The Sun.
London, England, 1837-01-14 00:00:00

THE INFLUENZA.

Last evening Dr. Ritchie, of the London Univer-
sity, had engaged_ to commence a.course of lectures on
optics, at the Southwark Astronomical Institution, but
we are sorry to say was prevented by a serious attack
of influenza. Mr. Wallis, who last week concluded a
course of lectures on astronomy, had engaged to sup-
ply his place, but was prevented by a sudden attack of
the same disorder. Mr. Lewthwaite, the professor of
botany, and several other scientific gentlemen; who
are supporters of this important scientific institution,
were applied to, but were found suffering in a similar
manner. Mr. Dix, the proprietor of the institution,
and at whose sole expense it has been handsomely fit-
ted up, and supplied with instruments, &c., is also
confined to his chamber. Under these circumstances,
it was found necessary to postpone the lecture till next
Friday.
On the Surrey side of the water the complaint ap-
pears most prevalent, and appears still to continue
to increase, both as to the numbers and the severity of
the attack.

The epidemic is raging most violently in th:l neigh-
bourhood of Clerkenwell and St. Andrew, Holbori:,
&c., where several families have been affected and ren-
dered incapable of pursuing their daily avocations. In
Clerkenwell work-house upwards of 200 of the in-
mates are at present confined to their beds under pro-
per medical asistance, and the operations of the kit-
chen were temporarily suspended, owing to the whole
of the servants having been attacked. They are prin-
cipally aged persons, and the symptoms are tightness
on the chest, difficulty of breathing, fever, and violent
cough, with affection of the sight. In St. Paul, Co-
vent-garden, work-house, it is also severely felt, and
numbers of the paupers have been admitted to the
infirmary, and are confined to their beds.
A gentleman, who has made very assiduous inqui-
ries respecting the effects and extent of the present.
epidemic, has ascertained that in the prisons and
workhouses it has been very severe ; that, in one work-
house no less a number than 13 have died; that in
Chelsea Hospital the mortality has been very consi-
derable ; and that in the Debtors' Prison in White,-
cross-street, more than three-fourths of the inmates
have been seriously affected, owing to the crowded
state of the wards during the hours in which strangers
are admitted—viz., from ten to four. In the latter in-
stance, the evil, as regards the catarrhal sympto-ns,
has been greatly aggravated by the tobacco smoke so
incessantly evolved by the prisoners and their friends,
more particularly as the state of the weather has been
such as to prevent them from perambulating the yards.
A great number of the labourers on the Birmingham
and Great Western Railways have been laid up by the
influenza.
Since the severe weather of the two preceding weeks
an epidemic, similar to that of 1833, has made its ap-
pearance in the metropolis ; and, although not attended
by such severe symptoms as the one alluded to, yet a
great many persons are now labouring under its influ-
ence. It is a fever of a debilitating character, which
falls on the throat and air passages, and for a day or
two is attended with distressing symptoms ; it soon,
however, disappears, and is scarcely ever known to
prove fatal, except in very old and debilitated persons.
Depleting and lowering measures will prove extremely
injurious in this disease ; keeping the bowels open,
giving a gentle sudorific, and allowing the patient a
moderate quantity of warm wine-and-water, will be
generally all that is required to be done in the way of
medical treatment ; except where particular organs be-
come affected, when appropriate measures, according to
the acuteness of the attack, will be necessary. .It is
advisable for old people to watch carefully the first
appearance of this disease, as with them it may prove
of more serious consequence than in young and healthy
persons.—The Doctor.

Another victory was gained yesterday by the deci-
sion in the cause Dellier v. Bodicoate, before the Civil
Tribunal of this town ; when the plaintiff, the third holder
of a bill for one hundred and twenty pounds, six years over
due, not appearing, judgment went against him by default.
Thus an individual, and that individual an Englishman--
one of a nation, once only resting place for the ark of free-
dom ; and whose sons have made as great sacrifices to ob-
tain and defend their liberties as any people in the universe,
has been deprived of his liberty for months, and is at last
liberated, because the plaintiff has not brass enough to ap-
pear before the Tribunal to endeavour to substantiate his
claim, after having three months allowed him to do so, and
all that time keeping his victim in captivity. We hope the
Preach being lovers of freedom themselves, will not
much longer permit foreigners to be thus treated, and in-
carcerated at the mere will and pleasure of unknown non-
resident adventurers, who may choose to take a trip across
the channel, swear to a debt, deprive a man of his liberty,
saddle him with expenses ; and then, after doing all this,
give up the suit as hopeless, and leave his victim to lament
his hard fate, in thus suffering both in purse and person,
with his wrongs unredressed, unless he chooses to enter into
a law-suit with his plaintiff (who is resident in another coun-
try), to recover the costs and damages which the Court
may have awarded'to him.—Boulog,ite Jorual.