The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-27 00:00:00

THE BELIEF IN ASTROLOGY.

It would seem that the descendant of " Old
Moore " has in his almanac for the current year
made some very happy guesses. Not only does the
hieroglyphic represent two eagles engaged in fight
over a plain on which dead soldiers in foreign
uniforms are strewn, but the distinct assertion is
made in the " Forecast "of the twelve months that
there " will be war between France and Prussia, and
that the month of July will be especially
disastrous to the Emperor Napoleon." According
to the oracle, however, France is not to have
all the defeat on her side, for the prophet says "In
October the King of Prussia (if living) will meet
with defeat, and the ex-King of Hanover recover
some of his prestige, if not his throne also." The
Emperor Napoleon has no doubt been furnished with
a copy of "Old Moore's Almanac," and probably the
lesson taught his Majesty by M. Comte to deal
tenderly* with astrology, coupled with the prophecy
set apart for October, has induced him to make pre-
parations for keeping his army and mitrailleuses a
long time in the field. Meanwhile the English Go-
vernment need not trouble itself about mediation,
a►id the King of Prussia 'may consider the advisability►
of making his will.

SCARLET FEVER.

The ravages which scarlet fever has made in this
country during the last few years have been re-
peatedly brought under public notice by medical
authorities, and the statistics which they lay before
us certainly present a startling aggregate. The Bri-
tish Medical Journal says that during the years from
1848 to 1868 no less than 415,982 deaths occurred
from scarlet fever and its allied disease diphtheria.
The registration accounts for 1869 are not yet com-
plete, but 6,181 fatal cases were reco-ded in London
during the year, and as the mortality from scarlet
fever is less in the metropoliS than in the rest of the
country it may be estimated -that forty thousand
deaths occurred from this cause throughout England
last year. In the six months ending June, 1870,
13,900 deaths were returned by the registrar, so that
the aggregate mortHlity for the lost twenty-two and
a half years from this disease is no less than 470,000.
But what of those who were attacked but survived?
The British Medical Journal thinks that at least
five millions of persons in England must have

sull'ered more or less severely, and it is impossible
to gauge the full extent of the mischief. Sixty-two
per cent. of the victims are children under five years
of a3-e, who are incapable of protecting themselves,
The State is bound to exert itself on their behalf and
to take the most stringent measures against the culp-
able ignorance and neglect which perpetuate the
disease. Deficient .sanitary precautioasliave a great
deal to do with the spread of all kinds of fever, and
it is often bad air, bad drainage, bad water, and
overcrowding that play havoc with our little ones
tin 'er the names of type 13, scarlet fever, or

cho'era.

THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND IN NORWAY

The Duke of Sutherland has returned from his
inspection of the narrow-guage railways of Norway.
More than 100 miles of line on the 3ft. bin-gunge
have been constructed by-M. Carl the Govern-
ment engineer, and they have been most` successful.
The supporters of this system havo-no doubt that, if
the northern parts of Scotland could have had the
advintage of such a cheap description of railways, a
much greater extent of the country would before

nov: have been supplied with railway accommoda-
tion. The avera„•e co-t is. about £4,000 per mile,
and the railway w-orlis are suitable for public con-
venience. Previous to his leaving Christiana, the
Duice was requested to review. the Fire
Brigade, which is unusually efficient for a
town of 60,000 inhabitants. Captain Andersen
and his crew were highly pleased with the prwttical
linOwledge which the Duke displayed concernirir all

that was connected with tht.a worli. 'fticv
satisfaction at being reviewed by one who had done
so much to improve the machinery for • saving life
and property f'rom fire. The review consisted in
calling out the firemen and engines to the site of an
imaginary fire near the University, where all the
operations were gone through with great energy and
rapidity. On the conclusion of the review, three
hearty cheers were given for- the Duke of Suther-
land.

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