The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-20 00:00:00

The Lord President of the Council ;has received
from the medical officer of the Privy Council the
following letter in regard to the Russian epidemic :
Whitehall, April 19.
My Lord,—l have the honour of reporting to
your lordship that the information which, under your
directions, I have been receiving during the last fort-
night, on the subject of certain diseases prevailing,
or said to be prevailing in the North of Europe, is
now so far completed by a telegram yesterday re-
ceived from Dr. Whitley at St. Petersburg, as to
render possible a judgment, which I think may not
be premature, on the very important question,
whether this country, in its intercourse with the
North of Europe, is exposed to more than its ordi-
nary risks of being infected by disease.
The very alarming rumour which excited your
lordship's vigilance on the present subject, was to
the effect that a disease of the nature of plague,
coming from beyond the Ural Mountains, and caus-
ing depopulation in its course, had not only reached
St. Petersburg, where it was said to be causing fear-
ful ravages, but had spread beyond the Prussian
frontier, and was prevailing, though in a less de-
structive form, at Dantzig and various other places
in North Germany.
Telegraphic inquiries, however, which Earl Rus-
sell at your lordship's request caused to be made of
her Majesty's ambassadors and consuls in the coun-
tries to which the rumour referred, led almost imme-
diately to the establishment of two facts, which,
while they fully accounted for the existing rumour,
divested it in great part of its extremely alarming
character. In the first place it was ascertained, that,
though undoubtedly St. Petersburg was suffering a
very great excess of sickness and mortality, yet, at
least the main part of the epidemic disease which was
prevailing there consisted only of such fevers as are
well known in this country. And, in the second place,
it was ascertained that, though a very frightful dis-
ease was indeed prevailing in parts of North Ger-
many, and particularly about the Lower Vistula,
this disease was altogether different in kind from the
fevers which were prevailing in St. Petersburg. In
proportion as time has permitted the ordinary postal
communications to take place, the above-stated two
facts have been established more in detail. And it
may now, I think, be fairlylassumed that there is no
other important fact to be added to them.
First, as regards St. Petersburg, the epidemic
which is prevailing in that city consists of two forms
of fever which are known in this country as relaps-
ing fever and typhus. Of relapsing fever (which
also, from the circumstances under which it prevails,
is familiarly known by the name of famine-fever)
we have had no large experience in this country
since the years 1846-48, when, in consequence of
Irish distress, the disease first became epidemic in
Ireland, and next raged in Liverpool, and many
other of our chief towns to which its contagion was
brought by Irish immigrants. Typhus, on the other
hand, is probably never absent from among us.
During the last two or three years, there has been
an almost unprecedented amount of it in London,
and, as your lordship is aware, inquiries relating to
very large epidemics of it in Liverpool, Greenock,
and Bristol have during the last few months been
required of the medical department of the Council-
office. In times when relapsing fever prevails (and
always they are times of national scarcity) typhus
always, or nearly always, co-exists with it. It was
so at Liverpool in 1847, it is so at St. Petersburg
at present. The mixed epidemic, wherever it occurs,
testifies to the miserable state of a starving and
over-crowded proletariat; and there seems reason to
believe that if the St. Petersburg epidemic is of more
than common severity, this is only in result of ex-
tremely aggravated conditions of privation, over-
crowding, filth, and district-unwholesomeness, ope-
rating on large masses of the lowest population. It
is probable that the relapsing fever has caused par-
ticular alarm in St. Petersburg from the fact that
the disease had never before prevailed there, nor
indeed been much known anywhere in Russia. But
it is a disease greatly less dangerous than typhus.
To persons whom they respectively have attacked
in this country, typhus has been seven or eight times
as fatal as relapsing fever.
Both typhus and relapsing fever are communic-
able from person to person by means of the general
exhalations of the sick ; and the danger of such
contagion acquires its utmost development when
masses of ill-fed population are crowded together in
places which are unsusceptible of ventilation.
It seems probable that the fevers now prevailing
in St. Petersburg are not only extensively diffused,
but in their respective kinds are of fully average
severity. The relapsing fever is causing more than
its usual proportion of deaths, and is notably at-
tended with those inflammatory swellings which are
known by the name of buboes. Although the re-
ports which are before me do not state the relative
frequency with which the latter symptom is observed,
yet from the fact of its being mentioned in a very
general report on the epidemic, I infer that it has
been more than commonly frequent, and doubtless
it was from this circumstance that there arose the
rumour of plague. It is therefore requisite to men-
tion that buboes are by no means exclusively charac-
teristic of plague, that severe typhus in this country
is not very infrequently attended by them, and that
also in our other forms of fever they are sometimes,
though far less frequently, observed. The great im-
portance, however, of the question which is involved
in that system of buboes was a main reason for
your lordship's thinking it desirable to have an
English physician's report on all the elements of the
St. Petersburg epidemic ; and it was therefore that
under your lordship's orders I instructed Dr. Whit-
ley to proceed to St. Petersburg for the purpose of
making personal examinations in the matter. He
arrived at St. Petersburg on Saturday night last,
and his telegram which I yesterday received informs
me in positive terms that " nothing resembling
plague has been observed."
As regards the disease which is prevailing in parts
of North Germany, the case is very widely different.
That disease is one of which hitherto England has
had no general experience. Even in foreign medical
literature mention of it is but comparatively recent,
and the knowledge which relates to it is incomplete.
It is a febrile nervous affection of a very painful
and very dangerous kind. By us, for practical pur-
poses, it may be regarded as a new disease ; but, in
truth, it has for the last 28 years been prevail-
ing very extensively in successive small epidemics,
both in Europe and in America, throughout the en-
tire breadth of the north temperate zone. Having
regard to the probability that sooner or later this
disease may show itself in England, I have thought
it convenient that, both for your lordship's present
reference, and for such further use as you may deem
expedient, there should be compendiously stated the
main facts which are yet known with regard to the
disease's nature and laws of distribution ; and I have
accordingly prepared a special memorandum in
which, by reference to foreign authorities, I endea-
vour to fulfil that object.
Both on account of the alarming rumours which
were connected with the present epidemics in North
Germany, and also with a view to collect the latest
and fullest information concerning the habits of so
important a disease, your lordship (as in the case of
the St. Petersburg fevers) deemed it right that an
English physician should be sent to observe and re-
port ; and, under your lordship's orders, I instructed
Dr. Sanderson to proceed for this purpose to those
places about the Lower Vistula where the disease
was chiefly prevailing. From him, during the last
few days, I have received telegrams and letters which
leave no doubt as to theidentity of the prevailinc, dis-
ease, and establish, as I have already stated, that it
has no dependence on the fevers of St. Petersburg.
In the special memorandum to which I refer, I
have stated what I can learn withregard to the coin.
municability of the nervous disease. Your lordship
will observe that, though I hesitate to speak of the
disease as incommunicable by personal intercourse,
I show reason for believing that under ordinary cir-
cumstances it is not thus communicable in more
than a very low degree. And Dr. Sanderson writes
to me, in relation to the present epidemics, that he
finds "no reason for regarding the disease as per-
sonally communicable ;" that he has " met no single
instance in which more than one member of the same
family has been attacked ; nor has there been any
diffusion of the disease in any of the hospitals."
From the foregoing statement your lordship will

dispose themselves, in regard to lodgment and seclu

sion, as not, in any fairly avoidable degree, to en-
danger the public health.—l have the honour to be,
my lord, your lordship's most obedient servant,
(Signed) JOHN SIMON.
To the Lord President of the Council, K.G.

Mr. Hibbut, M,P., at Oldham,
Yesterday the Oldham Liberal Registration So-
ciety held its first festival at the Co-operative Hall,
King-street, in that borough. At the public meeting
which was held in the evening there was only a mo-
derate attendance, and that was composed largely of
women. Mr. J. Platt took the chair, and was sup-
ported by Mr. Hibbert, one of the members for the
borough, and by several of the town councilors and
leading Liberal electors of Oldham.
The CHAIRMAN said the time was not very far
distant when the electors of that town would be
called upon to exercise the franchise ; but they had
been so long without a contested election that he
scarcely knew whether any person took any interest
in politics. There had, however, recently been a
contest in a neighbouring town, where the old party
spirit seemed to be alive, and parties who had been
there said that the excitement could not possibly
have been greater even if there had been an invasion
of England. He congratulated the Liberals of Roch-
dale on having fought a very good battle. (Hear,
and cheers.) Many of his Liberal friends in Roch-
dale had entertained misgivings about the result of
the election, for what reason he did not know, ex-
cept it was the boasting of their opponents. They
never had any reason to doubt their friends, and
they knew the register was in their favour.; yet they
knew theirpolitical opponents had been for manyyears
organising an opposition. He could not help feeling
sorry for Mr. Brett, who belonged to the old school
of Tories. If he must have an opponent that was
the very man he should like to fight, because there
could be no doubt about his opinions. Their diffi-
culty in Oldham was of a very different character.
They could not tell what kind of a man they were
fighting. How the Conservatives and extreme Ra-
dicals could unite in supporting Mr. Cobbett had
been a puzzle to him ever since he took a part inthe
politics of Oldham. The time would soon arrive
when they would have to think of politics, and of
the promotion of Liberal principles, by which he
meant principles in accordance with the legislation
of the last 30 years. After the results they had seen,
he did not think that any of them would like to go
back. (Hear.) Opponents who had fought against
that great and good man who had lately departed
from them, were willing to pay homage to his me-
mory, to applaud his abilities, and many of them
had stated publicly that he was right and they were
wrong. Might not they also be wrong on many
other questions on which Mr. Cobden had expressed
views differing from them. Among other mea-
sures, Mr. Cobden was willing to extend the
franchise to the people, and he believed that a
practical solution of the difficulty as to such an ex-
tension will be found in the last letter which
Mr. Cobden wrote. He (the Chairman) believed
the time was not far distant when they would
see the end of the present struggle in America,
with the end of which they would see also the
end of slavery. (Applause.) He hailed the last
news with the greatest possible pleasure, as he
thought the struggles of Lancashire were drawing
to an end. Whenever the history of the cotton
famine should be written, it would be seen that
Lancashire had stood forward nobly in a good cause,
and that never had this country been truer to itself

than in maintaining neutrality during the American
war. (Cheers.)
Mr. HIBBERT, M.P., who was received with con-
siderable applause, said he had great pleasure in
coming there that night to meet his constituents,

many of whom he hoped he might now call his old
_ _

and dear friends. (Hear, hear.) For the first time
since he had been their representative he saw ladies
at a political meeting. He was glad to see them,
because it showed that they took an interest in poli-
tical progress, and he thought if the wives were on
the right side there could be no doubt the husbands
would be there also. It was right in his opinion that
ladies should take an interest in political progress,
because there was nothing that so much affected their
comfort and happiness as the great advance which
had taken place in political and financial matters
during the last 30 years. It was certainly a matter
for congratulation that so much had been done to
add to the comfort and happiness of the people ;
and he was sure there was no man, woman, or child
in this country who did not feel benefited
by the noble deed that was done by those who

have gathered that, neither as regards the fevers obtained the repeal of the corn laws. In speak-
which are present in St. Petersburg, nor as regards ing of that his mind naturally reverted to the la-
the nervous disease which is occurring in North mented death of Richard Cobden. He (Mr. Rib-
Germany, are the circumstances such as have on , bert) had now had the pleasure of sitting in the
former occasions led to the adoption of quarantine House of Commons for nearly three years, very near
by this country—that, as regards the importability to that respected man for whom he had the greatest
of the nervous disease, our danger in communicat- admiration, not only on account of his political
ing with the Baltic ports (unless they were move- opinions, but also because of what he had perceived
ments of masses of infected population) is apparently of Mr. Cobden's conduct in the house. Not only did
nothing, or next to nothing—and that, as regards the late member for Rochdale pay attention to the
the Russian epidemic, our danger in communicating questions of State which agitated this country, but
with St. Petersburg is only the same sort of danger he was always ready and willing to attend to the
as the several parts of the United Kingdom have least local matters which affected the interests of the
often occasioned to one another, and are even at the county of Lancashire in general, and Rochdale in
present time, as regards the worst known forms of particular. He remembered that at the time the
fever, daily and abundantly occasioning. cotton distress commenced, an effort was made in
As, however, it is possible and evenprobable that, the House of Commons to carry out some legisla-
with the re-opening of the Baltic navigation, ships tion in order to enable the people of Lancashire to
which come to our ports from Russian territorymay meet that distress. Mr. Cobden was always ready
occasionally have fever cases on board, it is essen- to take a part in the discussion of the questions
tial that, in places which this danger may affect, the arising thereon. However small was the business
local sanitary authorities should exercise peculiar required to be done, Mr. Cobden never seemed to
vigilance against all those unwholesome conditions think it too small a matter for him to stoop to ; and
which favour the propagation of such disease. In he (Mr. Hibbert) remembered that in the second
this connection I would beg leave to advert to the year of the distress, Mr. Cobden was particularly
short general memorandum which, under direction anxious, knowing how severely the small millowners
of the Lords of the Council, I prepared in 1860, and suffered from the large amount of taxation which
have since then been in the habit of circulating, on was coming upon them,and wrote to him (Mr. Hib-
the " proceedings which are available in places at- bert) several letters, wishing to know whether some-
tacked or threatened by epidemic disease." As re- thing could not be doneto relieve the silent millsfrom
gards the class of places to which my present re- bearing so large a proportion of rates. Unfortunately
marks particularly apply, it is scarcely needful to at that time nothing could be done; but he believed
observe that the state of common lodging-houses, a course of action had since been taken to follow
and of houses which are sub-let in several small out very much the suggestions which were made by
holdings, ought very specially to be seen to, and Mr. Cobden. He thought the world at large would
that every possible care ought to be taken to pro- admit that they had lost a great man, and all
vide lest they be left over-crowded and ill-ventilated. Englishmen would admit that this country had lost
Except in connection with reckless personal asso- one of her greatest statesmen. Mr. Disraeli had
elation, there is little danger that febrile contagion said that Mr. Cobden was the greatest political
will spread widely where the sanitary circumstances character that the middle classes of this country had
are good ; but the advent of such a contagion into ever produced. He (Mr. Hibbert) had no doubt
the poorer dwellings of a place tests, in a crucial that such was the truth ; and that now Mr. Cobden
and unflattering way, the sufficiency of their adap- was gone from them they would feel his loss more
tation to health. and more. There was one subject to which atten-
.
Finally, with reference to the just-mentioned tion ought certainly to be paid, viz., to the Liberal
danger, and to others of a like kind, it seems im- Registration Society of Oldham, and those gentle-
perative on me that on this occasion I should bring men who gave so much time, labour, and money to
under your lordship's partial notice the very unsatis- promote its success ought to be thanked. Objec-
factory state of our sanitary laws in everything tions to voters had been sent out right and left by
which relates to the migration, exposure, and hous- the registration societies of South Lancashire, and
ing of persons who are infected with the current had given great trouble and inconvenience. From
contagions of the country, and who, in the absence 30 to 40 householders in that borough had lost their
of proper precaution, must communicate their disease votes, merely because they could not attend before
to others. Complaints are frequently made that the revising barrister. He was happy to say there
the public health of a district is seriously endangered was now a bill before Parliament, and likely he
by the arrival (sometimes from abroad, sometimes thought soon to become law, which required the ob-
from other parts of the United Kingdom) of patients jection to be stated in each notice paper. One of
suffering with small-pox, typhus, typhoid fever, the greatest questions of the day was that of
scarlatina, or some other malignant and more or reform, and he believed the people were
less communicable disease ; or that such patients are apathetic, owing to the length of time since
being lodged in houses where the disease can hardly there had been a general election. He was in
fail to spread; or that, either in states of imperfect favour of the plan for re-distributing the seats,
convalescence, or even during active disease, they dividing the larger towns into wards, and
travel in public conveyances or expose themselves in giving those large towns more representatives,
places of common resort. In the present state of by whom all interests would be represented. It
the law the authorities who are charged with the was impossible that another Parliament could meet
local protection of the public health are practically without extending the franchise in some measure to
almost powerless against these evils, and it would the working classes. They should not "rest and be
be over-sanguine to imagine that, within any small thankful," but endeavour to improve their constitu-
number of generations, the sanitary state of the tion. He believed the enfranchisement of the work-
poorer dwellings of the country will be generally ing classes would add dignity to this country, would
such that the germs of contagious disease can with bind the entire community still closer together, and
impunity be imported into them. I would therefore in a united people the country would possess a better
venture to submit to your lordship that in my opinion safeguard than in her armies or her fleets. (Cheers.'
it deserves the consideration of the legislature, Several other gentlemen also addressed the meet
whether the hands of local authorities might not ex- ing.
pediently be strengthened against the evils which I
have described ; whether, namely, such authorities
might not, under proper qualifications, be empowered
to require that persons who come with dangerous
communicable disease into the district should so

The Royal Dublin Society's Spring Cattle
Show.

DUBLIN, April 19.
This show is regarded with deep interest through-
out the entire country. And good reason there is
for this. In the years that Ireland was most de-
pressed it indicated with considerable fidelity the
unfortunate condition of the agricultural commu-
nity, and, when the return of prosperity took place,
it proved a faithful index of the happy change.
Looking at it in this light, therefore, even though
it were not the most important agent in the country
for producing an improved breed of stock, its value
will at once be readily admitted. The present show
confirms the opinion of those who hold that Ireland
is not going backward. There is not only an increase
in the number of animals exhibited, but they are
better bred. A comparison of the society's records
of shorthorned stock entered in 1864 and in the
current year will establish the former statement :
Yearling bulls-1864, 77 ; 1865, 98 ; two-year-old
bulls--1864, 34 ; 1865, 36 ; three-year-old bulls-
-1864, 12 ; - 1865, 14 ; aged bulls-1864, 10 ; 1865,
13 ; yearling heifers-1864, 17 ; 1865, 18 ; two-
year-old heifers-1864, 5 ; 1865, 12 ; three-year-
old heifers, 1864, 3 ; 1865, 4 ; aged cows-1864,
9 ; 1865, 18. This shows an increase of 41 entries
for 1865. As to the marked improvement in the
breeding of the stock—a matter of much more conse-
quence, it must be allowed, than an increase in the
number of entries—the Freeman affords most em-
phatic evidence. " The excellence of the breeding
and fat horned stock at the present show came
upon many with most agreeable surprise, as per-
sons interested in stock-growing were aware that,
owing to the high price of meat, nearly all animals
that were not near being what is called finished,'
and been shipped to supply the English markets,
and this, combined with the scarcity of grass and
green crops, led persons to suppose that the show
of horned cattle this year would be far below the
average. But we do not remember to have seen any
similar exhibition held under the auspices of the
society in which the stock breeding of the entire
country was so well represented. In the collection are
to be found animals from all parts of Ireland, of the
best and purest breeds, and some of them, from re-
mote localities, have taken off the highest prizes in
the department to which they belong. In the shows
of former years our attention was often drawnto the
very inferior breeding of some of the animals entered
for competition, but on passing through the show
that commenced yesterday, nothing struck us more
forcibly than the claims to notice and commendation
which nearly every animal exhibited possessed." This
is cheering language ; it seems to prove, too, that
the agricultural classes are beginning to recognise
the truth of the assertion that they ought to devote
themselves mainly to breeding stock. Among the
noblemen and gentlemen who, as on previous occa-
sions, exhibit shorthorns, are the Marquis of
Drogheda, the Earl of Mayo, the Earl of Caledon,
Lord Cremorne, Lord Crofton, Colonel Leslie,
M.P. ; Mr. Barnes, the Messrs. Christy, Sir Robert
Paul, Mr. Richard Reynall, Mr. Jaffray Barcroft,
Mr. Cosby, Mr. Phinease Riall, Mr. Allan Pollok,
Sir Alan Bellingham, Mr. G. W. Lambert, Mr.
Henry Richardson, Sir Percy Nugent, Mr. Conolly,
M.P. ; Mr. Wm. Jameson, Mr. N. Burton, Mr. N.
M. Archdall, Mr. Dunlop, Mr. R. Chalmer, Colonel
Fisher, &c. Among the English exhibitors are
Lady Pigot, Mr. R. Tennant, and the Hon. G. E.
Lascelles. The English element, it may be noticed,
is well represented on the list of judges :—Short-
horns—John Thompson, Aislaby, Hull ; Stiles Rich,
Dedmartin, Chippenham, Wilts ; James Bult, Dod-
hill House, Kingston, near Taunton. Miscellaneous
Breeds—Henry Haywood, Blakemere House, Here-
ford. Sheep—Robert J. Wiley, Winterfield, Cat-
terick, Yorkshire. Swine—Henry-Haywood, Blake-
mere House, Hereford. Fat Stock—Robert J. Wiley,
Winterfield, Catterick. It is only just to say that
in proportion to the means at its disposal, the Royal
Dublin Society awards most liberal prizes. A co-
veted prize, which, indeed, confers the blue ribbon
of the show, has always been the Irish Framers'
Gazette Challenge Cup. This prize was originally
presented by Messrs. W. S. and E. Pardon, the
. .

enterprising proprietors of the Irish Farmers'
Gazette, to be awarded to the animal in the

breeding classes of neat cattle, which, in the opinion
of the judges, possessed the greatest merit. For

several years it went through a variety of vicissitudes
of ownerships, but was at length permanently won
by Col. Townley, of Townley Hall, Lancashire. Th©

gallant gentleman, who always took a deep interest
in the prosperity of the society's shows, seeing the
advantage which competition for such a valuable

prize must confer, determined that this cup should
be replaced by a plate with which the name of

the Irish Farmer's Gazette should be associated,

and accordingly he contributed the sum of 160