The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-19 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

- 111.--

(ham the Of metal Ito.tri of Health, Oct. 18.)

METROPOLIS.
Forewarning of the neces,ity of measu-es of pre• vention is the best means of obviating panic.
On referring to the former visitations of cholera,
as far as regards the metropolis, it appears that in
1832 the attacks were 14,144, and the deaths 6,729 ;
the population of London then being 1,681,641. In
1848-49 the attacks were about 30,000, and the deaths
14,601 ; the population at that time being 2,209m78.
So that in the epidemic of 1832 one person died in
every 250 of the inhabitants, or .4 per cent.; when as
in 1848-9 one person died in every 151 of the inha-
bitants, or .66 per cent. 'fhe mortality, therefore, in
1832-3 was about two-fifths less than in 18-19—that
is, about 5,800 more persons perished of this epidemic
in London in 1849 than in 1832.

The epidemic of 1832 commenced in London on
February 16, and ended September 7, 1833, includ-
ing a period of about 19 calendar months. Bat it
appears that during this period there was a cessation
of deaths for 8 months so that there were in fact
two epidemics, the first commencing in February
and lasting to November; and the second cointnenc-
ing in August and lastim; to September, 1833. The
epidemic came to its height in the we. k ending July
27, when the deaths were 445, the greatest weekly
mortality recorded during that visitation.
In the epidemic of 1818 the attack commenced in
September, and the last death recorded in the return
of the registrar-general was in December, 1849, so
that the whole progress of this epidemic occupied a
period of 15 calendar months.
Dating the first six months, namely, from the end
of September, 1818, to the end of March. 1819, the
disease advanced progressively but irregularly, num-
bering in the whole of this period 988 deaths. During
the following months of Apia and May, there was a
lull in the disease, the deaths sinking to one in some
weeks, and never in any week exceeding five ; but
there was never, as in 1832, a complete cessation of
the disease, Mr there was never a single week with-
out at least one death.

In the month of May, the total number of deaths
did not exceed 13, but in the first week of June they
suddenly rose to 9, inereaiing in the last week of
the month to 124. From that period, the epidemic
went on rapidly and uninterruptedly, increasing till
it came to its height in the wick ending Sept. 8,
1549, when the deaths together, from cholera and
diarrhea, amounted to' ,298. From this time the
disease declined, and ultimately ceased, as has been
stated, in December, 1849. There was thus one
I epidemic with two well marked periods, the first
extending from September to March, and the
Isecond from June to December..

In the first of these periods the highest weekly
mortality was 94, namely, in the week ending Jan.
13, 1819; atfordimr during that period a hope of a
comparatively slight visitation ' • but in the second
period this hope was greviously disappointed, for the
weekly mortality then rose as high us 2,298 in the
week ending Sept. 8.
The following table shows a considerable paral-
lelism between the early progress of cholera in the
metropolis in 1848 and now in 1853. That progress
is, however, in almost every week more rapid now
than it was in 1848 ; and, comparing the total num-
ber of deaths during the whole of the 11 weeks with
the number of deaths in the corresponding weeks of
1848, it will bo seen tint the recent deaths have ex-

nettled the former by nearly one-third.
Deaths from Cholera during Deaths from Cholera during
a period of 11 weeks in a somat-aiding period of
1853. It *ekks M 1818.
Week ending Aug. 6 .. 4 Corresponding week OM 19
13 99 /9 .. 19 17 II
PP 20 .. 10 11, 1,9 7
PP k 7 .. 18 *I 7
~
„ Sept.
10 3 .. 111
7 6 7
II
~ .. I/ 6
0
it 17 .. 16 9/ 7
099 24 .. 29 IP 4
„
et Oct. 1 • • 48 „ 13
ii 8 .. 1;11 IP 30
IP 16 .. 45 IP ~ 45

Total
It will be thus further seen that the progress of
the epidemic has been much more rapid during the
whole of the present months than during the corre-
sponding period in 1846.
It is remarkable, that gradual and slow as the
progress of the disease has been in the metropolis in
both visitations, there have been in both sudden and
violent outbreaks in particular districts and localities.
In 1848 it had scarcely appeared in the metropolis
when in the very beginning of October it attacked
Edinburgh with great violence, and spread in the
course of a few days to the neighbouring towns of
Newhaven, Portobello, Loanhead, and numerous other
places in the vicinity. In the beginning of November
it attacked Glasgow, and subsequently a large num-
her of manufacturing towns and villages in Lanark-
►hire, Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, and other counties in
the south and west of Scotland. Now it has attacked
with the like suddenness and with increased violence
the northern English towns.
The returns from the Metropolitan Commissioners
of Police give 18 cases of cholera and 8 deaths.
In the Milthank Penitentiary, where cholera was
peculiarly fatal in 1848 9 as compared with the
mortality from the same cause in other metropolitan
prisons, there have been since the 24th August last
nine cases of cholera and three deaths, two of which
occurred on the 14th instant.

NEWCASTLE - UPON - TINE. Deaths Oct. 17.
Cholera, 2; Diarrhoea, 2.
The total number of deaths from cholera and
diarrhoea in Newcastle during the present outbreak
has been 1.505. In the same period (namely, the
first 47 days) during the prevalence of epidemic
cholera in 1831-2, the number of deaths was 290.

COLDINGIUM. Deaths Oct. 16. Cholera, 2 ;
Diarrhrea, 3.

Ltrrox.—Death—Oct. 17. Cholera, 1.
OaTaaimo.—Deaths—Oct. 15. Cholera, 1; 0ct.17,
Cholera, 2.

°ATV:BIII3AD (HEWORTH DISTRICT.) Deaths—
Oct. 15. Cholera, 3. Oct. 16. Cholera, 5 : Diarrhoea,
2. Oct. 17. Cholera, 3 ; Diarrlicea, 1.