The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-07 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

Mae the Goosed Earl of Ikelib. Nov. S.)
METROPOLIS.
From returns made by the superintendents of the
D, G, H, and M Divisions of Police to the Metropo-
litan Commissioners, it appears that between the
30th October and 3rd inst. there have occurred in I
. those districts 9 cues of cholera, 3 of which have
terminated fatally ; one of the cases is the second in
the same house within the last three days. In this
house there is a man and a wife and 4 children
on the ground floor; a man, wife, 4 children, and 2
single men on the first floor ; a man, his wife, and 3
children on the top floor or garret ; making a total
of 19 in one small house. It is added that "the
smell from so many persons is very noxious and
i oppressive. The privy and drain are also close to
I the back door, with two other privies adjoining, all
connected with one cesspool, which is full
and overflows into a small yard out of re-
pair, and the sttnch is most abominable."
[he place to which the above remarks refer (Magda-
len-court, Tooley-street), was pointed out in the au-
tumn of last year at the head of the list of localities
chiefly affected in the St. Oleve's Union, when Dr.
Sutherland visited and reported on the unitary con-
dition of the epidemic districts of that union. The
deaths from cholera in 1832 from the combined dis-
tricts of St. Saviour and St. Olave were 114 of the
population, while in 1849 the deaths from the same
' cause amounted to 349, or in the extraordinary pro-
portion of lin 55 of the population, a proportional
mortality above double that caused by the epidemic
of 1832. There were, moreover, 49 deaths of diar-
rhcca in the same district. Of the 38 metropolitan dis-
tricts St. Olave suffered most severely, with the
single exception of Itotherhithe.
During last week four additional fatal cases of
cholera have occurred in that notorious plague spot
in Old Brentford known by the name of " Poppbtt's
parlour." The guardians of the union have given
notice to the owner of this wretched property that
legal proceedings will be immediately taken against
him, it the houses are again inhabited, as they are
utterly unfit for human dwellings. Besides the
i above deaths from cholera, a child has died recently
choleraic diarrhea near the gas-works in the
town. _

A fatal case of cholera occurred on the 2nd inst.,
in the son of • highly respectable, resident in Ken-
sington. The attack, it is stated, was not preceded
with any premonitory diarrhoea, and proved fatal in
the course of a few hours, thus affording another
proof of the exceeding virulence of the present epi-
demic, • feature which cannot be too urgently im-
pressed upon the public, and especially upon all
parochial authorities upon whom rests the responsi-
bility of adopting the proper precautionary measures
for the protection of human life among the poorer
classes.
On the 4th inst. Dr. Milroy had a conference with
the directors of the poor of Islington, to advise with
them respecting the steps to be taken in pursuance
of the regulations of the General Board of Health,
issued under the recent order of her Majesty's Privy
Council. The parochial authorities have been steadily
carrying out the work of sanitary improvement
ever since 1849, having retained the services of an
inspector of nuisances during the whole of the inter-
vening period. One of the principal impediments
which they have encountered is the wretched descrip-
tion of the low house property in several of the courts
and lanes, inhabited chiefly by Irish labourers, in
different parts of the parish. Many of the houses
are so thoroughly bad as to be utterly unfit for human
habitation, and the guardians unanimously expressed
their regret that the legislature had not invested the
General Board of Health with powers to deal more
, summarily, upon the certificate of one of their medical
inspectors, with such vile tenements, the constant
t haunt of disease, misery, and death, and which entail
upon parishes a perpetual expense for the relief of
the sick and destitute, not to mention avoidable
funeral and other charges. An earnest desire ap-
peared to be entertained that this most important
question should be considered in the next session of
parliament, and that a clause should be added to
the Building Act, requiring all tenements let for oc-
cupation to be certified by a competent officer as to
their sanitary fitness, an enactment which would
materially aid in preventing the dreadful waste of
life that is occasioned every year by the
indifference of the landlords of lower house
property, notoriously the most remunerative of
all. Why not extend the same principle fee
the prevention of disease as for the preservation
of human life? Upon receiving the directions
and regulations of the General Board of Ikalth,
the guardians of Islington nominated two addi-
tional medical gentlemen to act along with their
ordinary staff in the sanitary inspection of the pa-
rish, and for the prompt discovery and treatment of
disease. They also appointed a second inspector of
nuisances, besides making other arrangements,
wisely considering that the measures to prevent the
development of disease are the most economic in the

long run.
Tnoasc thaw. —With respect to the three
deaths from cholera lately reported from this Union,
the medical officer states that they occurred in a low
and damp locality. He likewise records a death
from diarrhoea, in the same locality, and states that
the disease prevails there more decidedly than usual.
There is, he adds, "a public drain through the town,
as well as &stagnant pond, both of which might and
ought to be remedied, as I believe miasma are gived
off from them, which have a tendency to give rise—
at all events to keep up fever or other epidemics."
There are several very dirty and unwholesome cot-
tages and yards, which are invariably the seats of any
epidemic which may be prevailing.
RYL—In reference to the death from cholera in
this place, previously reported, it is stated by the
local medical authorities that the locality in which
the case occurred is surrounded by an open ditch,
into which is poured the refuse of several neighbour-

ing_houses.
BOXLEY (HOLLINOBOURN UNION).—Nov. 4. Two
fatal cues of cholera have occurred here during the
last week. Both persons died very suddenly after
attack.
DUNDEE.—Nov. 3. Deaths—Cholera, 6. The
total number of cases already reported as having
occurred in the town and parish of Dundee has been
76 (including 16 new cases on the 3rd inst.), and the
total deaths have amounted to 32 to the same date.
BERWICK-UPON-TWEED (CASTLEGATE).—Nov. 4.

NEWCASTLE-lIPON-TTNE.—NOT. 3. Death—Cho-
lera, 1.
ROCIIFORD (GREAT WAKTJAING):•••Nov. 3. Death
—Cholera, 1.
DARLINGTON.—NOT. 2. Dierrhaa, 1.
Stumap (WEST HAY UNION).—Oat. 3) to
Nor. 3. Deaths—Cholera, 3.

CHOLERA IN BaussEts.—A letter from Brussels,
of the 2ad, says—. Several cases of cholera have occurred
at Brussels. We do not state this to alarm the public, but
the contrary ; for what we are about to add is calculated to '
tranquillise everyone. It is perfectly proved that there are
o. cases of cholera which attack persons in good health and
kill them in a few hours. All the medical men agree in
saying that the (Nears is always preceded by premonitory
symptoms, among which must be named dietetics. It is
by neglecting these symptoms that the disease is allowed to
come on, while it may be easily preventid by immediately
attending to them."

MARTLEBONE VESTRY.—On Saturday, at the
meeting of this vestry, the vestry clerk read • ratepayers'
petition, asking that a eommittee of the vestry might attend
the inquiry now proceeding into the condition and manage-
ment of the corporation of the City of London, more par-
ticularly with a view of exposing the injustice of the coal
tai, as Marylebone is estimated to pay 20,000 f. to the Cieg
for coal duties. Mr. Wingfield moved the insertion of the
meme.rial on the minutes for future consideration, and Mr.
C. George seconded the motion, hoping the committee
would not only attend the inquiry, but give evi-
' dance of the various impediments thrown in the
way of free labour and free trade by the cor-
poration of London. Mr. Hodges and others sup-
ported the motion, which was carried.—The Paving Com-
mittee recommended that the wages of the masons and their
labourers be increased in consequence of the high price of
provisions, which recommendation was adopted. A memo-
rial was read from the sweepers and scavengers, praying
'that their present wages (Or. per week) be advanced, as with
the exorbitant price of provisions, and paying 2s. 61. and
' sometimes as. • week for lodgings, they could not support
their families. Mr. Wingfield moved, and Mr.:Howe se-
conded, " That their wages be advanced 2s. a week." Ibe
motion was carried, and the 111/fTejOlr ordered to commence
paying the increased wages that night.