Although it was known from the start that the Central Health Committee would not bring any good news, the written documents and oral statements provided by Russell and Dr. Barry made it clear that the current situation was far worse than simply 'terrible' could describe.
Even before the cholera epidemic struck, the British Government had taken notice of this disease that originated from the South Asian subcontinent and had sent experts to countries where cholera had broken out to study it. They had even decided to resurrect the medieval practice of port quarantine that was used against the Black Death in order to prevent cholera from entering Britain.
However, when cholera actually reached this small island, their efforts quickly crumbled.
