The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-30 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER 30,- 1854

THE CHOLERA.

The cholera, says the Registrar-General in his
weekly report, is slowly retreating from London ; but
it destroyed last week 1,284 lives, and 19 persons
died from the allied disease, diarrhwa.
The deaths from all causes in the three weeks
ending September 23 have been 3,419, 2,836, and
2,504, including the 2,050, 1,549, and 1,284 deaths
from cholera. The deaths by cholera in the ten
weeks of this eruption have been 8,953 ; the erup-
tion of 1840 broke out earlier, and by the same date,
nearly, had destroyed 12,664 of the inhabitants of
London.
The Board of Health fights under the same dis-
advantages in London as a War Minister would if
he could only oppose the invasion of an active enemy
by the force which every parish and public company
would vote and consent to bring into the field ; yet
we may hope, now that the local machinery is, under
due supervision, set in motion, and judicious pre.
cautions are issued, to see the mortality decline at an
accelerated rate.
Last week the births of 833 boys and 705 girls, in
all 1,628 children, were registered in London. In
the nine corresponding weeks of the years 1845-53
the average number was 1,331.

A valuable circular has been issued by the Irish
Poor-law Commissioners to the various boards of
guardians throughout Ireland on the subject of the
cholera, the object being to enforce sanitary precau-
tions, and to make provision for the due medical relief
of all in any district in which the epidemic may
appear. It is satisfactory to find that the disease
has so diminished in Finglas, the only district in the
neighbourhood of Dublin in which it has yet mani-
fested itself in a fatal form, that sanguine hopes are
entertained of its total disappearance in a few days
more. Of the decrease of cholera in Belfast the
Benner of Ulster reports as follows :—" On lA'ednes-
day there were eleven cases ; on Thursday, eleven
cases ; and yesterday, thirteen cases. The amount of
the decrease may be estimated by the fact that seven-
then cases per diem has been the average number
during the past three or four weeks. We trust that
the epidemic will soon disappear altogether from the
town."
The Montreal Herald publishes a statement of the
ravages of the cholera in that city during the present
season, and also a comparison of the deaths during
the years 1832, 1834, 1849, and 1854. The number
of deaths in 1832, for a period of twenty-two weeks,
was 1,895 ; in 1834, seven weeks, 913 ; in 1849, seven
weeks, 490; and for eight weeks in 1854 the deaths
were 1,186.
Letters from Messina give the most painful ac
count of the condition of that city. It appears the
cholera has carried off more than 12,000 persons, out
of a population of 50,000. The alarm created by so
many deaths has caused every one to leave the city,
excepting the poorest class, who had no means of flight.
The authorities applied to Naples, not only for medi-
cal aid, but also for food, as all shops were closed.
The bodies were burnt a little way out of the town,
there being no means of burying them ' • and, in fact,
even under such circumstances, few could be found
to assist at this painful office. Many have been left
toldie in their houses without any assistance, the ties of
relationship being no longer observed lty those whom
fright overcomes, even to the neglect of duty and
feeling. All the Consul have left Mesitina, except
Mr. Behn, of the United States. Mr. Barker, the
British Consul, is dead. The French Consul and his
family fled to Paris. The latest accounts show the
epidemic as declining. In Naples the epidemic has
nearly disappeared, having carried off not less than
11,000 persons.

THE MUSEUM AT MARLBOROUGH-HOUSE will reopen
on Monday next. During the recess the specimens
have been rearranged, and considerable additions
have been made. An alteration has been made in
the days of admission. In future the museum will
be opened on Saturdays, which will be free days in-
stead of Tuesdays. This change has been made
chiefly with the view of enabling the schools in the
metropolis to send their students to visit the Museum
on the afternoons of Saturdays.
THE GILTSPOR STREET PRISON will now speedily
be demolished. On Wednesday and Thursday the
third and concluding sale of its " material" was
effected, the articles comprising the whole of the
massive stone frontage In Giltspnr-street, and con-
taining upwards of two million stock bricks, five thou-
sand feet of sheet copper on the roofs, ten tons of
lead in gntters, tanks, and pipes, dc. The whole of
the timber in the roofs and floors, sashes, marble
chimneypieces, and interior fittings-up of the go-
vernor's house, iron steam-boilers, baths, pumps, gas-
fittings, 6,:c. The building is now to be taken down
to the level of the street, and removed forthwith.
CAPTAIN TOWNSHEND, R.N., M.P. for Tamworth,
who recently succeeded to the Townshend estates on
the death of his cousin, Lord Charles Townshend, has
been appointed-naval aide-de-ramp to her Majesty,
vice Commander Eden, who has obtained his Hag.