The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-14 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE SUN.

SIR,—It is, I believe, generally allowed that cholera
broke out first during the Mahratta War. From this
fact it would appear that man then inhaled some noxious
vapour, or that the decomposing substances of a camp,
coming in contact with the impure air of those vast
jungles which cover a large portion of India, generated
some gas which caused cholera, and which, having once
been produced, has constantly spread.
That such noxious airs pervade the thick jungles of
India, especially along the banks of the large rivers, is,
I think, proved by the fact of the 78th Highlanders
losing almost the whole regiment along the banks of the
Indus in its march to Kurrachee at an unhealthy season
of the year. The disease was a virulent fever. To find
out what the state of the air is which produces cholera,
I would recommend a systematic analysis of the air in
our hospitals in all parts of the world, and particularly
in those localities in which cholera may break out.
Where two or three people have died in a house from
cholera, I would analyse the air, having previously ex-
hausted the air from a large glass jar. I would also
ascertain the state of the air at a height of 60 feet above
an infected town. This may be done by exhausting the
air from a large glass jar placed on the ground, a.nedeenoene-
ducting air into it from any height. When t_
to dis-
I think chemical science will be able to doirreen
infected
found out in what qualities air thus infected isei
edelfective,
infect houses, and even the atmosphereino
w..cmany
town. I have known houses in Indiaafter bl a
the other,
persons have died from cholera,
that cholera is in the
This would seem to favour the idea which produces it I
whilst houses close by have hardlyoneever been infected.
air. What the state of tbhee aaiser
is
wortebrtained by chemical
a thought. Large
confidently believe
tbhienlikevtehe
healthy in India, America,
pass Why should not chemical science
which' it was
and the West Indies,formerly
Canada, through. The disinfecting cause
tracts of land are mtnra.o'yawl h
jungle
removed.
otherwiseeedneathto healthy localities, when infected with
certainha b
what mere manual labour has effected
suggest for
lands t I merely have the honour to
lan •an idea,
which I leave the scientific to carry out.
edboefloerre,
Dawlish, August 11, 1855.

Sairneculaoitr,daesapmaitelthoned,
office has elicited the fact that sc.
and Co. and the Post-o ce
desire That the Poet-
office correspondenc
cording to a standing.ht
may leave this country
• it.
all the nations of
even although .
to accept responsibility in
office should declinesending
they have
ebetwe between
regulation Messrs.
m aila
letters by vessels over which
.. . no jurisdiction
by any foreign
tphrei vsaetnedsehrispmtaya
easily understood, but it is difficult in the present
can be ntile competition between
age of mercantile
Id to see the reason for denying
the world . our people the
if they choose to avail themselves f • •
advantage o it at their
• e In the present case Messrs. H • •
own ris • Hamilton, Sin-
Co.posted several letters, prepaid, '
°lair, and . to the Cape
d Hope, addressed "Per M
of Gooascareignes, at Swan-
e and subsequently discovered
sea, that, although the
correspondence of other London firms had been carried
by that vessel, and had reached the Cape in 47 days,
their own had been kept back and despatched by another,
a notoriously slow sailer, which occupied 99 days. After
a persevering inquiry,
the answer was obtained that the
letters of the other firms had been forwarded by acci-
dent, and that the whole should have been detained, the
Matcareignes being f • '
a foreign ship. . The result of the rule
is that anypersons,sort,evading ship
postage by sending their letters to be put on board
by an agent enjoys a means of communication which is
denied in
a regular way.
RIVER PLATE AND BRAZILS.—SOIITHAMPTON, Aug
14.—The Avon has arrived with the Brazil and River
Plate mails. Her dates are from Buenos Ayres to July
2 ; Rio, 15 ; Pernambuco, 22 ; and Lisbon, August 9.
She brings 100 passengers, 3,0001. in specie, and 16,0101.
in diamonds. At Pernambuco business was firm, at
Bahia the markets were dull, and at Buenos Ayres pro-
duce was high and American provisions in great demand.
SCOTCH COAST DEFENCES.--Plans are at present
under the consideration of Government for fortifying
._._._.___________......... the island of Inchkeith. It is proposed, we learn, to
erect a battery just under the lighthouse. The Mar.
At the Ministerial fish dinner, 'whi Leith •
ch took place at tello Tower at has recently received its fall coop
Greenwich on Wednesday last, a costly china cup was I tof •and the other works,which f r••
p emen guns ,
presented to the Right Hon.. W. G. Hayter, M.P., by merly enumerated, for the protection of Aberdeen, Dun-
the members of her Maje ' sty s Government, as a remain- tee, &c., are b • • d effect.—Scotsman.
t Scot
being carried into eec . sman.
brance of the zeal and 4.' '4. 2: 1 -, I. that
tleman in the di ac.iviq eisplayee my gen- CRYSTAL PALACE.—SHILLING DAY.—AI7OIIST 13.
discharge of his arduous duties during the Admissions on payment,l3,2l4 ; ditto by loaso's tiol"trs
present session,
682.—Total, 14,7P6.

VIATOR.