The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-03 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

Last night a public meeting, convened under the
auspices of the Health of London Association, was
held at the Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen-street,
for the purpose of considering and recommending the
best means to be adopted for preventing the ravages
of the cholera, which is reported to have arrived in
this country, and to have manifested itself in several
instances at the port of Hull. The meeting was very
thinly attended, there being not more than from thirty
to forty persons present. Sir Charles Aldis, M.D.,
occupied the chair.
Mr. Jour( LIDDLE moved the first resolution, to
the following effect :—" That as the cholera has been
imported into England, and as there is reason to be-
lieve it will shortly make its appearance in our large
towns, it becomes the duty of all persons to consider
and adopt those means which science and experience
have shown to be most successful in preventing the
fearful ravages of this formidable disease ; and in the
opinion of this meeting, it is expedient that the Gene-
ral Board of Health should issue printed instructions
for the guidance of the public in accomplishing the
above object."
The Rev. JAMES WILLIAMS, M.A., incumbent of
Ratcliffe parish, seconded the resolution, and Mr. C.
LANE having shortly addressed the meeting, the
resolution was put and carried unanimously.
Dr. E. RIADORE then proposed the next resolution,
which was as follows :—" It having been demonstrated
by the extensive experience of medical men abroad,
that cholera, though eminently mortal in the second
stage, is an extremely tractable and manageable
disease when attended to in its primary stage; this meet-
ing recommend that the necessary precautionary
measures should at once be adopted to obtain daily
information respecting the health of the various dis-
tricts in the metropolis, in order that, when the dis-
ease shall have broken out, the cases may be imme-
diately reported, and efficient medical aid afforded in
the first—the curative stage of the disease." He said
that his experience of the cholera during its preva-
lence in 1831 and 1832 led him to the opinion that
it was not contagious ; but whether it was so or
not appeared to him of little importance. If that
disease were to revisit England, the middling and
lower classes would suffer incomparably more from
its ravages now, in consequence of the existing
commercial depression and distress, than was
the case when it formerly appeared amongst us. Po-
verty, destitution, and starvation, were more power-
ful allies of that powerful scourge, and indeed of
disease in general, than statesmen might be disposed
to believe ; and a course of policy adapted to abate,
if it could not altogether extirpate these monster evils,
by securing employment, fresh air, and improved
abodes, cheap and good water to the industrious poor,
would do far more to permanently disarm disease
and stay its hecatombs among our dense population
than any temporary or spasmodic efforts hastily de-
vised could possibly achieve to put down so fatal an
enemy as cholera or any other similar visitation.
Mr. THOMAS ABRAHAM seconded the resolution,
which having been supported by Mr. C. COCHRANE,
was carried unanimously.
Mr. HooGnss, barrister, moved the third resolution,
which read thus :—" In order that the recommenda-
tions contained in the preceding resolutions may be
effectually carried out, it is desirable that the me-
tropolis be divided into districts, to which medical
officers of experience and skill should be appointed, a
port= of whose duty should be to receive and
digest the reports of the local boards of health, and
the medical and other officers, and transmit the
same to the central board of health. He condemned
the conduct of the Government with respect
to the Health of Town's Bill, and inveighed loudly
against its general neglect of the comforts and wants
of the poor. He then passed to the subject of the
sale of diseased cattle at Smithfield, and mentioned
that from 400 to 600 head of unsound cattle, and from
1,000 to 1,400 diseased sheep were sold weekly at
Smithfield-market. The latter were sold at ld. per
lb., and the venders made a profit of 400 per cent.
upon them.
Mr. C. LANE seconded the resoluticn, and it was
then passed unanimously.
After some further discussion, thanks were voted to
the Cluurman, and the meeting broke up.