The Express.
London, England, 1856-04-05 00:00:00

TURKEY.

(MON 001 OWN
CONSTANTINOPLE, Masai 24.
No incident of importance has occurred since my
last. A rumour is afloat this morning that, accord-
ing to a telegraphic message which arrived during
the night, peace has been concluded, and that the re-
mains of the Russian fleet at Nicolaieff are destined
to pass up in triumph to the Baltic. It there be any
foundation for this report, we have not much reason
to boast of our winnings, at least on this point.
I visited yesterday the barrack and general hos-
pitals at Scutari, and feel great satisfaction in
bearing testimony to the creditable state of both
establishments. The former was long, you
are perhaps aware, the memorable residence
of Miss Nightingale, and much indebted to
that incomparable lady for many useful ad-
ditioos and alterations. The general hospital also,
in the immediate vicinage, was by no means excluded
from her philanthropic labours, but remained never-
theless in some sort sub umbra, in point of general
arrangements, comparatively with its more fortunate
rival institution. I found it however, since my last
visit, completely transformed in every respect, and
so much so, that in my opinion at the present
moment it surpasses every civil and military hcspi-
tal of the capital and environs as regards order, salu-
brity, and exquisite cleanliness. I have never seen,
here or elsewhere, a more perfect model of a well
conducted hospital. The wards, the corridors, every
nook and corner, of this immense edifice, present the
most admirable picture of neatness and good order.
The flooring is white and polished as the decks of a
Queen's ship ; nay, certain " temples" which caused
at one time such a general outcry, are now free from
all that can offend the most fastidious " olfactories,"
and in a perfect state of general purity. There is
awe, I believe, a servant in each compartment ex-
isprra devoted to that important service, and I ob-
a stout Armenian busily employed in his work
stratification.
But one of the most important ameliorations W-
hey introduced is a complete series of ventilators,
se that a gentle draught is everywhere perceptible
throughout the establishment, and which, in addition
to the combustion of fuel in the stoves placed at con-
venient intervals, perpetually purifies and renovates
the atmosphere. The linen, the wrappers, and hoe-
pital apparel in general, are homely but faultless,
and the vapour bath is all day long in readiness to
receive those inmates inclined tor a capital wash and
abundant drenching with buckets of suds robbed in
by means of a long flaxen wisp—a detergent and re-
fection only known in this part of the world.
I descended, moreover, to the lower regions to io-
, spect the "staff of life," and found bread, rice, meat,
vegetables, poultry, and provisions of all kinds, in
great abundance, and of the very best quality.
I asked the storekeeper to allow me to taste
the port and sherry, both which, if bottled
sit would not really ill become the table
et any eivio epicurean. In short, I have
never seen in any European capital more perfect
nosocomial arrangements than exist at present in our
general hospital at Scutari. I feel, therefore, great
satisfaction in recording these hots, so creditable to
Dr. Lawson, the present chief of th • establishment ;
and, if we may judge of this gentleman's talents for
hospital administration from the aspects of the insti-
ltadon under his direction, it is much to be regretted
that he, or some other equally distinguished by the
"bump" of order and forethought, had not been
earlier entrusted with the general management of our
military hospitals in the East.
The equinoctial gales set in this year rather before
the usual time, and continued till yesterday with
more or less severity, accompanied with snow, sleet,
and hailstorms. To-day, however, spring appears
to have announced itself definitively with a bright
sun, genial warmth, and speckles; sky. The seasons
atConstantinople are inconstant, and generally speak-
ing of a very indefinite type, running as it were
abruptly into each other at certain intervals, accord-
ing to circumstances and the direction of the wind.
It veers for instance suddenly round and, in the
hottest summer days, blowing fresh from the north,
the fall of temperature is such—and more especially
if after rains—that many regret their fianneh
and winter clothing. These unexpected ther-
mal variations affect not a little the public
health; but the native populations are seldom caught
in the trap, and retain very judiciously their furs,
although varying somewhat in bulk, all the year
round, either as an ornament or a traditional ex-
pedient against these sudden atmospheric vicissitudes.
The climate, however, is on the whole one of the
finest in the world, provided our good folks
Weald deign to conform to its general exi-
gencies, abandon late hours, stimulants, and
emir native luxurious propensities. One of the best
proofs of the unbounded liberality of nature in these
dimes is, that ever since the extinction of the plague
the capital and environs have been completely
free from epidemics—vie., in virulence and magni-
tede—each as those which periodically ravage
ethret countries. This has been meet particu-
larly evidenced during the whole course of tho
war, at an anxious period when the march of
eireeimi depressing moral affections, sod the dearth
and scarcity of all the necessaries of life,
are obviously circumstances the most favourable to
the development of all epidemic diseases. This im-
munity, however, has been confined to the native
peopelations, and their sober temperate habits, as
well as eiesallases. which is a charming feature of
dsessedsesesesey in the East, have contributed also
est a little to this happy result. Public Hygiene, the
streets, the drainage, cemeteries and slaughter-
boons, are in a very defective and discreditable state,
contrasting sadly with the interior of the houses and
general cleanly habits of the popalattoo. All this
loudly demands the attention of the legislature, and
all the efforts of the Council of Health have failed
thus far to effect the smallest sanitary amelioration
is this country. The labours of that body have been,
therefore, forcibly wafted to one great object, that
is to say, to the final extirpation of plague all over
the Ottoman dominions. This object, let us hope,
has been at length attained, and is, indisputably, one
splendid result of the labours of the sanitary adminis-
tration.

At St. Petersburg as at Paris, the proclamation of
the sigoaticte of tie treaty of peas* was accompanied by a
grand re view, which took pima on the 2nd.

A diligence vas stopped the other day sear the
Tama frontier, by a bend of robbers who wore masks and
were dressed be ►leek. Three gentlemen of the reed gave
their hands to the ladies to artist theta to descend him the
thetas, end, ea a shill& beciasisg to trey, the saki el the
heed took it la his arms end Tinted it wit► ins hen.
Neither the nosey nor the Ninth of the travellers were
toutibed. Thi fellows contained themselves with getting
the key of a coffer containing 20,400 fr. beloeging to the
goverment, and then withdrew amidst a profusion of bows
and essaplithents.