The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-07 00:00:00

handbills issued by the board, giving plain advice adapted
to the emergency. Any suggestions as to these I shall be
thankful for, as indeed for everything that may briefly and
clearly inform the public mind ; and, while promoting
calmness and confidence in the means of prevention, in-
dicate these means, in the way best adapted to popular
apprehension.
" I have the honour to be, gentlemen,
" Your most obedient servant,
" B. HALL."
•

The council considered the proposed form of return
referred to in that letter, and agreed to the following
circular to be sent with the form to all qualified medical
practitioners in the metropolis :
" General Board of Health, Sept. 6, 1854.
" Sir,—My experience of this department, brief as it is,
has strongly impressed me with a sense of the great want
that is now felt of some systematic record of cases of cho-
leraic disease, their treatment and results, with is view to
determine, in so far as may be possible, the best mode of
meeting this formidable epidemic.
" Hitherto no successful attempt has been made to col-
lect such a record ; and, as I find that my feeling of the
want of it is very generally shared by the medical profes-
sion, I have obtained the sanction of her Majesty's Govern-
ment to the nomination of a medical council representing
all branches of the profession, and consisting of Dr. Paris,
Sir B. Brodie, Sir James Clark, Dr. Alderson, Dr. Babing-
ton, Dr. Tweedie, Dr. Baly, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Simon,
Professor Owen, Mr. N. B. Ward, Mr. John Bacot, and
Dr. Farr.
"Under the sanction of this council the following form
of return has been prepared for transmission to all quali-
fied practitioners in the metropolis, to be filled up by them
with a view to obtain their experience of the•present epi-
demic.
" The deaths from cholera., as well as from all other
causes, are registered in England; but it is evidently de-
sirable that in this as in other countries the cases of re-
covery, as well as of death, should be systematically ob-
served and recorded. This can only be accomplished by the
cordial co-operation of all the medical men in practice,
which this board hopes in this important matter to obtain,
by acting on the advice of a council in which all branches of
the medical profession are represented. By means of a
return in the accompanying forms, the observations of all
qualified practitioners on the cases that come under their
care may be collected, and made available for determining
the laws which regulate choleraic disease and the effects
of the different systems of treatment now in use.
" Any return that you make will be considered strictly
confidential, but your name will be recorded as a contri-
butor to the observations when the general results are
made known. Under the urgent pressure of practice, to
keep any accurate record of the cases will often be attended
with difficulty ; but this difficulty will, I feel assured, be
cheerfully encountered by you, if you agree with me in
thinking a record of the experience of the present gene-
ration of medical men as to this epidemic likely to contri-
bute to the alleviation of the sufferings of mankind for the
future.
" The return on the other side is sent, filled up. as a spe-
cimen, with blank forms. Any number of such forms you
may require will be furnished by this office.
"It is recommended that the forms should be filled up
from day to day, and returned to this board on or before
November 15th next. —I have the honour to be, sir, your
obedient servant,
(Signed) «$, HALL:'
Certain propositions were brought forward, and the
meeting then adjourned.
Intelligence having been received of a violent outbreak
of cholera at Wisbech, Dr. Milroy was ordered to pro-
ceed instantly to that town.

NOTE.—The names * were nominated by the President :
± by the College of Physicians; § selected from list sent to
the President by College of Surgeons; by Apothecaries'
Company.