The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-19 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—The metropolitan public ought to feel very much
indebted to you for recalling attention to this subject in
the able manner you have done, in your leading article
in Ihe 56471 of Tuesday, the 23d ult. During the dis-
cussions on the subject of intramural burial throughout
the last 15 year not ono of the London press has ren-
dered such services to the twofold cause of the abolition
of the wrong and the exposition of the remedy in this
particular department of sanitary reformation as your
journal; and I hope you will still render further ser-
vices, and earn higher praises, in this peaceful campaign.
The war of nations is indeed a frightful evil, and great
is the sin of those who render it necessary ; but we must
not shut our eyes to the direful operations of relentless
sanitary foes at home —more costly and more deadly,
though carried on with fewer trumpets.
In the Reports of the Registrar-General it appears
that within the metropolitan district?, which comprehend
a population now exceeding 2,400,000 ( i.e., a population
more dense than is spread over 14 English counties),
there die ye* ly of preventible diseases 16,000 persons ;
whilst it has been estimated that this unnecessary mor-
tality entails on society a yearly loss of 1,000,000/,
sterling. Uneasiness has been expressed at the expendi-
ture of life and treasure which has attended a twelve-
month!s struggle in the Crimea. But multiply the holo-
caust of victims that haveperished annually of preventible
diseases within the metropolis during the last quarter o
a century, and the loss in pounds, shillings, and pence,
by 25, and you have a sum total of 4100,000 deaths, and
25,000,0001.

But these are only two items in the dark balance-sheet
of our yearly metropolitan mortality. In the twelve
months ending 31st December, 1854, there died within
the metropolis, exclusive of those who perished of pre-
ventible diseases, no less than 57,697, or, throwing the
two together, 73,697 in all. Again, it has been calcu-
lated that the expense alone of putting these corpses into
the ground has mulcted the bereaved families of a sum
of not less than 1,421,0001.

These statistics, Sir, show that the sanitary warfare
at home merits the continuous attention of the metro.
politan press, as well as the conflicts between Turkey
and Russia ; and yet, with the exception of your paper,
dug the last 18 months scarcely one London journal,
daily or weekly, has published a single artiele on the
subject. On the operations in the East the [(general
press of the metropolis has written what, if added
together, would make many hundred miles of disquisi-
tions, while, within sight and smell of theie own offices,
the cause of the orderly, inexpensive, and wholesome se-
pulture of the dead is allowed to be botched, neglected,
aud j,,bbed with.
Parliamentary returns show that up to the passing of
the Metropolitan Interments Act of 1850 the dead of
the metropolis were received into upwards of 240 small
dispersed graveyards and eight suburban cemeteries.
In this way the 3,592,275 cubic feet of putrescent gases
evolved from the decomposition of one year's mortality.
found vent through 252 apertures, and was thu., com-
paratively speaking, deprived of its lethal properties.
We are now in the fifth year from the passing of that
measure, and it would appear from some returns pro-
cured by Mr. Brotherton, in May last, that there were
then still open, or partially open, for interments within
the limits of the metropolitan burial circuit, 60 conse-
crated burial grounds, and 11 partly consecrated, of
which nine are cemeteries.

From the same returns it appears that St. Danslten.'a
Burial-ground, Stepney, about 6 acres in size, provided
in 1854, interment for 1,606 corpses ; that the Cana-
briflL!e Heath Cemetery, 4 acres in size, found room for
1,506 corpses ; the Nunhead Cemetery, 42 acres in size,
supplied burial for 1,727 corpses ; that Brompton Ce-
metery (lying in the midst of 100,000 living inhabitants),
36 acres in size, received 2,321 corpses ; that Norwood
Cemetery, 25 acres in size, buried 1,649 corpses ; that
Highgate Cemetery, 35 acres in size, interred 1,568
set pees ; and that Kensal Green Cemetery, .42 acres in
size, obtained 1,921 corpses. As these numbers
added together only make 12,298 corpses—what has be-
' come of the other 61,399 corpses (as shown by the Re-
gistrar-General's returns) which last year have found
graves within the limits of the metropolitan burial dis-
trict

In the "Instructions fur Burial Boards in providing
Cemeteries," issued by the Board of Health, it is stated,
at page 6, that if a dry, porous, sandy; or earthy soil be
selected, such a soil will admit of being buried in at the
rate of 120 interments per acre per annum ; but if the
soil be wet or clay ey, not more than 60 to 70 interments
per acre per annum. Now at the latter rate St. Duns-
tan's, Stepney, would be able to supply interment ac-
commodation for only 360 to 420 corpses per
How many short of 1,606 corpses found interment
within its six acres ?

It is very desirable that the horrid system of pit
burial—i.e., huddling from 15 to 18, and oven 2O corpses
into one hole—should be denounced and put down.
These things, however, aro being connived at by tLe
Board of Health, the Horne-office, and parochial func-
tionaries, and unless the editors of the press bestir them-
selves sew another session of Parliament will overtake

us, and pass away without any legislation for the sup-
pression and punishment of such crimes—for flay CV
crimes against the health, the morals, and the purses of
the metropolitan public.
Allow me, sir, to ask, through the medium of your
columns, whether any of your numerous readers can tell
what number of corpses found burial last year at Via
toria-park Cemetery, at Tower Hamlets' Cemetery, and
at Abney-pack Cemetery, as no returns from these
cemeteries are given in the returns procured by Mr.
13rotherton in May last ? Also, can you obtain any in-
formation as to when the burial returns, moved for by
Mr. .61.psley Pellatt on the 10th of August, 1854, will be
supplied ? These returns were then ordered by the
House of Commons to be furnished, but already fourteen
months have elapsed without their appearance. Is this
withholding of these returns intentional or otherwise t
I remain, sir, your obedient servant,

VIGIL.