The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-13 00:00:00

OF HEALTH RESPECTING CHOLERA.

REPORT OF DR. SUTHERLAND AND R. D. GRAINGER, ESQ•
IN RELATION TO THE CASES OF CHOLERA. REPORTED TO
HAVE OCCURRED AT HULL, ON BOARD OF A VESSEL

THAT HAD COME FROM HAMBERCH.

We have now fulfilled the instructions given us by the
General Board of health, in regard to the inquiry into
the reported ca3es of cholera in Hull, and the general
sanitary state of that town, and beg respcetfully to-re-
port— _ _ _

First. That the general sanitary condition of Hull is
(as compared to former periods) favourable, and in the
evidence of the registrars, the mortality of the last
quarter is below the average.
Second. That recently considerable progress has been
made iu draining the borough, and the cleaning of streets
and cesspools in the old town is now for the most part
better done than formerly.

Third.—That much -still remains to ho done, and

there are many offensive ditches in the immediate out-
skirts of the town that require cleansing or covering,
and nuisances, &c., that require removal.
Fourth. That the class of diseases which usually pre-
cede an outbreak of cholera have been less prevalent
than usual during the last three months ; that diarrheei
and dysentery have been chic-fly confined to infants, and
very few adults have been affected ; and that fever and
epidemic diseases generally have been very few in
number.

Fifth. That, nevertheless, two or three cases have re-
cently occurred in the town, which have borne a close
resemblance to Asiatic cholfra, though one of them ap-
pears to have been imported from Ilamburgh.
Sixth. That an outbreak of the disease occurred on
board the Prussian blrqua Pallas; five of the crew hav-
ing been affected, and three having died.
Seventh. That the occurrence of other two cases of
diarrhcea on board within the last twenty-four hours
might almost be considered as indicating a further
tendency to the development of tho disease in the sur-
vivors.

Eighth. That the cases in question appear to have
been imported, the .men having been exposed for some
hours to the epidemic influence at llamburgh, after
coming from a lialthy country.
Ninth. That the immediate exciting cause appears to
have been the eaticg of a large quantity of partially
decayed plums and drinking acid beer: and we enter-
tain great doubts bother, apart from this eircumstence,
the disease would have manifested itself.

Tenth. That there is no proper medical officer to at-
tend to cases of premonitory diarrhea or cholera either
in the docks or on the riv-zr, and cases of suck diarrhcea
may at any time pass into cholera, and the disease ap-
pear to have broken out in the port, whereas it may only
have been the result of the neglect of the premonitory
symptoms with which the crew may have arrived.
Eleventh. That it appears extremely important that in

the present critical state of the disease, some competent
medical men shf.uld be appointed to visit all crews on
their arrival from cholera ports, in order to put a stop to
cholera by cuttit,g short its premonitory symptoms when-
ever present.
Twelfth. That, considering, the history of the cases on
beard the Pallas in all their bearings, they appear to
afford very strong evidence against the doctrine of conta-
gion in this disease.

Thirteenth. That the relaxation of the quarantine
which has just been rude will be of service it accompa-
nied by the appointment of a temporary medical super-
intendent. as already advised.

Fourteenth. Tll,z7t, considering the close communica-

tion which exists between Hull and Hamburgb, and the
progress of the disease westward, it would be very ad-
visable at once to put the Nuisances Removal and Con-
tagious Diseases Prevention Act in force, and to organize
a local board of health.
Fifteenth. That the board should be constituted of
members of the town council and of poor•law guardians,
both of Hull, which is not under the Poor-law Commis-
sioners, and of Sculcoates, which is under them. The
two districts form in reality one town, and unity of
action would be very advisable, and a due proportion of
medical practitioners is indispensable.
Sixteenth. That the Sculcoates Union contains two
workhouses where accommodation might be obtained for
cholera cases, and another temporary hospital might be
obtained in some intervening point of the district.
Seventeenth. That the Hull workhouse is quite un-
suited for such a purpose. It stands in one of the prin-
cipal streets, has no back entrance, is badly drained, the
wards are low and badly lighted, and the ventilation
most offensive.

Eighteenth. That an adequate number of dispen-
saries, for treating the premonitory stage, ought to be
established, if the disease should make its appearance.
Nineteenth. That apart from the desirableness of
treating cholera cases at home as far as practicable,
there are very great evils attending the opening of spe-
cial cholera hospitals • one class of these we believe are
fairly illustrated in the evidence of Mr. Hardy, who is
an experienced practitioner. Any such provision that
may be necessary ought to be so placed, and conducted
under such arrangements as to avoid exciting alarm and
injuring public feeling.
Lastly. That although our opinion, from examination
subsequently made, has induced us to believe that the
cases which have occurred both in the town of Hull and
on boird the Pallas, have a closer relation to true
Asiatic cholera than we at first considered them to have,
we beg to repeat our former conclusion, that there is
nothing that would lead us to expect a special outbreak
of cholera in Hull more than on any part of the east coast.
JOHN SUTHERLAND.

R. D. GRAINGER.

THE CHOLERA.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SW'.

should conceive there cannot be much fear
of the cholera being in London, as it seems some of
the authorities do not care about leaving all the filth
of the streets before the houses of the inhabitants.

It is now nearly a fortnight since the street in which
I live, Duke-street, Stamford-street, had all the slush
swept before the houses, and I suppose it will lay there
till all the miasma has been purified from it by the sun
and becomes hard, so that a man can carry it away in
a hand-barrow, as I saw one solitary individual doing
last week. Although they seem to have forgotten to
remove the filth, I must give them credit that they
have not forgotten to send their claim for cleansing,
or more properly for sweeping the filth together and
there leaving it. I shall certainly next time have it
swept back again into the street instead of running
the risk of imbibing the poison every time I go in
or out.

I find in going through any low neighbourhood
he gutters are actually blocked with filth.
Yours, &c.,

G. D.

THE CHOLERA AND THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHY-
siciAss.—The President and Council of the Royal
College of Physicians have appointed a committee,
consisting of the most eminent members of the col-
lege, who will immediately take into their considera-
the adoption of such measures as may be deemed
expedient for securing the public safety during the
prevalence of the cholera in this country. With this
view they will meet at stated periods in the first
instance, for the purpose of drawing up a brief sum-
mary of cautions and directions, in order to remove
certain unfounded apprehensions which have
.been
occasioned amongst the people, more especially
the lower classes, by certain statements contained
in the authorized circular of the General Board
of Health, recently issued. In this document
the following passage occurs :—" Whenever Asiatic
cholera is epidemic, there is invariably found
among a great number of the inhabitants an extraor-
dinary tendency to irritation of the bowels ; and this
fact suggests that every article of food which is
known to favour a relaxed state of the bowels should,
es far as possible, be avoided, such as every variety of
green vegetables, as cabbage, &c., whether cooked or
not." With reference to this paragraph, Dr. Paris,
the president of the Royal College of Physicians,
vs rites as follows :—" The first great object appears to
me to sustain, by every practical means, the highest
possible standard of health ; and to accomplish this
object it has been recommended by authority that the
quanti▪ ty of vegetable food should be diminished or
withdrawn. The probable consequence would be to
substi▪ tute a less healthy diet than persons have been
accustomed to, and to prepare the way for the incur-
sion of disease. I think a hint of this kind would be
highly salutary. The fallacy is so mischievous, that
the public mind should be disabused with respect to
it without delay."
THE CHOLERA.—The highly favourable change in
the weather, it is to be hoped, has checked the progress
of fatal cholera, cases in the metropolis. Only one fatal
case was reported yesterday—that of a person in the
Tower. The attacks of diarrhoea were reported to be
numerous and severe, with, however, very satisfactory
statements of the success of the treatment recommended
for checking the disease at once in its first stage or in
premonitory symptoms.

We understand that her Majesty's determination to
return to England overland was the cause of several cu-
rious occurrences. At :Forfar, the report of the royal
party having arrived at the railway station was almost
entirely looked upon as a hoax, and few were present.
Bailie Craik was the only person to whom her Majesty
spoke, the conversation being confined to asking why
they were detained so long, and the Bailie explaining
that it arose from a change being made in the engines.
At Glammis, where the train had to change rails, an
amusing instance of the universal application of railway
regulations was afforded. The porter having come out
with a lantern, the Prince asked for a light for his cigar,
but, with the utmost coolness, the reply was, "No
smoking allowed here, Sir,"—a rebuff which, we have
no doubt, the Prince took in good part.— Witness.
The Brighton Gazette says----" We are happy to
hear that it is the intention of her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Gloucester to honour this town with a visit
shortly."