The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

SECOND HEAT.

H. Harris, T. Cavanagh (Red) 1
J. Cairn, J. Roberts (Green) 2
FINAL HEAT.
J. Rorke, W. Branscomb (Blue) 1
D. Cairn, T. Raper (Orange) 2
H. Porter, J. Curling (White) 3

TREATMENT OF CHOLERA IN THE
LONDON HOSPITALS.

(From the Medical Times.)
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.—OnIy four cases have been ad-
mitted during the last fortnight. Several of those spoken
of as convalescent in our last report, subsequently re-
lapsed, and the numbers require correction. The only
two cases now in the hospital may safely be deemed out
of danger, and the following numbers are therefore made
to include the whole ;—Admitted, 39 ; recovered, 8 ;
died, 31. In 19 cases the calomel treatment, on Dr.
Eyre's plan, had been carried out, and of these 3 reco-
vered and 16 died. Seven cases have been treated on
the castor-oil plan recommended by Dr. Johnson, all of
which are dead. The plan was carried out most strictly
in six, the dose being half an ounce every half-hour, and
in one an ounco every hour. The only other means
adopted were, in one or two in which the oil did not
cause vomiting, mustard emetic, and in most hot bottles
to the extremities. The n•irses were carefully superin-
tended, and there was no doubt that the medicine was
really given. In an eighth case castor oil was given, and
recovery ensued, but as the patient was rallying and
doing well before it was commenced; its administration
having been by a mistake on the part of the nurse, the
event could scarcely be attributed to the remedy. Seve-
ral of the cases lived long enough in the hospital to take
the oil for 24 hours, or more, and in one instance the
patient had been treated with it since the first com-
mencement of symptoms seven hours before admission.
ST. THOMAS'I3.—At this hospital the admissions con-
tinue rather numerous, being increased probably by the
circumstance that the cholera ward at Guy's has been
closed. During the last month the number admitted
has been 62, of which 18 have died, and the others are
either recovered or yet under treatment.
Guy's.—. The whole number treated has been 101, of
which 55 have died.

MARYLEBONE INFI urARY.--During the last fortnight
115 eases have been admitted, of which 8 have died, 3
are convalescent, and the remainder under treatment.
KING'S COLLEGE.—The castor-oil treatment is still
carried out in all, cases admitted into this hospital. Mr.
Hoberton, the physician's assistant, informs us that the
whole number so treated has been 33, out of which we
have 10 deaths, and 5 yet remain under treatment, most
of the latter being, however, out of danger. (These num-
bers include the 16 referred to in Dr. Johnson's letter.)
In a few cases, repeated two-grain doses of calomel have
been given in addition to the oil, but never to the extent
of more than ten grains. In those in which the oil (lid
not cause vomitting, emetics have generally been given.
Thirteen cases of choleraic diarrhoea, most of them
severe, though• not attended by very marked collapse,
have been treated with the oil. Two or three doses
being generally given to each case, and all have done
well. No instance has occurred at this hospital, in
which, after treatment of the "premonitory stage" by
castor oil, cholera has subsequently been developed.
WESTMINSTER.—During the last fortnight, 35 cases
have been admitted into hospital, of which 9 have died.
In the greater part of these Dr. Eyre's plan of treatment
by calomel has been adopted, with the addition, however,
that in every case a warm bath has been given, and after-
wards a mustard emetic. The cases have been generally
of a mild type, and, in some, convalescence has appeared
established soon after the use of the emetic and bath.
The opinion formed by the resident medical officers has
not been favourable to the calomel treatment, although
the statistics appear somewhat to its advantage.
ST. MARY's.—During the last fortnight only two cases
have been admitted. The whole number has been 41, of
which 22 have died, and several yet remain under treat-
ment. Castor oil has been tried but in one case, and in
that it was relinquished after the sixth dose.
ST. GEORGE'S.—The cases admitted during the past
month have been about 86, of which 47 have died. The
fatality during the whole epidemic has, we believe, ave-
raged nearly 65 per cent. Castor oil has been tried in
several cases with unfavourable results; but, as the cases
are included in the Report of the Board of Health pub-
lished in this journal, we need not repeat them.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S.—The number of cases, either of
cholera or very severe choleraic diarrhoea, admitted dur-
ing the past month, have been 165, of which 45 have
died, and many are yet under treatment. Castor oil has
been tried very unsuccessfully, the cases being included
in the Board of Health report.
THE LONDON.—In the district surrounding this hos-
pital, it would appear that the disease is rather on the
increase, as there have been a considerable number of
cases admitted during the past week. Castor oil has
been tried in two cases, both of which were fatal.