The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-19 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

DECREASE OF CHOLERA IN TEE METRO-
POLIS.

The public will be glad to learn that the terrible
scourge which has for the last few weeks struck terror
and dismay amongst the inhabitants of this metropolis
has at length begun to subside, after having swept off to
an untimely grave nearly eight thousand victims, amongst
whom will be found the representatives of every class

in society, from the peer t 3 the lowliest mechanic. The
medical profession agree generally that, although the
mortaility is not so high as in the visit of 1832, yet tha t
the malignant character of the disease is fully equal to
that year, and far greater than in the visit of 1849.
There is something remarkable in the fact that between
the visit of the pestilence in 1832 and 1849, a period of
seventeen years had elapsed, whilst from the latter period
to the present time only five years have gone by, so that
the time between the first and second visits was, within
has been
tbhreaeepneindiaarasgcneednirt:giieae
a fraction, three and a half times as king as between the
second and third visits. Co-relative with these facts, it
b e
lof;i3
al yecordin according
coincidencestoreo
eonf t
i toiheanfil
nt hatohpuergsoheg
seventeennr
eo
lattersts
iy generallyeyfiervaae o—y
asetnahor
el. noticed,
cwehiadas
a,:
during the whole periowdi
between 1832 and 1849.
circumstances,
Lbount.
they are coincidences which, nnfortnnatel , tell a me-
lanTchheosley may be
calculations, Y
don increases at the rate of five hundred souls a week—
that is to say, that on next Saturday night there ill b
five hundred more human beings who require w e
permanent
housing than did last Saturday night, and there are not
houses to put them into (which has not hitherto
been
the case), to whom may be added the usual number of
clearances for metropolitan improvements, it show's as
clearly and inevitably as the sun at noon-day that over-
crowding follows, and, as a conclusion that admits of no
question, cholera steps in with frightful havoc to re-
store what may not be inaptly termed the balance of
the proper number, who ought, or can healthily live to-
gether in houses, streets, and towns. Cholera is a ter-
rible but sure regulator of over-crowded dwellings in
towns, and this being as certain every nerve should be
stretched to deprive the pestilence of one of its most
powerful agents.
If the great railway companies would charge less than
91. or 11/, for yearly tickets to Hornsey and Wands-
worth, but regalate their prices to accommodate the re-
spectable thousands who are struggling every night for
breathing and elbow-room in London, and which is daily
becoming more circumscribed, a great deal might be
effected to improve health and keep away pestilence.
The total number of deaths in the metropolis, accord-
ing to the Registrar-General's returns, up to the 16th
inst., is 2,832 against 3,347 of the previous week. Of
these, 1,531 are registered as having died of cholera,
and 227 as having died from diarrhoea, making a total
of 1,758 from the latter causes alone. These figures give
a diminution of deaths, to the number of 515, upon the
total of the preceding week, thereby indicating the de-
cline of cholera to nearly that amount.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S HosPITAL.—On inquiry yester-
day it was ascertained that there had been six deaths by
cholera during yesterday, and one this morning. One
case was admitted last evening from Fetter-lane. Mr.
Frederick Wood, who has the chief charge of the cholera
patients, is unremitting in his attentions on the unfortu%
nate sufferers. Two wards are occupied, and there is a
third in readiness, but, fortunately, has not been re-
quired. Bentley's Ward is fitted up for adult males, and
the other for females and children.

Tgi LONDON' HOSPITAL.—The cholera ward is nearly
filled with dangerous cases, and many have been suo-
cessfully treated by the medical officers, who are unre-
mitting in their 'attention to the unfortunate persons.
The number of out-door poor who apply for the cholera
mixtures is seriously on the increase.
CAMDEN-TOWN.—Yesterday two cases of cholera were
admitted into the cholera wards of the Royal Free Hos-
pital from 111, Grove-street, Camden-town, the first
being that of Lavinia Pocock, and the second that of
John Redman, a horsekeeper. On Sunday Thomas
Bins, a bedstead maker, residing in Percy-terrace, was
also admitted from the same district.

OXFORD.—Cholera has not disappeared in this city ;
on the contrary, the indications of its presence have been
very decided during the week, and there have been soma
very melancholy results,
HERTFORD.—We are happy to be able to state that,
up to the present moment, there has been no case of
cholera in Hertford ; and that there has been a very
considerable diminution in the number of cases of
diarrhoea.

SMEIFFIELD. —We have again to report several deaths •
from cholera this week. Last week a man named liar-
rop, residing at Navigation-hill, died of cholera. On
Saturday last his son was taken 111, and his mother on
Sunday morning. Both died on Tuesday. Ilunother
son got better. Two persons named Birks, mother and
son, residing on the iron bridge, have died of cholera.
The mother, 62, was taken ill on Friday afternoon, and
died on Saturday night. The son, 24, was seized
with cholera on Monday afternoon, and died on
Tuesday morning at two o'clock. A middle-aged woman
named Bell, in Sheldon-row, was seized on Friday, and
died the same night. Another person named Aldred,
living at Andrew-lane, was taken ill on Tuesday morning
and died at night. On Saturday last, David Houghton,
a file hardener, residing in Ellis-street, died of cholera,
after 16 hours' illness. There have been during the
week several deaths from diarrhoea.

EDINBURGH.—Two cases were reported to the paro-
chial authorities yesterday, viz. .—one, that of a woman
from the Vennel ; and the other, a boy from the College
Wynd. Both these cases are being treated at their own
homes. The number of patients in the hospital is three,
who are all doing well. The firemen were yesterday
engaged in flushing the closes and common sewers of the
city with water from the street mains. The long drought
had rendered the cleansing of the sewers a •erynecessary
measure.

ABERDEEN.—Since our last there there has been a
considerable number of cases reported, the majority of
theni from dirty and unwholesome localities—a consi-
derable number of the patients also being persons of in-
temperate habits. Up to last night there were in all 32
cases. Of these three are recovered, 25 are dead, and 4
remain under treatment in the hospital.
DALZIEL.—By far the most plague like and destruc-
tive aspect yet assumed by cholera in this neighbourhood
has been at the mining village of Motherwell, including
Windmill-hill, &c., in Dalziel parish. No less than 16
burials took place on Tuesday out of its limited popul.a.
tion, and this morning there were six deaths reported.