The Press. — London, England, 1854-09-09 00:00:00

848 THE CHOLERA. THE return of the Registrar-General shows that in the week that ended on Saturday last 2,515 persons died in London. This number exceeds the average by 1,267, but is 281 less than the number of deaths in the week that ended September 1, 1849, when cholera was epidemic, and 2,796 persons died. The air was stagnant in the early part of the week; no rain fell ; the sun shone brightly;_ and the tem perature of the atmosphere a nd the Thames ranged from 60 to 70 deg. 1,287 deaths are referred to cholera, 243 to diarr hoea. The deaths from cholera during the last nine weeks have been 1,5, 26, 133, 399, 044, li 729, 847, 1,287. The present cholera epidemic, ke that of 1848-9, has appeared in two eruptiOns. The first broke out earlier (Au4ust 21, 1853)' ,the latter erup tion later in the year (July 8) ' Aran the corre sponding eruptions in either the epidemic of 1832-3, of of 1848-9. Up to the date of September 1, 1849, the epidemic in London during fifteen weeks de stroyed 8,117 lives ; in the present epidemic 4,070 lives have been lost in the eight weeks ending Sep tember 2. Although little more than a fourth part (616,635) of the population (2,362,28(5) of this vast city is on the south side of the Thames, 2,317 of the 4,070 deaths from cholera have happened in the southern districts. And there the mortality is still heavy 101 persons died of cholera last week in Ber mondsey. On the north side of the Thames there has been a remarkable outbreak in the St. James's district. The local authorities should immediately make ar rangements for carrying out the instructions of the Board of Health. No time should be lost. Inspec tion and the house-to-visitation should be at once instituted. The maxim with every person now should be:—Follow your usual pursuits; live tem perately, but well ; fear nothing ; but the instant you perceive any disorder, however slight, in yourself or any members of your family, apply for medical ad vice. On the water companies that supply the popula tion with the dirty water of the rivers a serious res ponsibility rests. The water of every company is as impure as it was in 1849, except in one instance. The Lambeth company now procures its water from Thames Ditton ; and in the districts which it par tially supplies the mortality from cholera is largely reduced. Statement of Deaths from Cholera in London, showing the elevation in feet above Trinity high water mark, the population in 1851, and the number of deaths from cholera registered in each sub-dis trict :—The 1,237 reported were distributed accord ing to districts thus :—West districts, elevation above Trinity high water mark, 28 feet; population in 1851, 376,427 ; deaths, 300. North districts, elevation, 135 feet; population, 490,390; deaths, 9 0 . Central dis tricts, elevation , 49 feet; population, 393,256; deaths, 69. East districts, elevation, 26 feet; population, 485,522 ; deaths, 149. South districts, elevation, 6 feet; population, 616,635; deaths, 070. THE BOARD OF HEALTH. Six inspectors have been charged to report to the Board of Health on the arrangements made by the metropolitan boards of guardians. They are directed to extend their inquiries to the following subjects :- 1. THE EXTENT OF MEDICAL RELIEF NOW EXISTING. a. Number of medical officers.—b. Number of day and night dispensaries.—c. Number of house-to-house visitors. —d. Measures for arresting diarrhoea in workhouses.—e. Copies of notices issued by guardianc—f. Hospital accom modation, and houses of refuge. 2. EXTENT OF THE DISEASE. a. Number of cholera cases.—b. Number of diarrhea cases.—e. Deaths from either under union medical officers. This information to be obtained for a few days back, and tabulated in one of the rem] los under the head of-1. District medical officers' cases.-2. Dispensary cases.-3. Medical visitors' cases. 3. LOCALITIES AFFECTED. a. A list of those where cholera and diarrhoea chiefly pre vails, and has hitherto or recently prevailed.—b. Visit some of the worst loyalties, inspect them and the houses, con verse with the people, ascertain to what extent dian•heea prevails, and what cleansing measures, lime-whiting, dec., may be required, and whether there be any inspector of nuisances to carry out these measures.—c. Examine the water supply, and ascertain whether it is taken from the river above or below Chelsea Reach.—d. Inquire as to nuisances or noxious trades, and inspect them. 4. AND AFTER INQIIIRT, TO REPORT TO THE GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH. a. On the particulars mentioned above.—b. On the number of additional dispensaries required.—e- On the ad ditional medical officers required.—d On the additional medical visitors required, stating their number.—e. Addi tional inspectors of nuisances, or cleansing staff, required. J. Additional hospital accommodation, or houses of refuge, required. • A circular has been addressed by the board to the London press, setting forth the steps that had been taken since the new machinery was put in operation :—On entering upon the duties of his office. the president of the board at once addressed a letter to the metropolitan boar& of guardians, THE PRESS. with respect to the arrangements for preventing, when pos sible, or mitigating the visitation of epidemic cholera offering the co-operation of the board in carrying out the directions issued by the late board. Answers more or less, satisfactory have been sent by most of the boards of guar dians, some accepting the board's offer, advice, and assist ance ; others declining it, and stating the arrangements they have made for the execution of their duties under the directions refetred to; others stating generally that they have made the necessary arrangements without describing what these are,—while from some no answer has yet. been received. The board has now to discharge the not less im portant duty of ascertaining how far arrangements have been made by the guardians iu execution of the board's directions for preventing the spread of the disease, or for placing medical aid and information within the reach of all. to ascertain this six additional medical inspectors have been appointed,who will at once enter upon their functions ; and where boards of guardians are found to have neglected their duty the General Board of Health will do its utmost to enforce that duty, in so far as it is empowered by law. A scientific investigation has also been directed by the board into the condttions attendant on the epidemic in the metropolis, to embrace both microscopical, meteorological, chemical, and medical branches of inquiry, and the arrange ments for the several classes of observations have been already made, or are in progress. The following simple suggestions as to precautions to observed by all at this time have been circalated:— PRECAUTIONS A(MINST CHOLERA. Apply to a medical man immediately in case of looseness of the bowels, as it may bring on cholera. Do not take any salts or other strong medicine without proper advice. Beware of drink, for excess in beer, wine, or spirits is likely to he followed by cholera. Avoid eating meat that is tainted or unwholesome, de cayed or unripe fruit, and stale fish or vegetables. Avoid fasting too long. Be moderate at meals. Avoid great fatigue, or getting heated and then chilled. Avoid getting wet, or remaining in wet clothes. Keep yourself clean, and your body and feet as dry and as warm as your means and occupation will permit. Keep your rooms well cleaned and limewashed ; open the windows as often as possible ; remove all dirt and im purities immediately. Use chloride of lime or of zinc to remove any offensive smells. If there are any dust or dirt heaps, foal drains, bad smells, or other nuisances in the house or neighbourhood, make complaint without delay to the local authorities, having legal power to remove them, or, if there be no such authorities, or you do not know who they are, complain to the board of guardians. THE MEDICAL Count:lL appointed by the Piesideat of the General Board of Health comprise the folloiv ing members :—John Ayrton Paris, M.D., F.R.S., President of the Royal College of Physicians ; Sir James Collins Brodie, Bart., F.R.S. ; Sir James Clark, Bart., M.D., F.R.S., Physician in Ordinary to the Queen and to his Royal Highness Prince Albert ; James Alderson, M.D., F.R.S., Fellow and Treasurer of the Royal College of Physicians ; Benjamin Guy Babington, M.D., F.R.S., late Physician to Guy's Hospital ; Alexander Tweedie, M.D., F.R.S., Examiner in Medicine in the University of London ; William Baly, M.D., F.R.S., Assistant Physician to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Physician to the Millbank Penitentiary ; William Lawrence, F.R.S., Vice-Presi dent of the Royal College of Surgeons, Surgeon Ex traordinary to the Queen ; John Simon, F.R.S., Officer of Health in the City of London ; Richard Owen, F.R.S., Professor of Zoology in the Royal Col lege of Surgeons; Nathaniel B. Ward, Master of the Society of Apothecaries ; John Bacot, Inspector of Anatomy ; and William Farr, M.D., of the Registrar- General's Office. The lower part of Deptford, near the dockyard, has lately been the scene of a terrible visitation of cholera. Between midnight of Thursday week and the Monday following nearly forty human beings perished in one street alone, and it was stated that nearly twenty more hopeless cases were lying in the same street and the adjacent ccurts. The imme djate locality of this terrible outbreak is New-street, Wellington-street, Deptford, a long street of old houses. many of them uninhabitable or in ruins, while, with few exceptions, all those which are te nanted are in a very dilapidated state. In many places one common cesspool supplies the wants of several houses, and the stagnant gutters upon each side of the street do the duty of sewers. Added to this, Wellington street, out of which New-street branches, being in the same state, nearly all its re fuse water runs through New-street before it finds its way into the Thames. In places where houses have been pulled down, the waste ground has been used as a depot for all sorts of filth. The inhabitants are principally decent labouring people. Up to Thurs day week there had been a few cases of sickness creating no alarm. Upon that evening a man work ing at the Crystal Palace was brought to his house in New-street, ill of the cholera. His landlady, who let him in, was so alarmed at his appearance that she was instantly taken ill, and before daybreak both had died. Before twelve o'clock the next day (whe ther through sudden panic or otherwise) others were dead and dying, and the mortality kept spreading since then. The bodies of the deceased parties were not removed or even coffined until Monday night, SATURDAY, when the parochial authorities came into the street with a van. It is scarcely possible to describe the scene of misery. Small knots of women and chil dren were seen crying in the streets, afraid to enter their houses. All of the medical gentlemen of the district have been unremitting in their attentions. Excepting in this immediate locality there has been but little sickness in Deptford, a circumstance which proves the necessity for searching inquiry. The districts of St. James's parish, Westminster, and St. Ann's, Soto, bordering on Golden square, Berwick-street, Broad-street, &c., have been visited by a terrible outbreak of cholera. The report of the governors of the Royal Westminster Dispensary, pre pared on Thursday, states : " The first outbreak in the vicinity occurred about fourteen days ago, and with such virulence did the epi demic rage that during that period no less than Irlo deaths occurred in the immediate neighbourhood. Seventy cases were attended by the officers of the dispensary, and of these fifty died. The applications for relief in cases of choleraic diarrhea at present averaged sixty per diem at the dispensary, the pecuniary resources of which were in a very bad condit►on. In consequence of the excessive mor tality a great number of those who were able to do so had shut up their shops or houses and quitted the vicinity for a time, and the result of this was that the annual sermon preached on behalf of the charity at the parish church of St. Ann. Soho, and which usually produces from 1001. to 1201., realised on Sunday last only 3/. 15s. Mr. Tilley. the surgeon of the dispensary, was seized on Sunday evening shortly after having attended some cases of cholera, and expired in a few hours, notwithstanding eery effort of me dical skill. Preparations are now being taken against the spread of the disease by various sanitary measures, and particularly by watering the streets with a solution of chloride of lime. The dispensary is at present in debt 4001., and has a balance of only 51. 17s. remaining at the bankers." In consequence of this outbreak, Messrs. Huggins and Co., brewers, of Broad street, Golden-square, have very considerately given notice that any inha bitants of the vicinity may have an ample supply of hot water, night or day, for the purpose of cleansing their bou-es. AN officer of the Board of Health has reported that he has found Wick the dirtiest town in all Scotland. Drafts of the 12th Lancers, 43rd, 74th, and 84th Regiments, embarked on board the Clive at Graves end on Saturday, for Madras, but had been scarcely half an hour on board when one of the mates of the vessel was attacked with cholera. The officer com manding the troops (Lieutenant Grace), having tele graphed the circumstance to Chatham, was ordered to delay the sailing of the ship. On Monday morn ing a man of the 74th died. The troops were dis embarked in the course of that evening, and have since been quartered at Tilbury Fort. No deaths have taken place, but the men are suffering much from diarrhoea. Since the troops left the ship, the captain, mates, and seven of the crew have died. From the 17th to the 22rd of August inclusive there were 321 cases of cholera in the Paris hospi tals, and 181 deaths. On the 23rd of August there had been treated 6,208 cases since November. Of these 2,689 oied, 2,025 recovered, and 554 remained. The Toronto Colonist states that no less than eight persons had been admitted into the lunatic asylum in a state of insanity, occasioned by con suming quantities of camphor to prevent cholera. Some of them carried it about in their pockets, and kept from time to time eating small quantities of it. Others took it dissolved in brandy. In all cases where it was taken in any quantity it produced insa nity. It is a fact well known that a comparatively small quantity of camphor will set a dog mad, and that he will soon afterwards die. THE NEW DRESS FOR THE ROYAL ARTILLERY has been approved by her Majesty, and will be taken into wear by the officers just, commissioned. It con sists of a short blue frock-coat, with scarlet collar and single-breasted. It has no ornaments whatever except on the sleeve, which denote the rank of the officer, viz., a knot of gold cord for lieutenants, the same edged with gold braid for captains, and gold lace edged with braid for field officers. For full dress, a rich gold lace shoulder-belt, with an em broidered pouch, having the arms of the corps worked in gold upon it, with a wreath of gold and laurel on the sides, and the motto, " Que fas et gloria ducunt," underneath, and edged with gold lace. The sword. belt of gold lace to correspond. The undress accou trements are of patent white leather, but the pouch is of black patent leather, with a gun in the centre of it in brass. The epaulettes and sash are abolished. The helmet is of black felt. The forage-cap is to be of the same pattern as that worn by the horse bri gade, while steel spurs are to be substituted in hen of the brass ones hitherto worn. The Royal Horse Artillery retain their present dress. Half the qnan tity of gold lace, however, in front is to be dispensed with. A LETTER FROM HAMBURG of the 31st ult. states that the great provision-merchants of that city had been summoned to London to make arrangements for the supply of 30,000,0001 b. of salt meat which the English Admiralty requires for the fleet.