The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-17 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA AND THE SANITARY

LAWS.
Tux cholera is again among us, and again it
has found us unprepared. As if to point the
moral of its former warnings, it lands at Newcas-
tle—the very spot where its ravages commenced
before—and thence takes one gaunt stride to
the nether banks of the Thames, scenting its
fresh victims amidst pollution mid filth against
which laws have been made in vain. In New..
castle the pestilence descended with uner, big
swoop on those parts of the town where the
Lodging-houses Act had not been put ht force
by the town council, and where, on the testi-
mony of eyewitnesses, abominations exist such
as we do not care even to mention here.
So certainly is this fatal disease engen-
dered in localities where dirt and impurity of
every kind are predisposing causes, as almost
to preclude the belief in contagion, even
had it not been combated by facts. There is
in this metropolis a highly intelligent physi-
cian, who, having had charge of a poor and
I populous district during past ravages of the
cholera, tested successfully his theory that
the intensity of the disease would be found to
be in an inverse ratio to the depth of the cess-
pools. He found the facts bear out this view
in a most extraordinary manner, and thus ob-
tained a proof that this terrible scourge may lc
mastered by attention to some of the first law
of social police. The cases hitherto, both in
Newcastle and in London, have singularly at-
tested the wisdom of our legislative precau-
tions, while condemning their neglect. The
report of the Registrar-General for London, and
the accounts from Newcastle and Gateshead,
are by this time familiar to our readers, so that
we need not go into the painful and disgusting
details of the condition in which the unfortt -
nate victims of the disease were when at-
tacked.
The true object is. if possible, to arrest the
il, if it be not too late ; and not to leave to
thu Laction of (public opinion, spasmodically

SEPTEMBER 17, 1853.

working under the influence of panic, what
ought to be done by the steady and searching
hand of authority. Against direct Govern-
ment interference in such a case as this there
can be no jealous feeling : because it is the
manifest interest of all to abate what are pub-
lic nuisances. as well as generators of this fell
disease. The remarks of the coroner on the
ease in the parish of St. George the Martyr.
where the victim died in all atmosphere poi-
soned by knackers, bone-boilers, anti catgut-
makers, painfully illustrate the pantivsed con-
dition of authority in this diffieulty. The local
inithorities complained that the Board of
Health withheld the necessary powers, and
the Board of Health explained that their de-
lay arose front awaiting the order of the Privy
lout wit ; so that. amidst all these checks on
at possible eXt'eSSiVe action of power. the active
eilllSeS of the disease are left without any cheek
at all. Surely, in a case of and 41eath like ,
this. all these absurd restrictions might be
dispensed with, and the application of the
remedy be entrusted to some one vigorous
hand, made directly responsible for the result.
The existing machinery. however ctooplicated.
must be made use of at present : and all con
current testimony goes to show that not a day
should be lost, or we may be once more deso-
latedby a calamity which on two prey'
casions so largely depopulated the community.
1.4)141 PALM ERSToN, With his usual
Las in last night's Go:-cife. the im
mediate enforeement of the Nuisances Act, the
11 th and 12th Victoria. Will this verbal
vigour be copied in deed?
Past experience has shown the oempanitive
uselessness of what is culled piddle l i 11l in
permanently remedying these evils. Whether
the blame rests with the Geyer
arnent as re-
presented by the Board of Health, or with the
local luitheritie..
or
less h.'with the ratepayers, mat-
-4
• .ate to the result. We should lie sorry to
assert that selfishness, born of immediate fear.
had led to preeautions, which were abandoned
in apathy an4l intlitferenee so soon as the dan-
ger was over. Yet sueli a construction might.
not uncharitably, be put. on the collapse of all
that fussy philanthropy which was so rift. and
rampant some four 4)1• five years ago. Ts it
consistent with Christian duty, or with com-
mon sense, that in the heart of this great me-
tropolis of civilisation, and in too many of the
large et amtry towns. the advent of cholera
shall be in a manner invited by the prepare..
tion of whole districts, thickly populated.
wherein it can nestle and germinate" TLe
third warning has again found us unprepared,
except with a law whose complieated ma-
chinery renders it. all but inoperative. roi•
immediate purposes that law may be putt in
flWee lint as the disease, if it should spread.
would Lwow° a national calamity. we are
forcibly enjoined to tho conclusion that the
retuedy should be national and general also.