The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-26 00:00:00

PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE CHOLERA.

BY ORDER OF THE GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH IN ENG-
LAND.-TO CAPTAINS OF MERCHANT SHIPS, STEAMERS,

AND COLLIERS.

First Instruction—Guard against Looseness of the
Bowels and Purging.--Before a person is attacked by
the cholera, he is almost sure to have for a day or two,
or for several days, or only for a few hours, some loose-
ness of the bowels or purging, there is often no pain,
but this must not put any off his guard, as to the im-
portance of this warning. The captain or mate, ought,
therefore, without alarming the men, to inquire of the
crew daily, whether any of them have looseness or pur-
ging, as this might by chance become worse. If a man
is purged let him go to bed, be kept quite warm, and if
he is cold, apply bottles of hot water, or bags filled with
hot salt, or bran, to the stomach and feet. Give him
immediately, eight drops of laudanum in a wine glass
of hot and weak brandy and water ; give the man this
every two hours, as long as he is purged ; the same dose
should be given night and morning for one or two days
after the purging has stopped.
Second Instruction—What is to be done if a man is
seized or taken with cholera.—This comes on with cold,
giddiness, sickness, vomiting and purging of what looks
like dirty water, or rice and water. Let the man get
into a hot bed ; cover him well with blankets ; apply
bottles of hot water, or bags filled with hot salt, sand,
or bran to the stomach spine, and "fde ; -be sure he is
exposed to a draught or cold, the object being to get him
into a sweat. Put a large poultice of mustard and vine-
gar over the stomach, and keep it on 15 or 20 minutes.
Give the man 15 drops of laudanum, with a teaspoonful
of brandy (or whisky or other spirit in the absence of
brandy) in a little hot water ; a little ginger or cloves
may be added. This medicine nay be given every hour
for six hours, but not longer ; it must then be left off.
When the man begins to sweat give him some hot tea,
with a teaspoonful of brandy in it, and keep him warm
in bed.

Third Instruction.—When the ship is in port, medical
advice should be got as soon as possible, in any case of
seizure, as the delay of even one hour may cause death.
Fourth Instruction--On Food.—All kinds of fruit,
s-lads cucumbers, celery, and pickles had better be
avoided ; also oysters, lobsters, crabs, muscles, or other
shell fish. The most wholesome articles of food are well-
baked bread, good biscuits, rice, oatmeal, peas, and good
potatoes ; solid food is better than fluid, and therefore at
this time it would be a good thing to give the crew beef
and mutton instead of soup.
Fifth Instruction—On the Danger of Spirits, Corn
Brandy, Wine, Beer, &c.—lt is a very common notion
among sailors and other people that brandy, whisky,
rum, wine, and the like, are good as a protection against
the cholera. This is a total and fatal mistake. In every
country and town where the cholera has broken out
drunkards, and those who drink freely, have been the
first and greatest sufferers from the disease ; temperate
men usually escape, drunkards usually die. It is, there-
fore, earnestly hoped and requested that captains will
warn their crews against all excess in drinking. More
especially warn them from taking corn brandy or gin,
which often acts as a poison ; they should also not drink
any of the white and brown beer sold at Hamburgh and
other ports, especially if it is sour. The Elbe water is
bad, and likely to purge, therefore it would be better to
use water brought from England, and captains are re-
commended to take in a supply accordingly.
Sixth Instruction—Against exposure to Wet and Cold.
—Wet and cold should as much as possible be guarded
against, by warm dry clothing, and stout shoes ; a thick
flannel belt or bandage around the stomach and loins is
a good defence for sailors ; when they go to bed, if the
shirt is damp or wet, they should change it, and put on a
dry one. They should not stop out at night on shore :
many sailors who have been drinking at Hambro' Bar,
and lying about on Sunday night, have been seized on
Monday with cholera, and died in a few hours.
Seventh Instruction—Concerning Cleanliness and
Ventilation. Nothing is of greater importance as a pro-
tection against cholera than cleanliness, and a good
supply of fresh pure air. It is, therefore, the duty of
captains to take all the means in their power to improve
and keep up the health and strength of their crews, who
are placed under their care and protection. The owners
aro particularly requested on the return of their ships to
English ports to see these instructions complied with.
The forecastle should be frequently cleansed, and the
hatches be opened in fine weather, so as freely to admit
the fresh air. The forecastle should be whitewashed.
To sweeten the ship, bleaching salt or powder (called
also chloride of lime), which is very cheap and may be
got at any druggists, should be mixed with water, and
poured down the pumps ; it should also be sprinkled
about the forecastle and in the cabins. Beep the ship
as free as possible from bilge water, using the pumps
daily for this purpose, because it prevails most when
ships are very tight, and open the hatches to purify the
hold. All the bedding should be kept well dried, and
be brought on deck in fine weather, and well aired.
Mark this well.—The cholera is not contagious ; so
no one need be afraid of catching it; there is no danger
in waiting on and nursing any one of the crew who may
unfortunately be attacked.
The captains of all vessels trading to the port of
Hamburgh are hereby informed that proper medicine,
ready made up for use, and with plain directions, can be
procured at prime cost of all the shipbrokers and agents
for English ships in Hamburgh, and they are hereby re-
quested to provide themselves with the same, in order
to afford all the protection to their crews which the cir-
cumstances of the case admit. _ _

Signed by order oTthe6eneral Board of Health of
England,
HENRY AUSTIN, Secretary.

October 18, 1848.

REMOVAL OF NUISANCES AND PREVENTION

OF DISEASE.
(By authority of the Local Board of Health.)
The Local Board of Health feel it their duty to in-
form all persons that under the Public Health Act, 1848,
they have power to provide for—
The cleansing of streets.
The removal of filth, dung, dust, ashes, and rubbish
therein. _ . .

The keeping in order of water-closets, privies, and
drains.
The filling up or covering of places used for the collec-
tion of liquid filth.
The removal of any nuisance from pigstyes.
The whitewashing and cleansing of filthy or unwhole-
somesome houses.

And, under the Common Lodging-houses Act, the
regulation of common lodging-houses.
The directions and regulations of the General Board

4. Look to the inside of your dwelling, as well as out-
side, to get rid of nuisances. Are the walls and ceilings
dirty or mouldy ? At the cost of a shilling or two they
may be limewhited. This has been found one of the
most effectual preventatives of cholera. Avoid, if pos-
sible, crowding your sleeping-rooms. If there is a
chimney in a bed-room, keep it open, and have no
chimney-board, or chest of drawers, to stop it up. It
would be good to make a hole, three or four inches
square, near the ceiling, into the chimney—a very easy
ventilator. Get pure air into your rooms by every pos-
sible means, and get rid of the foul air in the most effec-
tual manner. If there is a constant offensive smell
within your dwelling, which other people as well as
yourself notice, be sure that there is danger at hand ;
and never rest till you have ascertained the cause, and
have got it removed, as far as possible. Complain to
the landlord ; if he neglects you, complain to those who
have to enforce "The Nuisances Removal Act." If
you cannot get the nuisance removed, you ought to pre-
pare to remove from the nuisance. If you go to other
lodgings or houses, go to those where there has been no
fever. There are houses, with no fault of construction,
that are always disagreeable to the senses. They are
the abodes of sluttishness—the forerunner of disease.
The person is seldom clean when a dwelling is dirty.
Personal cleanliness and house cleanliness are both
health-givers, and are of vital importance when the ele-
ments of disease and death are around us.
5. This advice, with regard to your dwelling, assumes
that you live in a populous town ; but the principles on
which the advice is founded hold good, whether you
dwell in a village, or even in a lone cottage. All places,
it is to be feared, have their nuisances. If there is a
dungheap at your threshold, remove it to a distance. If
a foul ditch, or cesspool, stir yourself to have a change.
If the pigsty is offensive, cleanse and wash h daily.
Have no poultry or rabbits within doors. In a word,
get dirt and damp away from your house and out of
your house, and get pure into it. Be clean yourself,
and have everything clean about you.
6. Having looked to your dwelling within and with-
out, consider what is best for your welfare as to food
and clothing. Whenever cholera is present in a locality,
there is a general tendency to irritation of bowels, and
warm clothing and wholesome food are more than ever
necessary. These happily are within the reach of the
great body of the people. The extreme poor must be
righteously cared for in these respects out of the abun-
dance of the more fortunate; but all have in their power
to avoid what is hurtful. Avoid cold ; but make your-
self strong by exercise in the open air, if your employ.
ment is within doors. The same duty of exercise applies
to all your family, male and female. If there is any
food or drink injurious at ordinary times, it is doubly
injurious when there is pestilence in the atmosphere.
Be very careful not to drink impure water ; and take
heed that wells are not polluted, and that water-butts
and cisterns are kept cleansed. Spend less money on
beer and other drinks, and spend more on flannel and
coals.

7. The following personal precautions against cholera
proceed from the General Board of Health :
" Cholera is not so suddenly fatal as is supposed ; it
comes on with looseness or bowel complaint, which goes
on for some hours, or even for a day or two. There is
often no pain ; but no one must be put off his guard by
this circumstance, but must immediately, when purging
comes on, apply for proper medicine, by which the dis-
ease is usually stopped. Where cholera is prevalent in
a district, the neglect of this caution for a few hours may
be fatal.
" Cholera is often brought on by improper diet.
Tainted meat and fish, and damaged vegetables, should
be carefully avoided.
" Cholera is often brought on by excess even of whole.
some food. The greatest moderation should be practised
both in meats and drinks, always avoiding long fasting.
Ardent spirits should be taken only under medical ad-
vice ; drunkards always suffer most.
" Cholera is often brought on by cold. Wet clothes
should be immediately changed ; the feet especially
should be kept warm and dry. The most violent at-
tacks often come on immediately after incautious ex-
posure to damp foggy night air."
8. If an attack, even the slightest, should come on in
your household, you must immediately apply for medical
assistance. Arrangements will be made in every locality
to render such assistance promptly and effectually ; there
is no disease which can be more readily met than cholera
in its first or premonitory stage. In cases of diarrhoea,
or looseness of bowels, the following medicine
is recom-
mended by the Board of Health, but avoid, if you can,
exercising your own judgment in giving medicine at

all :
" 20 grains of opiate confection, mixed with two table
spoonfuls of peppermint-water, or with a little weak
brandy and water, and repeated every three or four
hours, or oftener if the attack is severe. Half the quan-
tity to persons under 15 ; smaller doses to children."
9. If the disease assume a violent form before help
can be obtained, put the sufferer into a warm bed, apply
bottles of hot water, or heated flannel, to the stomach
and feet, and along the spine. A dessert spoonful of
brandy may be given from time to time in hot water.
Constant friction with flannel dipped in hot vinegar is
recommended, as well as the application of a vinegar
and mustard poultice over the belly. A. prudent person
will have the necessary articles at hand ; but prompti-
tude in getting assistance is the first duty. By night or
by day send for the doctor ; and such is the zeal of the
medical profession that the humblest person will not
send in vain.
10. If any of the evil habits and neglects referred to
in this advice exist in yourself or your family, begin to
alter such habits and avoid such neglects without an
hour's delay. The desired change to enable you to meet
this epidemic disease is good for every other, and an im-
mediate preparation may save a vast amount of misery.
The condition of the human body cannot be altered at
once, but the practices which tend to an evil condition
may be instantly changed. In days you may effect a
change which you cannot effect in hours.
11. Whether the disease of cholera come into your
household or you be spared, keep up your spirits ; have
no vain fears ; relax no industry ; shrink not from as-
sisting your neighbours ; and put your trust in Him in
whose hands are the issues of life and death.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF BIRMINGHAM
AND THE DISTRICT.

It gives us much gratification to state that the health
of Birmingham and the numerous towns in the mining
districts around continues in a satisfactory condition.
In Birmingham during the last week, there has been a
slight increase in the number of attacks of diarrhcea. ;
but the disease is generally of a mild type, and the
fatality has diminished. In all diseases there is a great
diminution. Up to last Saturday the total number of
patients under the care of the parish medical officers
was 553, and the deaths, 4 ; in the corresponding week
last year the patients numbered 610, and the deaths
were 14.
There was some excitement caused on Wednesday by

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Some time since I saw in your esteemed journal
an article in vindication of the proposed legalisation of
affinity marriages. As is well known, the present Re-
corder of London, Mr. Wortley, introduced a bill with
this aim, but afterwards dropped action, declaring that
Scotland was against the change. I deny the assertion.
Scotland is not against the change--but multitudes in
Scotland are afraid to open their mouths. They are
gagged and fettered, and the principle of the alteration
of the law (if, indeed, in Scotland an alteration of the
law be requisite) does not come home to their business
and bosoms. This is not exactly a case where men
choose to speak out in defiance of ecclesiastical fulmina-
tions. In this place, whoever I spoke with, (and they
were persons of no mean understanding) what was called
the Affinity Marriages Bill was approved of in every ease
save two, and the argument set up was utterly absurd :
in the one instance, that a text in the Old Testament
Scriptures was against such unions, though the entire
contrary be the case ; in the other, that legal permission
should not be granted to form such unions lest it should

fret the wife during her lifetime. The Scripture and
reason are demonstrably on the side of the concession,
which should never have been required. I need scarcely
remind you that the saintly Dr. Chalmers was on the
side of affinity marriages. He read the " Book of Life"
devoutly and intelligently--he read it as a "Bible Chris- ..,
ti 111, " and he could there find nothing adverse to
view I presume to advocate. 'Since his lamented de. --
cease, a very able man, a professor of theology in one of
our strictest sects, the United Presbyterian Church, has
stood forward in vindication of the truth ou this subject.
Others of his order would, I believe, do the same, but
they are afraid to think on the point, or dread hostile
sentiment among their brethren. As for petitions from
the Church Courts, these are to be taken as matter of
course--as common-place actions ; and petitions other-
wise are such easy affairs, that they might be had for the
establishment of a republic, the banishment of all Ro-
man Catholics from the United Kingdom, or almost any
thing whatever. The people of Scotland have never yet
properly spoken out on the subject, and perhaps not a
great many of them have taken it into consideration.
There are cases in human life where the arguments
pro and con are about of equal weight. In other in-
stances of debate the party who has not the best cause
may have a good account to give of his convictions. At
times, although we oppose certain opinions, we are com-
pelled to allow that they are such as a wise and good
man might hold. The opponents of the just and rational
arrangement under notice are here decidedly at fault.
However able as reasoners—however enlightened as
theologians— when their hostility is made to wear the
form of reasoning, it is at once found to be weak and
vicious. This was particularly exemplified in respect to
a case which came under adjudication at the last meet-
ing of the United Presbyterian Synod at Edinburgh. A.
member of that church, a female, had contracted an
affinity marriage, and was in consequence excommuni-
cated as asi nner unworthy of church privileges. The
poor woman appealed to the highest jurisdiction in her
communion. Illness prevented the offender from being
present ; but as she explained, supposing that she could
attend, she would not feel herself at liberty to speak
'in an ecclesiastical court. In the United Presbyterian
Synod lawyers are not permitted to appear for or
against parties, and the individual would have been

left wholly undefended, had not a gentleman belong-
ing to the congregation of the accused volunteered
to be her representative. At this point was brought
out the truth of what I have advanced as to the poor
figure cut by the adverse party. Men of talent, of logi-
cal power, and fluent eloquence, spoke in the debate,
but only to display weakness and perversity. Contrast-
ing the appearance of those theologians, on this occa-
sion, with others more becoming and more characteristic,
you might picture forth the strong and active man run-
ning a giant's race, or wielding a giant's prowess, and
the same individual shorn of his strength, and grovel-
ling on the floor in a fit of apoplexy. The truth is,
neither Scripture nor reason could be consistently ad-
duced in respect to the judgment. The same result,
and more strongly marked, willbe noticed in cases where
inferior minds are concerned. Where feeling and senti-
mentalism are made to supply the place of argument,
we have the most gross inconsistency—for we are suffi-
ciently aware that the man of maudlin emotion would
repudiate',"nd protest against being affected in his own case
by such inferior and fickle influences—which may be
employed in any way, and are often on the side of sin
and error.
But, say some here, the Westminster Confession
(used as a subordinate standard of the Presbyterian Beets)
is against affinity marriages. I could wish to find it
determined by authority as to whether casuistical matter
found in this book has the force of law within the realm
of Scotland. If so, it is time that the Legislature inter-
pose for the relief of the people, as in this very case it
has already substantially done. Witness the toleration
of Dissenters, the emancipation of the Romanists, and
the renunciation by the civil magistrate of the power to
persecute Separatists—all contrary to this very code.
To hold a nation of civilised, educated people, with the
Bible in their hands, to be the abject subjects of canons
made by fallible men some centuries back in a village
near your place of business, is rather too bad. On many
points I agree with the Westminster Confession, but
would repel it as an authority to bind the conscience, or
to determine the civil actions of the citizen. Let those
to whom that standard is a link connecting them with
benefices in the Church uphold its dicta. It is matter
of wrong and dangerous policy to allow ecclesiastics to
dictate the arrangements of society. We know the use
made by the Church of Rowe of the "prohibited de-
grees." We know that the ancient ecclesiastical laws
against usury would have stopped the business of human
life, and have left the people starving and unemployed.
To assume that a Protestant people arc ever to
be the slaves of the Westminster Confession is to
hold them more infelicitously situated than the
Papists themselves. Le countries decidedly
.Roman Ca-
tholic, the canons of the oecumenical Council of Trent,
so far at least as regards discipline, have been but par-
tially received—an election being made betwixt those
regarded as suitable and proper, and those regarded as
unnecessary or impolitic or injurious. Surely the pre-
sent age is fit to judge for itself in what. concerns the
interpretationsocilife.
of Scripture and the morality of domestic
and
Let no one say that the
,affinity raarriage arrangement is
contrary to the mind of Scotland. If any one ventures
on such an assertion, he has no authority for making it.
—I am, Sir, &c.,
Edinburgh, 1853.

SCOTUS.

,

THE WEATHER.—Sun OFVIOII, SEPT. 26.
THERMOMETER, IN THE' SHADE.
65—highest since noon yesterday.
o—lowest this morning and during the night.
64—this day at noon.

BAROMETER, 29.82.

WIND, W.- Fine weather—strong breeze.