The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-26 00:00:00

CHOLERA MORBUS.

(From the Times Correspondent.)
SUNDERLAND, NOV. 23.
In accordance with the law of predisposition, the cholera
is slowly thinning the ranks of the debilitated in constitu-
tion, whether that debility arose from prolonged habits of
dissipation, physical disorganization, the effect of old age,
or temporary extremes in fasting, fatigue, &c. The disease
seems to spread in families in proportion to their destitu-
tion. A respectable shopkeeper of the town, however,
whose constitution is supposed to have been much impaired,
but who walked about yesterday unapprehensive of imme-
diate danger, was attacked last night, with rapid symp-
toms, and perished before morning in spite of the medical
assistance which was obtained in a short period after the
disease had commenced its galloping career. In these cases
vital resources are wanting to bear the use of remedial
measures to an extent like to influence the cause of the
malady. A rumour obtains, that the acting members of
the medical establishment here are not throughout on the
most amicable footing with each other.

" SUNDERLAND, NOV. 23.
" appears necessary to explain the form of the
daily report which has been adopted, to communicate to
Government and the public at large as correct an account
of the number of persons attacked with cholera at Sunder-
land, as could he obtained.
" On Mr. Daun's arrival here, he found the medical
gentlemen of the town divided in opinion as to the exist-
ence of any unusual disease. Had the report, therefore,
only included a column for " malignant cholera," I am
persuaded we should have had blank returns sent in by
many; it nas therefore necessary to spread a net large
enough to catch all the fish, and the columns for diarrhosa
and zommon cholera were introduced, because those who
denied the existence of the malignant form of the disease,
were willing to admit the prevalence of the other two.
Now, however, Dr. Daun has consented to discontinue
the column of diarrhoea on the express understanding, that
all cases of death, from whatever disease, are to be reported.
As Dr. Daun's colleague on this duty, I have thought
proper to give this explanation in reply to various News-
paper criticisms, and request you to publish the same.
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" JAMES GIBSON, M.D."

" SIR,--I have to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter, and in reply have to inform you, that if an almost
perfect similarity of symptoms during life, and of appear-
ances after death, be sufficient to establish the identy of
the two diseases, that which has recently appeared in Sun-
derland is unquestionably the Indian or spasmodic cholera.
I prefer the name of malignant cholera—a designation in-
volving no hypothesis as to its origin—not implying the
existence of a symptom which, though genera ly, is not
invariably present, and expressive merely of its fatal cha-
racter. I enclose, for your satisfaction, a copy of my daily
report to Government, by which you will see the number
of cases of malignant cholera is surprisingly few, when it
is considered that it is now above a fortnight since the
disease first appeared here, where from the filth, poverty,
and density of the pauper population, in many parts of the
town, it might have been expected, (considering the rapi-
dity with which the disease spread in every town on the
continent of Europe as well as Asia, after it had appeared
in it), that there should have been, by this time, as many
hundreds of the inhabitants of Sunderland attacked as
there have been individuals. The only sufferers hitherto
have been the aged, infirm, and intemperate.
•' I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" ROBERT DAUN, M.D."

We are glad to perceive that the public at-
tention has been called by a contemporary to an intolerable
nuisance which is carried on under pretence of balloting
for the Middlesex Militia. If half that is reported upon
this subject be correct, it well behoves the Duke of PORT-
LAND himself to inquire into the matter ; and, above all,
to see what sort of hands they are to whom the duties
of Deputy-Lieutenants are confided.