The typhoid epidemic of 1899 in Tring began in late August.
Typhoid was no stranger to the country or Hertfordshire in those days. In the same year there had been an outbreak in Aplsley, Hemel Hempstead which just affected one family.
Other diseases which today have been wiped out or are uncommon in this country, were fairly common in the 19th century.For instance in April 1899 there was a serious outbreak of scarlet fever in Berkhamsted. The isolation hospital in Aldbury was caring for 15 of those affected - the hospital only had eight beds, but seven temporary ones had been put there. Another 18 people had the fever and were waiting to go to the hospital.
Back to the Typhoid epidemic in Tring. It started in the Akeman Street area and by mid September there were 60 victims and two people had died, but the outbreak was still confined to the Akeman Street area - although there was a smaller outbreak in Berkhamsted at the same time in which two people also died
Tring had its ownhospital or nursing home and the town recruited an extra eight nurses to try and bring the outbreak under control.
By the middle of October the outbreak seemed to be nearly over with just one new case reported.
Everyone in Tring was very grateful for the work done during the outbreak by the Tring Nursing home and several local friendly societies were busy raising funds for the nursing home.
A group of important people in Tring also set up a fund to help victims of the disease who would not be able to return to work and earn a living for some time.
A local doctor in the town - Dr Le Quesne - was also awarded a thank you gift by the town of 20 guineas (£21 in today's money and a great deal of money in 1899) for his "untiring work" during the epidemic.
By the end of the year the epidemic was over. In all nine people had died.
The cause of the outbreak had been the sewers, or lack of them, and the wells which the people of Akeman Street used to get there water.
The medical officer of health, DrWilliam Gruggen gave a report on the outbreak to Tring Urban Council. He attributed the cause to polluted water based on the fact that of the total of 105 cases reported, 76 lived in the Akeman Street area. Of the 53 homes involved, 38 got their water from wells.
Of the 18 wells tested half proved to be polluted.
The doctor said he believed the infection had been in the ground for years, ready to break out when the circumstances were right.
He gave a damming report on sanitary conditions in Akeman Street. There were defective slop channels (like open drains in the street) and defective drains from hand flushed closets (toilets).
This created ideal conditions for the typhoid germ to live and flourish and the heavy rains in July had helped spread to germs to the well water.
Some new sewers had been put in in Tring, but not in the Akeman Street area and he urged the council to act, which they did eventually.
It was also in 1899 that work began on building Tring’s new Market House - now Tring Town Council offices - on the corner of Akeman Street and the High Street. There is a feature on the Market House in our Local History section.
