The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-23 00:00:00

HEXHAM.

'the medical officer reports that not less than 300
caw s of diarrhma have been treated, of which several
have passed into cholera.
During the last five days 7 deaths from cholera
have occurred, making 11 deaths since the first ap-
pearance of the epidemic.
There arc at present 160 cases of diarrhoea and 11
of cholera under treatment. _ _ _

One of the surgeons who s:gned the last report has
been attacked.

l'
he time of the medical practitioners has been so
much occupied that they have been unable to trans-
mit a daily report.
The returns from Ifexham state that 500 cases of
premonitory diarrheca had been treated in that place,
but that none of those cases had proved fatal. The
medical men engaged there h'd been very severely
worked. Only one case, that of one of the medical
staff, was reported as having passed into the col-
lapsed stage.

MANCHESTER.
It is difficult to ascertain to what extent chelera
pteveils in Manchester, and, it some of the authori-
ties are to be credited, whether it prevails at all; It
need not there be usked, " When doctors dissree
who shall decide ?" for the doctors are agreed. I The
faculty speak unmistakeably about it, and location
numerous cases which have come under their agni-
:lnce. We mentioned a case in the Dolly News of
Monday, in which a surgeon who had had ex ?eri-
er.ce in :he cholera period of leS49 had treat id a
patient successfully, and prevented a fatal result.
Since then the same gentleman and two other highly
respectable and experienced surgeons—one of them
at the head of the profession—have visited a ease
which has proved fatal, and certified that it was
Asiatic cholera; yet at the weekly meeting of the
Manchester Board of Guardians yesterday morn-
ing this case was reported upon to the fol-
lowing effect :—" In the St. Michael's district
the relieving officer had visited, on Wednesday,
a house in Beswick's-row, where a woman was sup-
poised to have died of cholera. The deceased, Agnes
Gomersill, a married woman, aged 38, was seised
with a pain in the stomach on the previous evening,
and her mother applied warm water up to ten o'clock
on Wednesday morning, without affording any relief.
The woman was afterwards attended by Mr. Dyson
and Mr. Walker Gotland, surgeons, but died in the
course of the morning. Iler mother says the de-
ceased has been subject to this complaint several
times before, always about the time when her
youngest child reached the age of eight or nine
months, as was the case in the present instance, and
suer Ks it to have been cramp or spasms The
officers further reported, " That in one district where
the number of cases of diarrhoea had been far less
than at the earn* period of last year, though still
very numerous, there had recently been some cha-
raeterised by unusual severity and obstinacy, three
or four of which closely resembled Asiatic cholera,
being accompanied by the cramps and collapse inci-
dental to that disease, but these had all terminated
favourably."
Perhaps nothing can give in a stronger light the
opinions of the medical profession on this subject
than a brief history of the steps they have already
taken as a body. They were invited to meet on Wed-
nesday, at the rooms of the Sanitary Association, in
Manchester; and though the invitation could not
lave reached many of them until a late hour on
Tuesday evening, yet no less than 59 of the leading
members of the profession, setting aside pressing en-
gagements at that hour, were at the place appointed
by eleven next morning. The following are the
minutes of their proceedings:
We, the undersigned, members of the medical profession,
in practice within the district of Manchester, Salford, and
the neighbourhood, ate of opinion that in consequence of
the appearance of Asiatic cholera in some parts of the king-
dom, it is sightly necessary that the following precau-
tionary and preventive measures be immediately adopted
by the proper authorities in this district.
1. There should be a house to house visitation, under the
direction of the authorities, as in the last outbreak of the
epidemic; became all ezperience proves, that however for-
midable cholera may be in its developed form, it is M the
vast majority of ewe preceded by diarrhea, or some other
premonitory symptoms, which geaerally yield to proper
medical treatment ; and as such symptoms are often of •
painless nature, not attracting the attention of the sufferer,
they seemly to be discovered by a systematic inquiry from
home to house. 2. There should be an increased orgasisa-
tiem medical of and assistants within oreseenient sub-
divisions of the district; sad the medical officers of unions
should be authorised to attend eases of sickens without
waiting for as order. 3. Arrangements should be made to
keep dupe/amiss apes, awl medical officers in attendance,
both day and night. 4. Printed instructions should be
issued immediately, and, by the agency of the police, should
be left at every house throughout the whole of the dis-
trict, directing the (curie to be pursued on Ik.
occurreme of premonitory symptoms of cholera; sad
puhlie placards should, as much as possible, be avoided.
6. The system of whitewashing cottages, when needful,
should ,be carried on, as formerly ; but with increased
vigour. 6. There should be • careful inspection of the
ashen*, and of the traps connected with soughs. in *my
part of the district. 7. The sewers should be Bushed with
water every day. 6. The watering of streets, by means of
water carts, should be conducted more carefully, and less
profusely, than at resent ; so that waste water may be pre-
vested from lying a the streets. 9. The authorities should
take immediate steps to famish • comsat supply of good
water to every part of the district—ea the practice of keep-
ingwater in open vessels is highly injurious. 10. The
removal of anisaaces, and of objectionable rates*, should
he stringently enforced; according to the ample powers'
now conferred upon authorities by the Order in
Council of the 15th September instant, reviving
the operation of the " Diseases Prevention Act." And
the precautionary measures recommended by the General
Hoard of Health should be immediately earned iato effect.
11. A printed circular should be left at all the houses of
the district, stating the address of those persons in autho-
rity to whom complaints as to the defective or injurious
state of sewers and soughs are to be addressed. 12. The
attention of the authorities should be dimmed to the over-
crowding which prevails in many parts of the city, with •
view to extending to such places the provisions of the
Local Lodaing- house Acts.
Moved by Mr. Turner and wooded by Mr. Lynch,
and carried unanimously—" That the prepositions now
read be adopted by this meeting ; that members of the
medical profession here present be requested to send their
carts to the chairman, authorising their names to be ap-
pended thereto; and that Mr. Waters (the secretary) be
requested to endeavour to obtain as many additional signs-
tans as possible of the members of the medical profession
cot Len present. That the propositions and signatures be
printed, and that the chairman be requested to send a copy
thereof to their worships the Mayors of Manchester and
Salford, and to the chairmen and each member of the
Bards of Guardians of Manchester, Salford, Chorlton,
and Prestwich, with a note requesting their immediate
st.d especial attention to its contents. And that the corn.
en.ttee of the Manchester and Salford Sanitary Association
be requested to adopt such other means as they think fit,
to bring the subject under the notice of the authorities
generally.'•
The course recommended under the fourth head in
the above minutes is the one we regretted (in men-
tioning the case on Monday) had not 'heady been
taken. 'f he following letter has been addressed by
the Mayor of Manchester to the board of guardians:
Gentlemen,—Haring received informati-u from New-
est-le-upon-Tyne that the cholera is again amongst them to
an alarming extent, and likewise that in Manchester one
deeded cam has appeared issuing in death, thereby weraieg
os that in all probability we may in some degree be called
u{-on to ttotrience a similar visitation, I have thought it
Nay duty to call your attention to the subject, that, if pos-
sible, such steps may be taken as you shall consider the beet
to prepare for, and at least alleviate, so great a calamity. I
may ley I hare consulted the head; of the sanitary depart.
ment in the corporation, who will use every endeavour to
eic:.pe the difficulty.-1 am, gentlemen, yours most respect-
futly,&Jima Baaxe», Mayor.
Town-hall, Sept. 21, 1853.
To the Board of the Guardians of the Poor

tut Manchestei: