inadequate supplies of clean water, and urges parish-level reflection and preventive effort. He outlines measures already pursued—a memorial to sewer authorities and a subscription to install public wells and pumps—and calls for further action to regulate house occupancy and improve sanitation to reduce the risk of future outbreaks.