The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-09 00:00:00

THE SUN,

concluded his remarks with a viva' voce description of
the Irish dialect in these two countries, and showed,
by various quotations, its local characteristics and also
its usefulness. From the fusion of many peculiari-
ties, and the mingling of provincialisms from various
parts of the United Kingdom, is particularly useful
in the illustration of old English literature.
RICHARD CULL, Esq., then read a paper on the
misapplication of the terms " development" and
" evolution," to the formation of the inflections of a
language; els° notes on Blumenbacb's classification
of the human race.

Mr. RINK, of Denmark, read a paper on the ice
masses of Greenland, and on the icebergs in the
Arctic Sea ; communicated by the Royal Geogra-
phical Society.
The above were the principal papers in this section,
which finally closed at three o'clock.

SECTION F.-STATISTICS.

Dr. MACORMAC read a paper on the moral duty of
guarding against disease arising from atmospheric
impurity. In the course of his observations he stated
that every individual, no matter what his station,
should, for the promotion of health, take a morning
bath, pedestrian exercise, and breathe night and day
a pure air. After showing how illness was produced
and aggravated by atmospheric causes and want of
cleanliness, and alluding to the want of sanitary
arrangements in Belfast, he stated that the respira-
tion of impure air was the sole cause of
_consump-
tion, and that were a person to live night and day
in the open air he could not become consump-
tive. To confine the consumptive person also in
heated apartments was but to increase and hasten
the disease. They ought to be kept as much as pos-
sible in the open and pure air, an ounce of oxygen
being worth a ton of fish oil. Owing to perfumes and
heavy hangings, the atmosphere of the houses of the
rich was as impure as that of those of the poor, and the
result showed that the rich were no more exempt from
consumption than the poor. The lecturer then enforced
the necessity of all houses being ventilated with large
bodies of air, and of good sewerage and cleanliness, for
the promotion of health.
Dr. MALCOLM then read some practical sugges-
tions founded upon the sanitary statistics of Belfast.
A short conversation ensued upon the subject, and,
at the suggestion of the Chairman, a resolution was
passed, recommending the publication of the above
papers.
M
M.P., stated that the Health of
TowslLilllevx°p°ired next year, and as it would have
tobern. Elr D
renewed, if the Members took the matter up, it
might be extended to Ireland.
A subscription was then opened for the publication
of the two papers. It was headed by the contribu-
tion of 2/. from Mr. Heywood, and, before the close of
the meeting, it amounted to ten guineas.
Dr. STRONG then read a paper on the progress and
extent of steam- boat building on the Clyde, from which
it appeared that it was 40 years since the first steam-
boat ever sailed from it. In 1831 the number of
steamers sailing from the Clyde was thirty-five, with
a tonnage of 4,095 ; and in 1852 the number bad
risen to ninety-three, and the tonnage to 11,902.
There were, also, on the Clyde, five dredging boats,
by which the average depth of water had been in-
creased from 10 to 17 feet. The number of persons
employed in the construction and repair of steamers
was 10,820, who received, on au average of men and
boys, 16s. per week wages. There were also em-
ployed a large number of iron•founders, decorators,
&c., in connexion with the trade, rendering it one of
the most important in Scotland. _

The SOLICITOR. GENERAL called the attention of
the section to a recent proposal for the establishment
of steamers of a larger class, by which the passage
between Holyhead and Kingston would be accom-
plished in two hours, and between Galway and
Halifax in 4 days, and to the United States in six
days.