The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-16 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

The report of the Registrar-General for the last
week states that 3,413 persons died in London, or
2,165 more than have on an overage died in the
corresponding week of former years.
In the week ending September the Bth, 1840, when
cholera raged, 3,183 persons died, so, allowing for
increase of population, the rate of mortality for the
week is lower than the rate of 1849.
2,050 persons—namely, 054 males, 1,096 females-
-614 children under 15 years of age, 1,128 men and
women of 15 and under 60, and 287 old people—
have died of cholera; 276 persons have died of
diarrhaia.
The deaths from cholera in the last nine weeks
have been-5, 26, 133, 399, 644, 720, 847, 1,287,
2,050 ; and in the aggregate 6,120 persons have lost
their lives by the disease.
The sun has had great power, but clouds and fogs
have intervened ; no rain has fallen ; the wind has
been dry and languid; the electricity positive; but
the temperature of the air and of the Thames is de-
clining.
The decline of the temperature, the analogy of
the two epidemics of 1832 and 1849, as well as the
remedial measures that are now brought into opera-
tion, justify us in anticipating that the epidemic
will ere long gradually subside. In the meantime
the zeal and watchfulness neither of the local
authorities, of the heads of manufactories, nor of
the heads of families, should be slackened for a
moment.

The following circular has been issued to the
members of the medical profession :
" General Board of Health, Whitehall, Sept. 1854.
" Sir,—My experience of this department, brief as it is,
has strongly impressed me with a sense of the great want
that is now felt of some systematic record of cases of cho-
leraic disease, their treatment, and results, with a view to
determine, in so far as may be possible, the best mode of
meeting this formidable epidemic.
" Hitherto no successful attempt has been made to collect
such a record; and, as I find that my feeling of the want
of it is very generally shared by the medical profession, I
have obtained the sanction of her Majesty's Government
to the nomination of a medical council, representing all
branches of the profession, and consisting of Dr. Paris,
Sir James Clark, Dr. Alderson, Dr. Babington, Dr. Twee-
die, Dr. Baly, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Simon, Professor Owen,
Mr. B. W. Ward, Mr. John Bacot, and Dr. Farr.
" Under the sanction of this council, the following form
of return has been prepared for transmission to all qualified
practitioners in the metropolis, to be filled up by them,
with a view to obtain their experience of the present epi-
demic.
The deaths from cholera, as well as from all other
causes, are registered in England; but it is evidently de-
sirable that in this, as in other countries, the cases of
recovery, as well as of death, should be systematically ob-
served and recorded. But this can only be accomplished
by the cordial co-operation of all the medical men in
practice, which the board hopes, in this important matter,
to obtain, by acting on the advice of a council in which
all branches of the medical profession are represented.
" By means of a return, in the accompanying forms, the
observations of all qualified practitioners on the cases that
come under their care may be collected and made available
for determining the laws which regulate choleraic disease,
and the effects of the different systems of treatment now in
" Any return that you may make will be considered
strictly confidential, but your name will be recorded as a
contributor to the observations, when the general results
are made known.
" Under the urgent pressure of practice, to keep any ac•
curate record of the cases will often be attended with diffi-
culty ; but this difficulty will, I feel assured, be cheerfully
encountered by you, if you agree with me in thinking a re-
cord of the experience of the present generation of medical
men as to this epidenic likely to contribute to the allevia-
tion of the sufferings of mankind for the future.
" The return on the other side is sent filled up, as a
specimen, with blank forms. Any number of such forms
you may require will be furnished by this office.
" It is recommended that the forms should be filled up
from day to day, and returned to the board on or before
the 16th of November next, addressed to the Secretary of
the General Board of Health, and the postage of the letter
encloting the return need not be prepaid.—l have the
honour to remain, sir, youreedient servant,
" B. HALL."
[ The return alluded to sets forth the residence of the
patient, when attacked with the disease, his profession, and
indicates whether the disease has assumed the form of
simple or choleraic diarrlura, cholera, collapse, consecutive
fever, a:4s.; with the treatment, ttc.]

PURIFICATION OF THE METROPOLIS.
Os Wednesday a deputation from the ratepayers of
MI Saints', Poplar, waited on Sir Benjamin Hall, for
the purpose of presenting a resolution respecting the
sewage of the district. Mr. J. Knight, a county
magistrate, the two overseers, one of the church-
wardens, the vestry-clerk, and one of the surgeons of
the district attended. The resolution complained of
the state of the sewage throughout the district in
question, but more especially of the open sewers in
North-street and King street. It desired that the
Board of Health should, if it had the power, inter-
pose its authority, so as to compel a more efficient