British Colonial Administration and Health Crises

Amongst those most unfortunately situated were those from out of town who lodged with others in [the capital] Freetown. In a number of cases these people, when they became sick, were simply turned out on to the streets. As the epidemic progressed it became apparent that a number of patients were suffering from want of attention and were dying from insufficient care and treatment, either because all the people in a house were sick or because the patients had been deserted by the other residents. In some cases the patients had been actually turned out to the street by the other occupants of the house.