The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-01 00:00:00

- .
THE INFLUENZA.

Among the causes which have led to the fatal termination in
so many cases of influenza lately may be mentioned one, unfor-
tunately too prevalent with the public--namely, the practice of
considering the complaint a slight one, and expecting to re-
move it by simple remedies ; thus tampering with the constitu-
tion, and rendering a disease, in the first instance controllable
by proper measures, totally unmanageable and almost irrevo-
cably fatal. The young and apparently healthy have equally
been victims with the aged and the weak, for want of neces-
sary attention to the health in these instances ; and where life
has been preserved under such circumstances it has not unfre-
quently been at the expense of a debilitated constitution, and
possibly permanent injury to the lungs. The epidemic com-
mences its ravages generally by the symptoms of a cold more
or less severe, which is either neglected or else treated with
hot punch at night. Thi., of course, aggravates the fever and
inflammation; and when at length the medical man is sum-
moned, it is to find that the disease has made such progress as to
baffle his best endeavours, and to desttoy the patient. Such
is the history of perhaps a large portion of those cases which
have terminated fatally. The tendency of the epidemic to in-
duce bronchitis and pneumonia has been manifested in almost
every instance ; but it has sometimes happened that in-
flammation of the windpipe has been present. Death has en-
sued in a few cases from a very singular cause—the violence of
the cough causing such a determination of blood to the head,
as to induce the rupture of a vessel, and consequent apoplexy.
It is a fact, that no deaths have occurred among the new po-
lice force from the epidemic, and it has been attributed to the
circumstance that the men are all under 40. At first view this
may appear plausible enough, but it will net stand the test of
examination, for many persons under that age have perished,
although not so constantly exposed to the vicissitudes of the
weather as the police. The explanation may be found in the
fact, that these police, as soon as they labour under any indis-
position, declare themselves on the sick list, and are imme-
diately relieved from duty, and have proper treatment. Had
this plan been generally adopted, there had been less fatality.
On Sunday there were numerous funerals proceeding to all
the burial grounds in and around London. The mournful pro-
cessions extended in long lines to the respective cemetries, fol-
lowed in many instances by troops of friends of the deceased,
who were too poer to pay for sable garments. Those of the
working classes and members of benefit societies were con -
veyed to their last bourn by their brethren of the club to which
they belonged ; others acting as pall-bearers. A numerous
concourse of spectators assembled round the church-yards, ad-
mittance being denied them by the policemen, to prevent con-
fusion, and their earnest conversation and anxious counte-
nances showed the deep feeling entertained by them at the ra-
vages of death. The parish of St. Pancras afforded a melan-
choly spectacle. From nearly every street a funeral train might
be seen proceeding—and in a few hours 36 coffins were borne
to the old churchyard, and 24 to the other in the St. Pancras-
road, being an increase of 16 over last week. At five o'clock
the gates were closed, and the sextons directed a fresh body of
men to prepare no less than 30 more graves in the old ground
—notices to that number having been given of proposed inter-
ment for the following day. Twenty-five may be taken as an
average of the daily burials in this one ground for the last fort-
night ! The inclemency of the day, the continued fall of snow
and rain, which appeared seriously to affect the mourners,
heightened the solemnity of the awful scenes.
The numbers of burials in the following burial grounds were
considerably more numerous than on the preceding Sunday,
viz., St. John's-wood burial-ground, Regent's-park, 80 ; Pad-
dington-street, Marylebone, 35 ; Paddington churchyard, 34 ;
St. George's, Uxbridge-road, 46 ; Tottenham-court-road
(Tabernacle), 26. During the whole of Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday morning, the sextons belonging to the various
churchyards were necessitated to engage a number of extra
persons to net the graves ready for the bodies to be interred
during the week. It was considered by the faculty that the
disease was on the decline, but since the wind has changed to
the east and north-cast the malady has increased.

On Friday the head-coachman to the Marquis of
Lansdowne received orders to get his Lordship's travelling
carriage for a journey to Brighton. The coachman accordingly
had the four-in-hand harness put out ready for use. In the
aftcrnton a man came into the stable-yard, and on being spoken
to by the head coachman's wife, said he had come from
Messrs. Laurie, the saddlers, for the harness, to do some re-
pairs to it. The wife replied, she should not give out the har-
ness wiliout her husband's leave, and added that the helper
was at a neighbouring, public-house getting his dinner. The
man then went away, and was seen by a neighbour to join ano-
ther mar,, and to remain in conversation with him for a few mi-
nutes. The second man then went into the public-home
where the helper was, and told him a story similar to that of
the first man. The helper said lie had received no ort4rs, and
he should not let the harness go until the coachman returned.
The helper then proceeded to get his dinner, and the man
went away and rejoined the first man. The first man returned
to the stable yard, and seeing the coachman's wife said, " It's
pit right. I've seen the helper, and he says I'm to have the
harness." The woman believing the story gave him the har-
ness, worth 401., and the fellow got clear off.
UNION OF ALL THE PARISHES IN THE CITY
OF LONDON.-The Poor-law Commissioners on Friday trans-
mitted to the Lord Mayor and the City,authorities an order
for the union of all the parishes in the city of London and the
liberties. This union is to be called the City of London
Union, and it is to be formed and come into operation on the
30th of March next. The union will comprise 103 parishes
and districts. The number of guardians to be appointed is
127 ; of which number four are to be elected for each of the
parishes of St. Botolph Without, Bishopsgate; and St.
Giles Without. Crippiegate; three for each of the parishes of
St. Botolph, Aldgate ; St. Bride's, Fleet-street; and St. Se-
pulchre Without, Newgate-street ; two for each of the pl-
rishes of St. Andrew, Holborn, London Liberty; St. Bar-
tholomew the Great ; St. Botolph Without, Aldersgate ; St.
Dunstan's in the West ; St. Anne, Bleckfriars ; Chrio.
Church, Newgate-street ; and St. Katherine, Coleman-
street ; and one for each of the other parishes in the union. The
day of election for guardians is to he the first Thursday after
the 25th of March in each year, but the guardian= going ote-
of office are eligible for re-election. The qualification of a
guardian is the being rated to the poor-rate in any parish of
the union for a rent not less than 401. The Commissioners
have directed their Assistant Commissioner to report on the
temporary districts into which it may be expedient to divide
the City for the attainment of the object of the new Act for
the Registration of Births, Marriages, and Deatlr.
Very trifling incidents will sometimes enable us to
put a proper estimate on the value of things. The Tories
have expressed a great deal of virtuous indignation at the very
i ?ea of disfranchising the honest and incorruptible freemen.
In the glowing language of Mr. Goldney, it made the gene-
rous heart of Sir Richard Rawlinson Vyvyan, Baronet, nearly
burst with indignation ! Wr have found something like a clue
to this sympathy for the poor " thirsty" freemen. A gentle-
man picked up the following precious morceau, which he has
left at our office, for the inspection of the curious :

Pin, 1837.
Mr. Bl:sset, To E. Bailey,
Jan. 16, 17 quarts of beer, for 17 freemen of the city
of Bristol, resident in Pill, 6d. each... ...... £0 8 6
—Bristol Mercury.

A grand Celtic Fancy Ball attracted in the Assem•
bly Rooms. George-street, Edinburgh, on Friday last, not.
withstanding the prevailing illness, a large concourse of al
that is most eminent in rank, beauty, and fashion.

The late Lord Audley was in his 54th year ; he
was the 17th Baron, and lineally descended from Henry 11.
and the Fair Rosamond. His Lordship possessed considerable
natural talent, and a genius for mechanical inventions, among
which may be reckoned a portmanteau and portfolio, which
bear his name; also a lock, of which he was patentee, but
which, it is believed, has not yet been offered to the public.
In early life his Lordship obtained a commission in the Guares,
which he held for 17 years. The vault in which his remains
were deposited contained the relics of his Lordship's father
and mother, the latter of whom was the daughter of the late
and last Earl of Delaval ; she died in the 28th year of her age,
52 years ago. His Lordship, in person, was somewhat above
the ordinary stature, and a little difficulty was experienced at
the interment in consequence of the narrowness of the aisles or
the church at Melksham, and the bulk of the coffin, which
weighed about 8 cwt. His present Lordship had just entered
his 21st year, and is said to have expressed a determination not
to apply for a continuance of the pension granted to his father.
To day, at noon, in placing upon the top of the
Lyons diligence, of the Lafitte and Callaird office, a basket
which had been brought a few minutes before, and which was
said to contain various articles of value, some motion was felt
within the basket. On this being observed, the basket was
opened. when amen was found concealed in it who could ex-
plain his singular situation only by his wish to conceal his
journey from his wife. He was conducted to the police. He
is a confectioner of the name of D—. His object was to
travel economically, and above all, without his" wife's knowing
of it. In his basket were along with him ten bottles of cham-
pagne, two cold fowls, two loaves, two pounds of chocolate, and
a phial of ether. He had taken care to secure an opening in
order that he might breathe.—Charte of Friday.

POTATO STARCH.—It is not generally known that
frosted potatoes will produce starch of as good quality as those
that have not been injured. Each stone of potatoes will yield
from one and a half to two pounds of starch, worth at least
three half-pence per pound. The mode of extracting the
starch is easy, and understood by all the country people. If
it is to be done extensively, a small mill of simple construc-
tion and trifling expense—a patern of which can be seen at
George Clune's forge in this town—has been found well
adapted for the purpose. Potato starch has latterly been much
sought for in the cotton manufactories, and is found to make
a super for dressing to American flour, which has heretofore
been principally used for that purpose. The common white
potato yields the purest starch, and the remainder of it is capi-
tal feeding for cattle or pigs, as it does not lose more than
one-third of its nutritive principle, by the quantity of starch
extracted.—Clare Joarnal.

Continued bad weather, and, above all, excessive
dampness contributed towards propogating in an extraordinary
manner the grippe. The Quartier Latin is violently attacked
by it, the young students especially, who in the amusements
of the Carnival, exposed themselves to the unwholesome influ-
ence of the atmosphere at night, are struck en masse by the
epidemic. Yet not a fatal case of the grippe is n)entionod.
The gravity of the disease, if there be any gravity in it, doe&
not extend beyond five or six days, and with a little care the
disease is at an end in the course of about ten days.--La Paix
of Sunday.

The Right Hon. the Earl of Durham has presented
'no chaldrons of coal to the Guardians of the Sunderland
Union, to be distributed amongst the poor of Sunderland and
Bishopwearmouth.