The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 17, 1853.

PROGRESS OF THE CHOLERA.

SOUTH-EASTERN AND CONTINENTAL STEAM

NEWCASTLL—Return for the 15th September :
Deaths from cholera, 97 ; diarrhoea, 4. Deaths in
Gateshead since last report, 20.
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. ,
The cholera has extended to Hexham, from which
three cases are reported, two deaths and one recovery.
The medical officer has 17 cases of choleraic diarrhoea
and one of cholera under treatment. Mr. Grainger has
visited Hexham, to advise the authorities, and his sug-
gestions have been agreed to by the board of guardians,
and at a public meeting.
In Newcastle the epidemic is spreading fast. The
type of the epidemic is much more severe than that of
1831-32, as a comparison of the first fifteen days of the
two visitations gives 61 deaths in the former to 219 in
the latter. The increase in the deaths of the last twenty-
four hours is, as will be observed, very large--almost
double that of the 14th. The medical officers have
been authorised to call in the assistance of private prac-
titioners, and nearly 30 of such assistants aro employed.
Great activity prevails on the part of all the local
authorities.

SHIELDS, Sept. 15.—A fatal case of cholera has taken
place this morning, in Stephenson-street, in this town.
Various medical men have visited the body, and there is
no doubt of its being Asiatic. We do not hear anything
further amongst the shipping in the river.
MANCHESTER, Sept, lti.—The authorities here are
upon the qui vive in respect to this fearful scourge, and
though not apprehending any immediate outbreak, are
quietly making preparations to be able to meet any
emergency that may arise.

HEALTH OF LIVERPOOL.--It was reported at the
Health Committee, on Thursday, by the medical officer,
that two other fatal cases of Asiatic cholera have oc-
curred in addition to those mentioned in our last. So
far, however, the disease has been confined to the Ger-
man emigrants who come to this town from places
where the disease is raging on the continent. One of
the new cases was that of a female who arrived here on
Saturday last from Germany, by
way of Hull. On
Monday it was ascertained that she was suffering from
cholera in its first stage, and she was immediately trans-
ferred to the Northern Hospital. The other case was
that of a child, three years old, one of a family of Ger-
man emigrants, who had embarked on board the Albert
Gallatin, for New York. On Tuesday morning she was
seized with the early symptoms of cholera, and died the
same day, at the Emigrants' Home, in Moorfields. No
other cases had been reported up to yesterday, and the
general health of the town continues in a satisfactory
state, the deaths reported up to Saturday last being 19
fewer than the average of the last five years.
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HARTLEPOOL.—AtHartIepooI, on the 13th inst., an
inquest was held on the body of John Staunch, who
died from Asiatic cholera. He was a healthy man, 42
years of age, and a coal trimmer by trade. He was
attacked with purging and vomiting on Monday morn-
ing, and died the same evening. Thomas Lillo, the
the surgeon, who attended him, said he considered it
a case of epidemic cholera, such as he had seen on board
ships. He did not know why it should be called Asiatic
cholera, except that it first came across from Asia. It
was that species of epidemic that had visited this country
before, and was the only case of the kind he had seen in
the town. He had fifty cases of endemic cholera, and they
had all recovered. He considered epidemic cholera to be
an atmospheric disease. He did not think the dirty state
of the neighbourhood where deceased died had anything
to do with his death. The disease was what was called
Asiatic cholera ; he did not think it was contagious. A
juryman said he did not wonder the man died ; there
was a large midden heap just under the sleeping-room
window ; and during the last visitation of cholera, a
person had died in the same house. Verdict' " Died of
epidemic cholera."

MARYLEBONE. - Yesterday, at the usual weekly
meeting of guardians at the Marylebone Workhouse,
Mr. Squires, senior house surgeon, stated that in the
attic of a house in York-court three cases of spasmodic
cholera, one of which proved fatal, had occurred. The
room was occupied by au Irish family, comprising eleven
persons, many of whom occupied one bed. The father,
an itinerant vendor of shell-fish, upon returning home
on Tuesday week, ate two oysters, and was the following
morning attacked with diarrhoea. On Friday the
Roman Catholic priest was sent for by the family, and
he (Mr. Squires) heard nothing of the man's case until
the following Tuesday, when the clergyman informed
him of it. The man's two sons, aged 22 and 17
respectively, were next attacked, and the youngest died
while the father and other son were recovering. It
was not a case of pure Asiatic cholera, but what was
termed sporadic cholera, which was as terrible in its cha-
racter and its results as Asiatic cholera. They had no
necessity to go to Asia for cholera, for they had in their
own streets as prolific causes of cholera and fever as
could be found in the jungles of India. The room where
the Irish family alluded to was filthy in the extreme, had
its window fastend down, was wholly void of ventilation
and was over a urinal and water closet, whose exhala-

tions not only damped the walls of the house, but also
penetrated the adjoining buildings which were equally
dirty and badly ventilated. If they had been constantly
whitewashed and kept purified, he had no doubt that the
awfulv isitation with which they were threatened would
be obviated ; and he therefore called upon the board
for immediate and increased remedial and precautionary
measures against this frightful disease, which otherwise
would undoubtedly spread itself throughout the parish.
Mr. SULINER—Have you not heard of other cholera
cases in the parish, besides the three mentioned ?
Mr. SQUIRES—Yes, several others, as severe as those
that occurred in 1848 and 1849, when I attended 70 that
terminated fatally. In the cases that lately occurred,
cramps, cold, and collapse did not present themselves,
but the patients were attacked with burning and thirst.
It was sporadic, not Asiatic, cholera, and that was en-
gendered by filth and poverty.
After a brief discussion,

Mr. WHITMORE moved the appointment of a com-
mittee to consider Mr. Squire's report respecting the
existence of cholera and malignant scarlatina in the pa-
rish, and to inquire into the sanitary condition of the
crowded and populous districts, and to report thereon,
from time to time, to the board.
Mr. SUMNER seconded, and Mr. COHEN, surgeon, sup-
ported the motion, which was carried nein. con., and the
following gentlemen were named the committee :—Rev.
Mr. Scobell, and Messrs. Poland, Smith, Russell, Beavor,
Sumner, Artaund, and Whitmore.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

NORTH BRITISH.

The half-yearly meeting of this company took place at
Edinburgh on Wednesday ; Mr. Balfour presided.
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the proprietors that there
had been an increase on all the items of traffic during the
past half-year as compared with the first half-year of 1852.
That increase amounted to nearly 7,000/. ; above 5,000/. of
the increase being on the goods department. He might also
congratulate them on the prospects of the present half-year
so far as it had gone; they were most promising, and, if
they continued as they were now going on, he hoped, when
they brought the extra accommodation they were about to
provide to bear on the traffic, that even greater results
might be attained. But he regretted that, while the
traffic held out these satisfactory prospects, the expendi-
ture during the half-year had not shown that decrease
they could have wished. Several causes had arisen for
this increase of expenditure. The two principal causes
to which he would refer were the maintenance of the
line and extraordinary expenses. They had had to renew
a great number of the sleepers last year, and their engineer
informed them that that renewal must continue for some
time to come, and that a large portion of the line would have
to be relaid. Under the head " extraordinary expense"
were placed the repairs to those serious damages that
occurred during the wet season of last half-year, and also
from other incidental causes, as also for the repairs of old
works, and the addition to their works found necessary
for the proper carrying on of the traffic of the company.
But, while he had been obliged to refer to an increase in
the expenditure on these heads, it was satisfactory to be
able to notice a decrease of 2,2001. in the locomotive de-
partment, notwithstanding the increase that had taken
place in the traffic. The directors had anxiously
looked forward to the new act enabling them to pay
off the liabilities due by the company, and to put a stop
to the litigation which had taken place between different
classes of the shareholders. They hoped the share-
holders would agree with them in what they proposed,
and would permit them to insure the new stock at 5 per
cent., and thus enable them to obtain a sufficient
premium to pay off the arrears on the preference
stock upon the first half-year of 1852 ; and he hoped,
also, they would be still further able, by the premium
that would accrue, to lay by something for the
future wants of the company. If the shareholders ap-
proved of the report and scheme proposed, he felt confi-
dent that in a short time they would be able to pay off
all the liabilities of the company ; and, free from pecu-
niary difficulties, they would then be able to turn their
attention more to the development and the resources of
the line, so as, he hoped, not only to pay off all the
dividends accruing on the preference stock, but also
something to the original shareholders. He moved the
adoption of the report, which has already appeared.
After some discussion the CHAIRMAN submitted a
motion in terms of the report, that the arrears due on
shares which had not been transferred since the register
was closed on the 2d of September, 1852, should be
forthwith paid, and that the arrears on those which had
changed hands should be lodged in bank till the ques-
tion between the former and the present holders was
decided:

Mr. EDDOES moved, as an amendment, that the
whole of the arrears should be immediately paid to the
present registered preference shareholders.
Mr. R. CLARKE seconded the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN ultimately consented to the amend-
ment, which was carried.
Motions concerning the payment of 6 per cent. divi-
dend on the guaranteed stock, and the forfeiture of cer-
tain shares, were then passed.
Mr. AULD moved that the expenses (9831.) incurred
by the committee of preference shareholders in London
and Edinburgh in furtherance of the bill which had just
passed the legislature, should be paid by the company,
subject to taxation, which was carried.
Notice of motion was given in by Mr. Blackadder for
next meeting, for certain returns connected with the
Sunday traffic.