The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-04 00:00:00

L REPORT ON THE CHOI
THE BLACK BEA FLEET.

Sip W. Burnett, M.D., Director-tn..—
medical Department of the Navy, has presented On
the Lords of the Admiralty a report on the cholera
which attacked the fleet in the Black Sea in August
1834, more particularly am relates to her Majesty's
ships Britannia, Albion, and Trafalgar. The report
has just been printed by order of the Lords Commis-
sioners. We give to-day a summary of thm first por-
tion of the document.
About the beginning of July, the sth French re meat of
the Wm arrived at Gallipoli in a steamer from Marseille",
whim I believe, cholera existed at the time of her dew-
tom. Mr. Dees mentions that "it broke out on board
the weed daring the passage, and four pr five men died of
le, Bowe after the arrival of this regiment at Gallipoli
sow divisions of the French army marched for Yarns,
Yd carried the discus with them ; these divisions, it was
muted, though not on good authority, lost twenty men on
the march.' " Bat it is trite certain that cholera made
its spptifaOCll at or Deaf N area soon after their arrival ;
at first it was confined almost reclusively to the divisions
which had come from Gallipoli, bat it afterwards spread
osteasively throughout the camp."
Oa the 21st of July a decided case occurred in the British
hospital at Varna : the disease thea spread rapidly to the
sea wad& the walla Ia camp, though the majority of the
goot *aims smoked were at the time patients under
Insaiseg Is the lassoital for other diseases. On the 22nd
glesheeet with great severity Is the camp at Devine,
dill tr obint oilmen miles distant from Yarns, but not
IMPS die hos from Al:adeen. Free communication had
boo hops well the while between the different British
Wed blellikamp. It is further added, " that the French
wog WeeellMited before either of ours by at least f
bp SI were MN of their steamer at Baljick ; but them
pew* arrived from Gallipoli and Marseilles had suffered
womoueas biz dsys bef.ge the disease attacked any of our
wide, Os these grounds alone it might be inferred that
doiliffase wee of foreign origin.
Mndatthe months of Miy and June the British fleet
have been employed sometimes is cruising off
of Bulgaria, or off the south and south-west shores
tithe Crimes, and at other times at anchor off Varna and
BOA. The mews of the respective vessels, with the es-
eeptMu of a slight scorbutic diathesis, ceased by the long-
antinued use of salt provisims nod the want of vegetables,
were in the enjoyment of robust health, and is most excel-
km spirits; bat towards the latter end of June, and early
le July, tiareliced complaints became more numerous than
pod wags the vessels approached the land, but more par-
oggle*wbra they anchored off either of the above ports,
Iwo I haw reason to believe that these were rather of
1.611•11 than of a choleraic character ; still, when it
bisledearrwa that cholera had broken out in the allied
red that transports were arriving (about the 2nd and
Seared
from Varna with the disease on board, it
insn Seared that it would extend to the;fieet also, as
OM was as reason to believe'; hat it lay beyoad the reach
des epidemic influence.
igemetiemary measures were therefore adopted in the
Edoosog of th. vessels. The men were cautioned to live
ftapanosay sod to abstain from eating too freely of vigi-
-1-oh& head it. The question of going to sea was at the
• Ilse mooted, but the urgent necessities of the service
eggieM ti love rendered this impracticable. Meanwhile
finallennweleatima appears to have been kept up between
dosed the fleet, though the disease at the time was
▪ entesdioe throughout the cantonments both at
Tans mot Babick.
DlANOXD.—Aecording to the medical returns the Dim
mead wee the first vessel in which the epidemic made ib
appearance. She had anchored on the 7th of July at
fialpek in shore of the linemf-battle ships. lier ere.
wee the in perfect health, but on the 9th, 12th, and 13th
armor diarrbces, accompanied with prostration of the vied
peen" occurred amongst them ; and on the 14th of July a
frisch steamer, the Frimogurt, arrived from Toulon, and
several ot her crew were affected with cholera, she WOO
mat ia 'hereof the English squadron to be cleared out, a
is embargo a sort of quarantine. The weather at the ti
was tempestuous, and the wind blew towards the Dimmed
bow the position of this steamer and her tents.
On the night of the 16th oae of the Diamond's Crew WOO
attacked with collapse, rice-water purging, 'omitting,'
imps, mid other unequivocal symptoms of cholera, but
h wee not followed by any other case of a similar nature
ski the 20th, when 'berated attacks began to be preys-
hat, though they again speedily disappeared when the ship
misered further off the shore.

of t6.'

Immediately after the occurrence of the first can gnat
Mention was paid by the executive officers to improve the
unitary condition of the ship; the ventilation was made
mwe perfect by means of large windsails, and the breathing
mete en the lower deck was increased by removing the
mei bags, and by causing each watch alternately to sleep
la maindeck. The evils of overcrowding were thus in
nme season obviated.

Ms introduction of cucumbers and green fruit was pro-
bided, and orders were issued that the water should not be
sad add it had remained • night in the tanks ; the cor-
pads and sentries were instructed to report every man who
rued the head frequently.
T►e ship remained in her new anchorage until the 11th of
law, and then went to sea with several vessels in wbieh
ths disease had broken out in 'a most virulent form, yet,
lough she remained does by the latter, there did not occur
utter case deserving of the name of cholera amongst her
maw util the end of September, when there were two slight
mm which appear to have been ctntracted somewhere off
•Crimea.

Rem u will be seen, was a vessel which lay in the midst
the fleet, in the very focus of the supposed epidemic at-
m/4m and much more disadvantageously situated as re-
ptile land emanations than others in which the disease had
Meknes% yet the hot blasts of wind, which were supposed
Cr so injurious to their crews, paved almost harmlessly
Iva the "Diamond," a circumstance whieb, if them
lads ha l in reality been charged with any element di-
mutat to health, it would be difficult to explain by any
eltheleknowledged laws which govern atmospheric move-
ment.

ERUPTION OF TUE EPIDEMIC AT VARNA.
Its disease appears to have broken out at Baljick and
Tim math aboat the same time, at the latter place it had
Mead rapidly from the French camp on the north through
na Immediate British and French encampments, and the
lima Varna, to the British cavalry camp on the south-
'at side of the bay. By the 27th July, cases had terminated
104 m more than one of the transports lying off the
Rasa ad the Veiny, French war steamer, which lay
la the Sanspareil, was reported to have lost
NM mu by the epidemic during the 29th and
Os the following day the first fatal case
la warred is the British fleet took place in the
Wsil. The man declared he had been in perfect
p a the moment of his seizure : about four o'clock
Wismoraing ha was roused out of his sleep by seven
It, sad other unmistakeable symptoms of cholera, mid
tens of a variety of remedial MeLUITIIII he died about ilk
tad is the evening. The case appears to have been Ms
heal by a samession of diarrhccal attacks occurring nee
ffdatif August, when two other deaths front alien
Id plus, mad the diarrhmol attacks began to ammo a
aa am serious aspect ; the vessel censequently adui
*tom sea ; another death occurred on the 14th, bmt
defile the diens, appears to have gradually abated.
Ilkidelimennion arrived at Varna on the 29th of Ink,
✓- ink, cruised for some days previously before Behr
Diamlicez had been prevalent amongst the eetelea
Illitaishetbsr this wasamongst men who had toms&
liseisatetth the shore in the beginning of the monthald
Lis* If WI stated, or whether it was more ffIgIIMMS
/lei Ole class of men than another, es regards their MP
to any amused emoting cause. TN Ant einsiemind
cholera occurred on the 4th of August, alma the
• n the &aphorise, three days after she left'ffanea
all probability, it was con'ractsd. There wen
the bth, which also proved fatal. On die
sailed from the Bosphorus, and arrived m
10th, between which and Varna she remalmild
of September, and then sailed with the INS
TIM total number of diarrheas' attacked
I amounted to 128; the total numbered
a to 17, of which 15 torasiaald
the 4th of August sad the 30th of 8•91.
Is occurred amongst a party of marine.
had been employed on board transmit%
tart' stores, and bullocks, at Vaifea
ezeitiog poison ezieted within nee
in a mach more potent fos*
or that the predisposing/Mien
the last death whit:llllMM*
apt mbar, off Old Fart, on the Crime.% de
losing altirether in the mien Me

Teem VOW/ appear to have
with the Sanspareil, off Verne, bee
4134 Of Ascot, when they also pot to mane
W !demise 'scream in the another of dianlmed
termer there was one fatal case of cholera as
'rue. and another on the 18th. On the
a Vams, where she remained until she
of September for the Crimea. Betwees
am of the latter meath three other fatal
; whetter the men had any communicatios
is sot mentioned. The first fatal case is
also occurred os the 13th of August
other ships, had been prevalent fee
Altogether there occurred twelve
scrim proved fatal ; five of these
.ratted at Varna, and two after the
Crimean come: but, as in the returns
_ vessel, there is no mention made as to
ttn ears bad been employed on duties out of
two small steamers, were both
prevalence of the pestilence ; the one
the 20th of August, and the other from
at to the sth of September; yet in the
occurred one case of cholera, which re.
in the latter, one, which proved fatal. Thal
of the Candoe mentions that, as regards
a vessel, their exemption from cholera
to their having been lea exposed es
cause of the disease than the crews of
vls lying at the same anchorage. This
for if the cause had been generally
it is difficalt to imagine how the
-_-- -veld have escaped, while others
Related so severely.
her imolai* and see of
by cholera
Whets the 7th sad 19th of August.

ring OF wWW anunleto Ire TER sum AT w•Lirch
The AIM ere in thisdivision oft.. Beet was • solitary um.
whialh monmetlim the Diamond en the 16th of July, et least
tM days bum the illeierale tendency was observed in any
el one ship, ei VWr whether at IS or is harbour.
About the besimaias el August, however, diathesis'
eamplaiata, gradually sesumieg • seen severe form,
isriAM SO be of frequent oceurreues in the Britannia,
Lesion, Redasy, Trafalgar, mid in mem&
vt-hieTtilad mosiored in the bay on the 31st of July, r
and I.
away histaasee they latterly assumed a decided chulegelo
elhereeter ; but on the 7th there carened a distinct cam elf
dieters is the London, which terminated Wally on theses*
day. After this other cases, both of cholera and diarrhea,
leek place until the 10th, when the ship went to sea. 4:16
the following day a sewed death occurred, and there was
mother on the 14th, lon the 18th, and lon the 18th. On
tbe 20th the ship returned to Baljiek, where a sixth
leek place on the 24th. On the 7th of September
she sailed for the Crimea, off which there were
three additiasal deaths from cholera between the
Bth and 30th of September. the last case which ter-
minated in death on the 30th. was contracted on shoos
whore the man had been employed assisting to tarry
the wounded soldiers off the field after the battle of the
I Alma. Though the crew of this vessel was, as will be
noticed presently, equally exposed with the crew of the
Britannia to all the 'stemmata exciting causes of cholera
prevalent at Baljiek, yet they suffered but little in ccinpari-
son. In three months there did not occur more than
121 eases of diarrham, and 17 of cholera, of which nine only
proved fatal.
Britannia.-On the 9th of August the disease in its more
malignant form broke out simultaneously in the Britannia,
Albion, Furious, Trataltiar, sad Tribune. Mr. Rees,
a of the Britannia, in ono of his reports, states that up
reltilleeetime when the cholera made its appearance on board,
tbs mew bad been in the enjoyment of most excellent health,
idles the 30th July, when they anchored at Baljiek, they
time in • most favourable condition to encounter the eph
donde, which was then raging in the French Beet lying in
tbois immediate vicinity. The ship anchored about a mile
Dees the shore under the chalky cliffs on the coast of Itou-
tMlfa first days of August were oppressively
bet, and a dead calm generally prevailed throughout the
bay. Diehl:Kos began to appear immediately after our
arrival, and every succeeding day aided many fresh
cases to the list, so that by the Bth they
amounted to 50, and by the 9th to 89. Hitherto they had
been very mansgeable, hut on the 9th one case merged into
cholera On the day following the applicants suffering from
diarrhom became still more numerous, and the cases gene.
rally more severe, but more numerous still and more diffi-
cult to treat on the 11th and 12th. There bad also occurred
during these last three days a few isolated cases of cholera,
three of which terminated in death. By this time the
disease bad also made its appearance in several of the
other ships, and most of the medical officers had peened
their captains to put to sea. I had myself given the same
advice, and the Commander-in• Chief, premed on all sides,
quitted Baljiek on the morning of the 12th. As the ship
drew oat of the bay, she got hp, advantage of the
prevailing north east breeze. The patients did well
on that day and on the following. On the night
of the 13th the b freshening, the lower deck
ports had to be cloud, but the ventilation by means of
wind-sails was maintained to the fullest cutest practicable
by such imperfect means. On that night, and towards the
following morning, a fresh case of cholera, with collapse,
occurred , but the applicants with diarrhmt were sot more
numerous than they had b. cn during the previous night.
As the day advanced, however, there was a marked change
for the worm in all the diarrhceil cases ; one of these
patients, as he walked into the sick-bay at the morning visit,
fell into • state of collapse, whilst three other men presented
themselves who appeared to have approached the very verge
of cholera. About 10 am , the great outbreak com-
menced, but as a minute description of the scene
which followed would be foreign to my purpost„
a few bars facts and figures must be left to to :1 the tale of
an invasion which, for the suddenness of its advent, the
tempest violence with which it raged, and the wreck it left
behind, has surpassed, perhaps, everything of the kind in
the annals of the service. I have mentioned the merited
alteration in the cues of diarrhma observed on the morning
of the 14th. This unfavourable change might be attributed
to the closed parts, and the consequent defective ventila-
tion, but, being at sea, one entire watch was of course kept
constantly on deck. It is therefore difficult to account for
the outbreak which took place on this fatal day;
although some of the seamen and officer. have since
spoken of a peculiar dense cloud which passed over this
ship and the Albion on the 13th. The 61.4 to be attacked
were the men already on the list for diarrheas, several of
whom fell into a state of collapse one after the other ; but
about the same time, robust, healthy men, who had fallen
suddenly down in a state of collapse, began to be brought
in from various parts of the ship, even from the yards,
where they were seised while reefing sails. The duties of
the medical officers became now almost overwhelming ;
men, struck down in the manner described, were brought
in so frequently, and in such numbers, that the senior assis-
tant and myself had to devote our satire energies to such
pressing Mill only, whilst the other assistant had to stand
at the table in the nick bay, dispensing medicines toe stream
of men complaining of dierrhcos, both real and imaginary,
for • panic had now seized the crew. The scene continued
for many hours ; and it was not until the following morn-
ing, when at length the panic became less, that the
names of the patients, living and dead, could be
inserted in the sick list. From the 14th to the 17th, bath
days included, there occurred 201 cases of choler's, and 93
deaths. The experiment of putting to sea having in our
are failed, the propriety of returning to the anchorage was
determined upon ; but we had, in the meantime, been
driven to leeward by a strong north-eaxt wind, and there
was, consequently, an inevitable delay in getting back to
Baljiek. Ihe necessity of returning to port became daily
more evident, by the continued violence of the scourge, sad
the now crowded state of the middle deck, where the die-
charge. from the bowels and stomachs of the sick, and the
want of adequate ventilation, had contributed to render
the ship at length, in my opinion, the laboratory of pest-
poison. On the 17th we gained the roadstead of Beljick, and
finding the place lull of empty transports, all the sick and
the healthy, with the exception of officers, sentries, and two
boats' crews, were transferred to them, the bad eyes beiog
selected for the Apollo. Only 22 cases of cholera occurred
afterwards, and nearly all the victims were men who had
been in close attendance on their sick niessmates, and had
accompanied them to the transports. There is one gratify-
ing circumstance, however-the dismiss was net communi-
cated to the crews of the latter. The sick and
healthy having been removed into the transports, the
more healthy were selected and brought on board the
following dsy Mclean the ship. The decks were first washed
and sprinkled with the chloride of hoe, which was several
lima freely applied to every other part of this ship; she
was also repeatedly fumigated." The arrival of the awed
in port, the separation of the sick from the healthy, the
cleansing and fumigating, together with better ventilation,
was supposed to have arrested the progress of the disease;
though this war, perhaps, due to the Improved ventilation
principally. If, indeed, it had not been necessary to close
the ports there is great reason to believe that the improve-
ment which took place in the health of the crew when
the ship first went to sea would have continued, and
that they would have escaped in a great measure the
subsequent fearful catastrophe. This is the more
probable, as ship was thoroughly clean throughout, and
the mew in good health. The total number of cases of
dberbcca which occurred during this terrible visitation
Illaleiwated to 398, the total number of cases of cholera to
219, of which 139 terminated in death. The total number
of men bora' on the ship's books when the disease broke
out, amounted to about 1,040, so that the loss was about 13
per cent. of the whole crew.
The following table shows the number of deaths each day
between the Bth and the 27th August:
On the Bth of August there was 1 death ; 9th, none ;
10th, 1 ; 11th, 1 ; 12th, 1 ; 13th, none; Itch, 13; lath,
45; 16th, 21; 17th, 14; 18th, 14; 19th, 9; 20tb, 5 ; 21. t,
2 ;_22nd, 3; 23rd, 1; 24th, 2 ; 25th, 3; 26113, 2 ; 27th, 1.
Os those attacked on the Bth of August, 1 died ; 9th, 1 ;
10th, 1 ; 11th, 1; 12th, 0; 13th, 0; 140, 57; 16th, 38;
16th, 17; 17tb, 12 ; 18th, 6; 19th, 1 ; 20th, 1; 21st, 2.
Both these tables distinctly show the dreadful virulence
the diem, acquired immediately after the night of the
13th. It is to be regretted that the total number of
attacks each day cannot given, as the sick book has not
yet been received; but of those on whom it may be sup-
posed the poison took effect on the above night, 67 were
speedily hurried out of existence.
Bad all the meals remained in the Bay of Baljiek, in
daily communication with the infected tors, and but
*perfectly ventilated, it is knowable to alining what the
MMeteponces might have been ; the mortality was great as
it was. bat there is every reason to believe it would have
Ism mak grater- for, with the exception of the Britan-
nia, tits *wee of the disease appears to have been completely
broken in every vessel • few days after they sailed from
Balj
ick and Varna. The number daily attacked diminished,
as did the virulence of the discus itself, while in some
Pamela it teamed entirely.
The greater fatality of the disease in the Britannia than
in any of the other ships, appears to me to have been
owing entirely to the wont of adequate ventilation, caused
by her large insapleatist of men, sod the necessity there
was for &slag the WOW deck ports during the gale which
=ed tin *lit el** 13th-en exigency that could
ea
nave bass hiesseth atharwis• it might perhaps have
bow better had site rentaissd at the anchorage in the Bay
MB Deljick until the weather moderated. Though every
masse INTO adopted to throw freshsir down into the lower
ellaitieed by Mr. Rees, that this, especially whthe
igloos of the ship by the um of windeails,
it is w
enell knporown,ta
Mimi, is but an imperfect mode of ventilation
.; their
min la ibeguently interrupted by their being taken
abosict" M isseequesea of the wind
.ehtftiog, or of the
altered
"of the ship or the sails with respect te
the win

THE QUEEN V. NEWTON.—The two defendant. in
this ems, it will be remembered, were convicted at the last
Nubs of the Central Criminal Court for an assault on Mr.
Her, and adjudged to an imprisonment In Newgats—one
to nine and the other to three months. Since the trial
the imprisonment has been altered from Newgate to Horse-
monger•lane Gaol, as the offence wu committed In Surrey.
The defendants were accordingly removed to the county
gaol soon after the sentence, and have been lodged in the
department allotted to Ant-class misdemeanants, in which
plass many privileges are allowed to prisoners.
CZTUTAL PALACE, JAN. 3. SHILLING DAT.—
Advaieska at the doors, 2,060; admission by mama tinker,
786 ; total, 2,326.

LETTERS FROM THE: CRIMEA.

TIOX • !Metal IX TUI 46SX.
Dear Joe,—l now take the pleasure of writing In pump
these few lines, hoping they will find you as this leaves me
at present, la good health, thank God Almighty for it,
after using so many of my poor comrades laid low in the
grave. If you were here tone what we see every day it
would make year heart ache ; but it is no use, we must
stand it or die, that is the only remedy. We are up to our
very knees is mud in camp, and not likely to get out of it
yet. We and the French are getting up a new battery to
play on the Russian menoof-war, but the weather is so wet
that all the horses and man we have could not get the guns
up. If the weather holds fine for a few days we may be
able to do a little more. Ido not like to tall you all. We
have about 20 mien of the grenadien fit for duty out of 120.
We have lost the most by the bowel complaint, poor fellows.
Ab ! Ice sickness here is wone than the cannon
bell. Some of your old chums are all right
yet—Bill Abrahams, T. Abbott, Bieber, 11• Neill, Carter,
T. Smith. Poor T. Harlow was shot by a cannon shot
free. the Thirsiene, and George Dignam, and we have a
great many wounded. The wont work we have at present
fe standing in the entrenchments for twelve, and it used to
be for 24 hours, in the wind and rain, cold and sleet, and
no room to move, or be shot, u the Russians fire night and
day. They fin more by night than by day. If it was fine
weather here it would not be so bad, but every day it is
nothing but rein. Who do you think I have seen here
to-day but old Davey Miller, as well as ever; he belongs to
the 4th Division. You may thank God that you are not
here; all the finest and strongest men in the regiment are
gone. Southgate is dead, and the rest are gone—J. Smite,
J. Anderson, Sergeant Wesley Pepe', In fact all the
pioneers, Billy Boyd. They are taken at night, and dead
in the =mini:. Joe Connolly lost his leg in the battle of the
sth of November. We ji at missed that ; we were on our
passage. We wen at Constantinople the Sunday it was
fought. and landed here on the Bth Nov. We have lost
through sickness about 150 or more men since. We are at
present as near to Sebastopol as we can go ; in fact, they
eon send their shot and shell In some parts of our camp, and
we expect a regular turn out before long. While lam
scribbling these few hats the shot and shell are not far
from me. I have sot written home, but I received your
letter that you directed to Windsor; it went to the depot
at Winchester, then out here. Stamps are of no use except
you have three, but it ID Ass little odds here about stamps.
If you could send me a sheet of paper or a newspaper, and
if you could manage to sand me an ink powder, as we can.
not get any ink. I hope, please God, to be able to send you
as account of the taking of Sebaropol. I have hardly time
he write this, and am doing so with a bit of grease and a rag
lit for a light, while the rest of the poor chaps in the tents
are trying to sleep. I hops you will excuse all mistakes,
sad I hope I may live to see you in old Ragland again. 1
have had no sickness yet, but I think I ant pearls the only
man in the regiment that has not had a touch of the bowel
complaint. Do not forget the newstaper and ir,k powder.
The vessel that brought us oat, the Prince, went to pieces
in the gale we had a few days after landing. I can say no
more till next time, so no more from your old chum,
J. Bohan.

=
worm WUIIIIII 1 1110113
Pi; leziesen MI
eed exciting cauei
of anmatied on the 4th
11.11111% MOO lawpbons, three di
111.1.111 r geelmbility, it was co
UN rile kb, which also
Si MW Nib/ inns the 800
lea Nee 11da, between which •
fms 7111 of September, and th
Al Calm no total number
Idiom amounted to 128
Lfebiera to 17, of
sem rissesm the 4th of Augu
d Ilms• OCCIITTIId among
sib Amok had been employe
Imeas, military stone, a
that the exciting Poi
INN& in a mach
•%•le dgmwegassoli, or that '
0d0,...,41be1ied After the last
dielPtriaher, off Old Fe
declined, losing altlf
6PlNglisplidemie ek arse ter.
Idd Selleroption.-1 hese
st misker, with the Sena
lames Llth of Aspust, when
ham slansiso; increase in t
lads bran then wu one
die left Vane, sad another
MINN to Varna, when s
Ith et Saytamber for
ari Nth of the Mum m
°NNW ; wheals, the sass
ihms is sot isamiemsd.
momilits• ohs «caned ea
fir as Is the other ships. Is
Altogether
of which seem pro
Ustracted at V
as Ohms coast:
•si foreefist mink, there is x
01. Ma bed berm emplt
jlt medal and Meyers, two sm
dertag the prevalence of
17th to the 20th of Ault
"% of An gut to the sth of
111.10 Nap °coined one ea
lad la tka latter, one, wl
of the Candoe WI
1";Itillown vessel, their e
% *scribed to their hay*
th exciting eaue of the di
di* other mink lying at th
1_ ike ere ; for if then
mike
could diM
11,thme tiro vassals ha,
10 then sedisred 00 000071
• 1080 iseptaia
YON% lostwees the 7th as
•