The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-16 00:00:00

TIIE LONDON SMALLPDX EPIDEMIC.

Smallpox killed last week in London 110 persons, being
an increase of 28 on the return for the week preceding,
and the cases admitted this week for treatment at the tem-
porary hospital are of the severest type, shewing no signs
of remission, such as precedes the abatement of our epi-
demic. We believe that at no previous period since the
Compulsory Vaccination Act was passed (1853) has the
weekly mortality from smallpox ever amounted to even
100 ; and that, making every allowance for increase of
population, the present epidemic must be regarded as
having attained an intensity almost if not quite un-
paralleled in the metropolis. Indeed, this seems to be
the conclusion which the Registrar-General wishes to be
drawn when he shews that, taking the five weeks of
greatest smallpox mortality in 1863, which was the
severest epidemic year we have had since 1838, the
weekly average of deaths was 67, while during the
last five weeks the average has been 71 per week. True,
in 1863 there were 1,996 deaths from smallpox in
London, while only 958 fatal cases were registered
last year; but in the former year there was a higher
weekly average maintained over several mouths, whereas
the epidemic of 1870 did not develop itself until late, in
the year, and then sprang up almost suddenly to a height
which, if it be maintained for any length of time, will
throw the record of previous years into the shade. Thus
the deaths from small-pox only numbered 99 in the first
thirteen weeks of 1870 ; in the next thirteen weeks they
were 118 ; in the third quarter they were 157 ; and in the
last thirteen weeks of the year 584. There is—or we
ought rather to say there was—this one hopeful
feature about the present epidemic, that it has been
localised to such a degree that, out of • 584 deaths, 292
occurred in one section of the metropolis; so
that had the guardians done their duty, or the law been
enforced, a cordon sanitaire would have been drawn round
the infected quarter, while the rigorous enforcement of
vaccination amongst the unattacked; and of the isolation
of all actual cases, would in time have subdued the out-
break. But, thanks to the freedom in which it is the
habit of Englishmen to delight, and to the tenderness of
our high Government officials towards local authorities
who neglect their duty, the
.flame of infection has spread
into other quarters, and who shall say when and at what
cost of life it will ultimately burn itself out? The Regis-
trar-General draws attention to the sub-district of St.
John, Westminster, where last week, out of a total
of 38 deaths from all causes, there were 12 fatal
cases of small-pox, nearly all the victims being
unvaccinated children. The medical department of
the Privy Council has a great responsibility upon its
shoulders at the present time as regards this London
small-pox epidemic ; and the public will watch both
anxiously and critically the steps it may take or omit to
take towards such an enforcement of the Vaccination
Act upon the grossly-neglectful guardians as will render
life in the metropolis comparatively secure against so
fell a disease. There is at any rate one obvious fact
which is* not likely to be lost sight of—namely, that while
the law makes vaccination compulsory on every child
born, numbers of parents set the law openly at de-
fiance with impunity from any penalties except those
which smallpox itself entails upon its victims. How
much longer is this to be permitted ?—British. Medical
Journal.

The new church for the English residents at
Algiers was consecrated by the Bishop of Gibraltar, on
New Year's-day. As much as £2,775 has been expended
on the building.—Rock.
The Musical Standard says that in ono of her
performances at the Petersburg Opera, Patti met with an
accident through entangling her foot in a large robe which
she wore in her role. The lady, however, was able to go
on with her part, and received only a few slight contusions
on the hands and knee.

Mr. J. F. Moss, chief reporter of the Sheffield Daily
Telegraph was on Thursday elected clerk to the Sheffield
School Board, out of fifty candidates ; salary £3OO. Mr.
W. Rees, assistant-inspector of schools, was elected clerk
to the Leeds School Board, out of 253 applications ; salary
£250.

THE WEATHER.—Since Friday the barometer has
continued to fall throughout our islands, the change
amounting to about half an inch on our northern and
western stations, and 0.2 inch in the south-east of Eng-
land. The lowest readings are in Scotland, that at Nairn
being 0.76 inch less than those at Portsmouth and Dover.
Temperatuie has risen on all the British coasts, especially
in the south of England; and is very uniform. London on
Saturday was 17 degrees warmer than the previous
day. At Ardrossan a fresh gale set in during Friday
night. Some rain and fog are reported in the west and
south.

BRISTOL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE
ALABAMA CLAIMS.—At a special meeting of the com-
mittee of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, held on Fri-
day, the following resolution was passed relative to the
Alabama claims :—" Resolved, that this Chamber views
with deep regret the continued existence, in what is known
as the ' Alabama question,' of a subject of controversY,
which prevents those thoroughly cordial relations which
ought to exist between Great Britain and the United States,
and is of opinion that sound policy dictates that some
renewed effort should be made to settle the question in
dispute, and would respectfully, but very strongly, urge
Her Majesty's Government without delay to take such
steps as may lead to a final adjustment of the contro-
versy." A discussion also took place at the same
meeting in the Paris Convention of 1856, relative to the
exemption of merchant ships, as well as goods (not
contraband of war), from capture by belligerents, but no
resolution was passed on the subject. It was also further
resolved—" That copies of the resolution be forwarded to
the Premier through the members of Parliament for this
city, and to the Chambers of Commerce, asking their
concurrence in, and support of, the resolution."
VOLUNTEER NAVAL FORCE.—A numerous dePw
tation has waited on the Admiralty, consisting of repo.
sentatives of the Thames lightermen and watermen fret°
various localities, to urge the support of a bill for a fair
representation of the freemen at the Board of the Water'
men's Company, which they hoped would restore to thein
their old privileges. Since 1827 the freemen of the Thaines
have not been allowed to vote in the elections of the Water-
men's Company. The rulers of the Company opposed A
proposition made in a Committee of the House of Cony
mons last year, that the body of freemen should become
elective, and the consequence is that the great body 0'
freemen have no voice in the regulation of their oyrn
&s,
affairs, and in the management of the company s a it;n
The rulers of the company possess considerable sures, Tr
property and trust, but they distribute them as tfe,"
~
choose, and bestow the charities after their own fasinc;„'"'
while many of the freemen are in the Union. The 111-d
consider this state of things to be a great injustice,,,
ask the Lords of the Admiralty to support their DU
undertaking in that case to form a volunt,
naval force, which would be an important till©
nu
_
quisition to the defences of the country in tir
present crisis. They were called upon to serve urn,
the old law, but they would willingly form a strong
en Ili
force if their privileges were restored to them. Se v,V;i.
metropolitan members will, it appears, support th
Mr. Baxter, M.P., who assisted Lord Ca,mperdown324
receive the deputation, said that the formation of a _
"
volunteer force was an important question, and would
ceive the earnest attention of Mr. Childers.
most
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