The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-18 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Theory and Practice of Caste in India. By
W. A. Irving. Smith, Elder, and Co.
In this little work it is proposed to consider the
effects of caste on the institutions and probable
destinies of the Anglo-Indian Empire. The author
truly remarks that it is astonishing how little the
people of this country know about India generally,
considering that the happiness of nearly one-eighth
of the whole human race depends upon our exer-
tions there. Most minute details are given of the
origin, formation' and workings of caste. There
are four principal classes, the sacerdotal, the mili-
tary, the industrious, and the servile. After de-
scribing at large the advantages and disadvantages
of this system in the political, military, and civil
institutions, the book goes on to portray the effects
on the natives themselves. It has fostered civi-
lisation up to a certain point, and then retarded it.
The future is finally brought under our notice. It
is declared that the necessity for caste is over—it
is no longer desirable, but that at the same time it
should be gradually relinquished, and not forcibly
and suddenly uprooted. It is truly observed, that
when enlightenment shall have spread further and
wider, then will caste be suppressed effectually and
for ever. When the inhabitants no longer believe
that the world is a flower, of which India is the
cup, and the other countries the leaves. There is a
great deal of sense and reason in this work. Much
information is given, and it is well said that
hitherto India has been regarded too much as the
marvellous and romantic, and that to obtain a
real acquaintance with its customs and ceremonies
requires much serious attention.

The Land Tax of India. By Neil B. E. Baillie

Smith, Elder, and Co.

This work explains the nature of the land tax of
India, according to the Mohammedan law. It is
necessary to understand the language in which
they are written before it is possible to form any
just idea of these records. Hitherto only very im-
perfect translations have been made, and even the
commentaries are in the Arabic.

The author has studied the subject, and trans-
lated from the Futawa Alumgeree such portions
as seemed most abstruse, and hitherto misunder-
stood. A long introductory essay is given in which
the principles of the law are given and applied to
the present system of land revenue.
There are six chapters, in which are explained
the relative bearings of the Khiraj, or land tax,
and the Ooshe, or tithe, the Rhooms, or metals,
and buried treasures ; and, lastly, a contract called
Moojarrant, which regulates the relations of pro-
prietor and possessor of the soil. An appendix is
affixed to these accounts, in which documents are
given showing the various wo"kings of the law. A
vast amount of time and trouble must have bee'.
expended on a work like this, as every item of in-
telligence conveyed has been compiled from many
sources, and translated from languages difficult to
understand thoroughly enough for such an elabo-
rate purpose. But the labour has not been lost,
inasmuch as the reader will inevitably find these
explanations very serviceable in enabling him to
form an idea of the mode in which Indian affairs
are conducted.

Peace, War, and Adventure. By G. L. Chester-
ton. 2 Vols. Longman.
The author of this work has had unusual oppor-
tunities of observation, having been formerly of
the Field Train department of the Royal Artillery,
and a Captain in the Army of Columbia, and he is
at present Governor of the House of Correction at
Coldbath-fields. The greatest part of his autobio-
graphy relates to his foreign adventures, but not
the least curious and interesting portion describes
his efforts, after his appointment as Governor of
the prison, to reform and remodel its management.
He had to encounter the greatest difficulties, and the
most violent opposition was not from the prisoners,
although they vehemently resented his interference '
with their arrangements, but from the turnkeys
and other officials. These were in the habit of re-
ceiving large bribes from the prisoners and their
relatives, and to those who gave the largest bribes
the most numerous indulgences were accorded.
Having at length succeeded in dismissing these
culprits, and in obtaining efficient subordinates, he
succeeded in remodelling the arrangements of the
prison, and is justly proud of the service he has
rendered to society.
The travels are chiefly in Spain and America,
and contain a lively and varied account of the
events which occurred under the author's observa-
tion at the important period in which his journey
was undertaken. The volumes include a descrip-
tion of Antwerp and Brussels. The writer com-
menced his voyages in the year 1812, consequently
he was an actor in some of those exciting scenes
which were then passing. The following is from
the Preface :
" Enterprises of rare occurrence, perils in distant and
savage localities, and extrication the least probable from
the last possible extremity, appear primd facie to em-
body all the materials calculated to instruct and to
amuse. The manner in which the tale is developed, and
the scenes and incidents illustrated, would appear to
constitute the chief difficulty. In those respects I have
sought to employ a simple narrative style, devoid of in-
flated pretension, and to relate the events of my life in
their due order, without exaggeration, adopting the
autobiographical form in deference to the counsel of ex-
perienced advisers. There is, however, a second, and
perhaps more powerful, reason for the task I have under-
taken. The British public can hardly fail to listen with
sensibility to a review of the sacrifices, the heroism, and
the hapless fate of whole masses of their countrymen,
whom a love of liberty and a spirit of adventure had
allured to the distant provinces of Spanish America.
Their services and sufferings are worthy of record ;
while it is due to our national reputation that the futile
tactics of incompetent leaders should be exposed, and
the miscarriage of British co-operation ascribed to its
real cause. The aggregate of the auxiliary force dis-
patched by private enterprise from this country was
computed at 6,000 men, of whom the merest fraction
survived to relate the trials and miseries of the conflict ;
while I, individually, appear in this and in other adven-
tures to have providentially borne a charmed life.
"Again, as governor of this vast prison, where for
nearly twenty-four years I have had so wide a field for
the contemplation and study of the criminal classes, I 1
cannot but conceive that I have much to disclose calcu-
lated to interest mankind in general and philautkropists
in particular. Here, therefore, is another fruitful theme
for useful disquisition, and a subject of momentous in-
terest to society at large."

The Patentee's Manual. By J. Johnson and J
IL Johnson. Longman.

This little work is a treatise on th 6 law and
practice of letters patent, especially intended for
the use of patentees and inventors. It treats of
the patentable invention, of its utility, novelty,
&c., of the duration and extent of letters patent,
of the title and the specification, of disclaimers
and alterations, and all the other various practical
points connected with the subject. It will, there-
fore, be seen that it presents a concise, although
complete, volume of information.

M'Leod's Carpenter's Spelling Assistant.
Longman.

This is a new edition of Carpenter's Spelling
Assistant, which contains many important addi-
tions and alterations. One of the chief of these is
the division of the words into syllables which cor-
respond with the pronunciation, such as " mon-ey,"
instead of " mo-ney." All inaccurate definitions
have also been removed, and the work now presents
a most efficient and valuable spelling assistant.

Classic and Historic .Portraits._ By James Bruce.

2 vols. Hurst and Blackett.

The object of this work is to convey a more ge-
neral idea than we at present possess, and to im-
part a better knowledge than is usually displayed,
of the celebrated characters of the world. The
author has confined himself to no narrow limits,
—each country, every age, and all ranks have con-
tributed to fill his records and illustrate his mean-
ing. The style is very lively and descriptive, and
evidently the subject has been taken up by one who
is deeply engrossed with its importance and interest.
It is truly observed in the preface that, in spite of
the cursory style of historians, and the curtailed
accounts of biographers, the general reader is
anxious to be informed of the personal appearance
and peculiar characteristics of the distinguished in-
dividuals submitted to his notice. It is this which
is the'subject matter of the volumes in question.
It is probable, as is here suggested, that erroneous
impressions have been formed concerning many of
the persons of celebrity now before us. For in-
stance, it is argued that iEsop was not considered
ill-looking in his own time, although, since, posterity
has insisted on making him deformed. The testi-
monies of various writers of celebrity are brought
forward to prove the falsity of this assertion. Char-
lemagne, we are told, was immense ; indeed, from
the account here given, he appears to have been on
a colossal scale. Some very interesting pages are
devoted to Abelard and Heloise, though • cer-
tainly they do not add to the romance of
their history. He, it appears, was more than
forty when he first made her acquaintance ; she
was a girl of seventeen. His sin was apparently
knowledge
t li e
entirely premeditated ; she erred from a simple,
irresolute, yielding nature. Mary
sQiuloeet
nbeoefnBdon
owfehaeitebinanfrosrmonetd,andthe
declaration, evidently our Scots,
but the
justice to—her real beauty has suffered
her loveliness
imagination of painters. The fame of
has come down to our days, description is
Madame de Stael
not adequate to the renown.
misfortune in another
i
laboured under a singular
capacity. Her mental endowments' wore- not
appre-

Jinxed . "Napoleon was mean in his conduct to.
wards her. Alexander would have honoured her
as a princess. Caesar would have adored her."
The varied information here met with renders it a
desirable work for all studiously inclined, while
there irs at the same time, much to afford enter-
tainment.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING-THE WEEK.

(From, the Registrar-General's Return.)
The mortality of London last week was considerably
higher than is usual in the middle of May, but it exhi-
bits a reduction as compared with that of the preceding
week. The number of deaths registered in the last three
weeks were 1,089, 1,159, and 1,099. The mean tem-
peratures in the same times were 4.2.5°, 47.9°, and 45.3°.
The depression of temperature at the end of April was
followed by an increase of mortality at the beginning of
May.

st2h,e t
hwee
average
vk e
rtahga
et
ocfotrrheespyoenadirsn
IgB4t3o-
endfned the
est tSeantuwrdeaeyk,s,
number of deaths was 934, which, with a correction for
increase of population, becomes 1,027. Hence the
1,099 deaths of last week exceed the estimated amount
by 72.
On reference to the Table of Fatal Diseases a diminu-
tion of greater or less amount will be seen under most
of those heads that contribute the largest proportions to
the weekly sum. Typhus forms an exception, for the
deaths from this disease have risen from g4l in each of
the two former weeks to 71 in the last. From hooping-
cough also the mortality is high, and does not show
much disposition to subside ; it was fatal to 59 children.
In the sub-district, Waterloo, 2d part, at 8, Charlotte-
place, on 9th May, the son of a musician, aged 1 year,
died of "scarlatina (3 weeks), cedama (one week)." Mr.
Daws, the registrar, adds : " The father of the child
stated, that at the back of his house a neighbour kept
pigs, the smell from which was most offensive ; that his
family were constantly ill, and that a medical attendant
had told him this was to be attributed to the nuisance
at the back."
On 6th May, at 7, Croply-terrace East, in Hoxton
New Town, the son of an engraver, aged 2 years, died
of " scarletina maligna (7 weeks), hydrothorax, ascites."
Mr. Ansell, the registrar, observes :—" I am informed
by the mother that the family are subject to dreadful
smells in the morning when the water comes on, that she
had herself been ill for some time, and her husband had
given notice to leave the house." The medical certifi-
cate states :—" This is a remarkable case, and shows the
uncertainty of recovery from scarlatina, even after
lengthened periods from the commencement of the pri-
mary attack, and when all cause of alarm appears to be
removed ; it also shows the fatal effect of sudden change
of temperature in such cases."

In the sub-district of St. James, Clerkenwell, at 4,
Sandyard, on 6th May, the son of a labourer aged 11
months, died of "fever typhoid (7 days)." Mr. God-
dard, the medical attendant, writes on his certificate :
" This is the third case of fever that has occurred in a
few days in this room, in which are two families consist-
ing of 12 persons, all living, sleeping, cooking, and doing
their other domestic business."

In the sub-district of St. John, Marylebone, at 9,
North-street, on Bth May, the daughter of a coachman,
aged 4 years, died of malignant scarlatina (13 days), in-
flammation of tonsils and maxillary glands." Mr. Allen,
the medical attendant, adds, that "this is the second
death occuring in the same family within two days. The
type of disease must be attributed mainly to the poison-
ous exhalation arising from defective drains."
At 4, Devonshire-terrace, Balham, on 9th May, the
daughter of a gardener, aged 4 years, died of " typhus
(10 days)." Mr. Withall, the registrar, makes the fol-
lowing statement :—" The offensive odour which per-
vades the whole of the house, arising from the decayed
state of the wall between the washhouse and the privy,
is at times unbearable. Complaint has been made to
the landlord, but nothing has been done to remedy the
evil. Four other children have been attacked with
scarlatina, but they are all recovering. Tke medical
attendant stated that the smell was enough to create a
fever."
On sth May, at 8, York-road, King's-cross, a farmer
at Leak, Boston, Lincolnshire, aged 43 years, died of
gastro-enteritis (12 days), febris typhoides (4 days)."
Mr. Watts, the registrar, mentions that "the deceased
was travelling by rail from Boston to Brighton for his
health, but on arriving at King's-cross was found in the
train bent double, and in that state conveyed to a coffee-
house close by, where he was known and there re-
mained till he died." ,

The following additional cases are selected from the
returns :—" A labourer, aged 49 years, died in Batter.
sea of " mercurial paralysis (7 years)." At 23, Ash-
burnham-road, Greenwich, a painter, aged 15 years,
died from " effects of lead (14 days)." In New Bond-
street, a warehouseman, aged 58 years, died of •' ma-
lignant disease of upper lip, gums, and alveolar process,
inducing diarrhoea and exhaustion, from inability to
take food." In University College Hospital a spinster,
aged 57 years, " erysipelas, laryngitis ; tracheotomy (30
hours)." Post-mortem. At 63, Lower Fore-street,
Lambeth, the son of a painter, aged 7 months, " porrigo
larvalis marasmus (6 months)." In the workhouse,
Borough-road, a man, aged 61 years, who had come
from 60, Surrey-street, died on the 7th of May of " self-
destitution." A master mariner, aged 3S years, died of
" orchitis (14 days), gangrene (3 days)," A woman,
aged 35 years, died of " soft cancer of kidney (2i years),
and both lungs (5 months)." Post mortem. The de-
ceased was confined on Ist May ; the child lived only
one day ; the cancer weighed 14 lbs. In the City of
London Workhouse, a boy, aged one year, died of pneu-
monia. Mr. Castleden says that this child was found
by a policeman in St. Swithin's-lane when about a
month old, and no information could afterwards be ob-
tained concerning it. A carpenter, aged 28 years, died
from "injury by a nail passing through his foot (3
weeks), tetanus three days."
A boy, aged 5 weeks, died of "convulsions arising
from venereal disease." No medical attendant. The
Registrar says :—"From the unasked statement of the
mother it appears that she has had six children who
have all died in the same way. She bad no medical at-
tendant at the birth, a neighbour having been called in
to perform the necessary offices. She stated she could
not afford medical advice, although, from what I learn,
the husband is earning 28s. or 295. per week."
Last week the birth of 870 boys and 806 girls, in all
1,676 children, were registered in London. The aver-
age number in the eight corresponding weeks of the
years 1845-52 was 1,383.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.760 in. The
mean temperature of the week was 45.3 deg., which is
6.6 deg. below the average of the same week in 38 years.
The mean daily temperature was below the average on
every day of the week, and this depression amounted to
12 deg., 10 deg., and 9 deg. on the first three days.
The air became gradually warmer, and on Saturday the
mean was 51 deg. The mean difference between the
dew+oint temperature and air temperature was 7.9 deg. ;
the greatest difference was 17.4 deg, on Thursday ; the
least was 2.1 deg. on the same day,

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED
IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, MAY 14
Zymotic Diseases
235
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases
212
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses ll5
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration
199
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digeston
70
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. , l6
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus &c.
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations
2
Premature Birth and Debility 32
Atrophy
43
Old Age . 37
Sudden 0
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 23
Causes not specified

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES . 1,099
Population Deaths in con - Deaths
Enumerated. spending week in the
1831. of 1852. Week.
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central Districts..... 393,256
East Districts 485,522
South Districts

Totals
Males
Females

1,070

1,099
594
505