The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-14 00:00:00

BOW THEY MANAGE AFFAIRS AT
BALAKLA VA.

A writer from Balaklava, dated Jan. 25, rays :
A circumstance occurred at Balaklava which I will
state for the calm consideration of the public at home
without one single word of comment. The Charity, an
iron screw-steamer, is at present in harbour for the re-
ception of sick British soldiers, who are under the
charge of a British medical officer. That officer went on
shore to-day and made an application to the officer in
charge of the Government stoves for two or throe to put
on board the ship to warm the men. " Three of my
men," said he, "died last night from choleraic symp-
toms, brought on in their present state from the extreme
cold of the ship ; and I fear more will follow them from
the same cause." "Oh ! " said the guardian of the
stoves, "you must make your requisition in due form,
send it up to head-quarters, and get it signed pro-
perly, and returned, and then I will let you have the
stoves." " But my men may die meantime." " I
can't help that ; I must have the requisition." " It's
my firm belief that there are men now in the same
state whom another night will certainly kill." " I
really can do nothing ; I must have a requisition pro-
perly signed before I can give one of those stoves away."
sible for their safety." 1 irJailYFini
kind." "But, consider, this requisition will take time
to be filled up and signed, and meantime these poor
fellows will go." "I cannot help that." " I'll be re-
sponsible fur anything you do." "Oh, no, that can't
be done !" " Will a requisition signed by the P.M.O.
of this place be of any use ?" "No." "Will it answer
if he takes on himself the responsibility !" " Certainly
not." The surgeon went off in sorrow and disgust,
Such are the " rules" of the service in the hands of in-
capable and callous men.
_ _ _

But here is a special fact for Dr. Smith, the head of
the British Army Medical Department. A surgeon of
a regiment stationed on the cliffs above Balaklava, who
has about 40 sick out of 200 men, has been applying to
the "authorities" in the town for the last three weeks
for medicines, all simple and essential, and cannot get
one of them. The list he sent in was returned with
the observation, "We have none of these medicines
in store." To-day this poor surgeon, too, cams down
with his last appeal ; "Do, I beg of you, give
me aay medicine you have for diarrhoea." "We havn't
any." " Anything you may have I'll take." "We
havn't any." " Have you any medicine for fever you
could give I Anything you can let me have I'll take."
"We bavn't any." " I have a good many cases of
rheumatism amongst my men : Can you let me have
any medicines for such cases ?" "'We havn't any."
Thus, for fever, rheumatism, and diarrhcea, the most
prevalent diseases of the army, there were no specifics
to be had, and the surgeon returned up the hill sickened
at the bitter reflection that he could give no aid to the
unfortunate men under his care. Can any one of these
" facts" I have stated be denied ! Certainly not by any
one who regards the truth, and who is not a shameless
utterer of falsehoods. Dr. Smith will prove, no doubt,
that there are granaries full of the finest and costliest
drugs and medicines for fever, rheumatism, and diarrhoea
at Scutari, but the knowledge that they are there little
avails patients dying here for want of them. Dr. Hall
has been informed of this want, I understand, and has
taken steps to prevent the recurrence of such cases of
neglect in future.

THE LATE Loss OF LIFE AT ISLINGTON.—This morn-
ing Mr. Wakley proceeded with a lengthened inquiry at
the Carved Red Lion, Lower-road, Islington, touching
the deaths of the sesseen unfortunate persons who were
crushed to death by the fall of the house No. 2, Lower-
street, on Sunday evening last, under circumstances al-
ready detailed. After hearing some evidence, the inquiry
was adjourned for a week, in order to obtain the opinion
of two competent surveyors, strangers to the neighbour.
hood, as to the cause of the calamity.
TESTIMONIAL TO MB. LILWALL, &C.—On Saturday
last a committee of the warehousemen and clerks con-
nected with the wholesale drapery trade of the city of
London gave a dinner at the George Hotel, Alder-
manbury, to Messrs. J. Lilwall and E. Kennedy, the
honorary and assistant secretaries of the Early Closing
Association, in celebration of the success attending
the recent efforts to close the warehouses of London
at an earlier hour on Saturdays. Mr. S. Westbrook
(Messrs. J. and R. Diorley's) occupied the chair,
and Mr. J. S. Norman (Messrs. Bradbury and Co.'s)
the vice chair. In the course of the evening a su-
perb silver tea service (manufactured by Messrs.
Brook and Son, Poultry) was presented to Mr. Lilwal,
and a morocco case, containing a purse of twenty-five
guineas, to Mr. Kennedy, with appropriate inscriptions,
as an expression of the esteem entertained for those gen-
tlemen, and as an acknowledgment of the services ren-
dered by them in furtherance of the above movement.
The committee have further shown their interest in the'
general operations of the Early Closing Association, by
voting a sum of money to that society.
A letter from Mexico, in the hamburg Corre-
spondent, states that a German physician, who has
several years resided in that country, has discovered
that the venom of a certain species of serpent is,
when inoculated, a preservative against the yellow
fever and the blank vomit. The inoculation is effected
in the same manner as for the small-pox ; it causes
a fever, which has all the symptoms of yellow fever,
but with very feeble effects. It produces no effect on
persons who have already had the yellow fever or the
black vomit, and this is considered a proof of the value
of the discovery. Several high functionaries and 500
have bee n inoculated at Mexico, but the effect
cf the operation on them will not be known until the
spring end summer. The species of serpent limn which
the venom is taken is out named.

DECIM.U. COINAGE.—At the ordinary weekly meeting
of the society this evening, the subject to be discussed
will be the ta,sis for a decimal system of money for the
United Kingdom. Those who have thought of this
subject at all are well nigh unanimous that the decimali-
sation of our coins and accounts, as well as, subsequently,
of our weights and measures, is a most desirable object ;
but there btill exists much diversity of opinion as to the
unit or basis of the system. Papers will be read by-
1, Mr. J. A. Franklin, advocating the pound ; 2, by
Mr. F. J. Minasi, in favour of the penny ; and 3, by
Mr. Hugo Reid, in favour of the florin, or two-shilling
piece.