The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-12 00:00:00

EXPEDITION TO CENTRAL AFRICA.

Further communications have been received from Dr.
Barth, from Timbuktu, giving an account of his pro-
tracted sojourn at that dangerous place. The date of
the present letters is two months more recent than that
of the first letters despatched thence. They reach up to
the 15th December last. They contain the gratifying
news that this indefatigable and courageous traveller had
regained his full health and strength. Ho writes that
be would have quitted Timbuktu long ago (a place
where his life was greatly exposed to the effects of an
unfavourable climate, and much more so to the dangers
arising from the hostile disposition towards Christians
of the most fanatical Mohammedan population of
Northern Africa), were it not that he would have before
him certain death, and share the fate of the unfortunate
-Major Laing, if he left Timbuktu without sufficient pro-
tection. The murder of that excellent officers was insti-

gated by the Fullan (or Fellahas) of Hamd-Allahi, a
tribe living south-west from Timbuktu, the same fac-
tion that is so much opposed to Dr. Barth. These
Hamd-Allahi Fullan had received from their chief the
most peremptory order to effect the capture of th, tra-
veller, and bring him to his head-quarters, whether
dead or alive, for they had expressed their disbelief
in the pretended character of Dr. Barth being an
ambassador from Stamboul.; and they had demanded
all his papers, to ascertain whether they substan-
tiated what the Sheikh el Bakay had caused the great
mass of the people to believe. Hitherto their hos-
tility has availed nothing, owing to the protection of the
Sheikh el Bakay, and to the energetic bearing as well
as the unceasing watchfulness of Dr. Barth himself.
Unhappily, the renowned Sheikh has no military power
of any kind, his authority consisting solely of an exten-
sive spiritual influence over a great portion of the
Western Sudan. Dr. Barth, therefore, and his own
small retinue, are almost at all times well armed, and
ready to resist effectively any sudden attack. It is
greatly to be regretted that Dr. Barth is not in pos-
session of a letter from the "Sultan of Stamboul," inas-
much as he states most emphatically that he would then
not he in the least molested by any of the Mohammedan
inhabitants. He hoped, however, to be able to depart
from Timbuktu by the close of the year, and thus be
freed from a situation which must at once be highly de-
trimental to mind and body. While preparing the pre-
sent letter, Dr. Barth had the great joy to receive Amib,
the mighty chief of the Tingeregif, a Tuaric tribe, inha-
biting the regions east of Timbuktu, along the Kowara,
or Isa 85,i140, as it is more properly called there. That
long-expected chief came, on the bidding of El Bakay, as
the traveller's, protector, with a welcome escort of 100
horsemen, to see him safely through his dominions, on
his way back to Sakatu. The news of Dr. Vogel hav- I
ing been despatched from Europe to join him had also
reached Timbuktu, and given him the utmost delight.
Dr. Barth had collected a great mass of information and
drawn up various maps, of both which he has sent a
small hut valuable portion on this occasion. There is
no further news from the party under Dr. Vogel, but
ample communications may be expected in the course of
the present month.— Communicated to the Atheneum
by Mr. A. Petermann.

The following letter, on the new treatment o
cholera by castor oil in King's College Hospital,
has been addressed to us by Dr. George Johnson :
" Sir,—l shall feel obliged if you will permit me to make
your jourrial the means of publishing the results of our re-
cant experience at King's College Hospital, in the treat-
ment of cholera by castor oil. I have no desire to rush
hastily into print, or to deal in therapeutical novelties ;
my own inclination would lead me to collect facts now, and
to defer the publication of results to a time of more leisure
and less anxiety; but. I cannot reconcile myself to the
adoption of this cautious mode of procedure when I con-
sider that cholera is daily sweeping off hundreds of victims,
and therefore that any method of treatment which , pro-
mises a more than ordinary amount of success ought as
speedily as possible to be made known.
" All the cases of cholera which have come under my
care in the hospital have been treated by castor oil, ad-
ministered in a mode which I shall presently explain. We
beenfwas
e ae2la2oefrheicl thesedov,eeriiieesya cases,
have called no case ' cholera' which has not presented well-
marked symptoms of
tihcoheellarfeapstieitchasaFessi
most of them in the very extremity of collapse,* have been
oa
fn
ah
large
eadf after
of brandy admission,
whichhsaed-
utos
three
qrdaeuege
ere
n,
e ,deaths.haosdied treatment,
iebde Onel aihenavodl
believe,
,
been previously administered
theby ilitosmvrotahserd.isclontiannudedthine fatal case the oil had been given for some hours,a a second
pcoantiseenguewncaes of the
intestinal discharges appearing to be
tinged with blood. I was absent when this C
and, although I impute no blame, yet I thinketh'eacturrwl the discontinuance of the oil the patient's chance of lre-
,atofduthrieng
re-
covery was taken away. In the third fatal case,a night
nurse disregarded her instructions, and we have good ma-
i,
hson for r
yt
hleittblee,liieffi.ntyh
I ever, that the fatal result in medicine.seve ral hours
Admitting,th ti patient
h o
Rourx.—The letters from Rouen mention that the
the whole. The number of
het for manufactures was less active, but that no
mar
hadbl the
e, proportion of recoveries yet remains fourth-fiiths or
t alterationoccurred.
greathese three cases
allcas,esbuwtams i;_ehvio tpaes:
DEPARTURES FROM THE PORT or LONDON.—The de- from this plan of treatment do not rest merely upon my
partares for the Australian colonies during the past week own individual e
xperience. I have carefully studied the
have comprised 10 vessels—three to Sydney, with an ag- results of the various modes of treatin cholera which have
ate burden of 1,809 tons ; two to Port Philip, with been advocated and practised
greg
1 ion that those
an aggregate burden of 1,499 tone ; two to Adelaide, I profession, and I have arrived at the cone ue
with the
with an aggregate burden of 1,298 tons ; one to Hobart 1 methods of treatment which have been attended
nor
ti n eliminative
Town, of 358 tons; one to Launceston, of 292 tons; and, , largest amount of success have been fatif
258 tons. Their total capacity .in their tendency. lan& by different members of our
...fly to the saline treatment
one to Port Fairy, of
esiftebly small and repeated doses
was, consequently, 5,514 tons. The rates of freight ex- ,of Dr. Stevens, the !,reatmeDr.
• A re, and the emetic plan
hibit no great alteration, but in Bona oases they are ra- L. etased b+l; than d the largest amount
ofof calomel,
Ivr:°' 6111,31 etke PIM"' of
*HI Th 9 her
the; Arguer,
..
- et olorealit7 4.1_4 --- -
. __