The Sun.
London, England, 1833-04-11 00:00:00

REPORT

Of the SUPERINTENDING COMMITTEE of the
GENERAL PENITENTIARY at AIILBANK, for
the reception of Convicts ; made in pursuance of the
56th G,o. 111. c. 63, s. 39, and the 7th and Bth Geo.
IV. c. 33, s. 6 ; specifying, the State of the Building ;
the Conduct of the Officeis ; the Treatment and Con-
dition of the Prisoners ; the Amount of their Earnings,
and the Expenses of the Establishment, during the
year 1832.

The Building is in a sound and substantial
state, and has required no extraordinary repair, with
the exception of what has necessarily arisen from
the alteration of the second-class wards, to make
them fit for the permanent reception of second-class
prisoners, who are now kept in separate cells, and
also from the heating of the four sleeping-galleries
in Pentagons Nos. 1 and 2, which are now fit for
the reception of male prisoners.
The number of Convicts in the P.ison on the
31st of December 1831 amounted to 539, v.z., 394
males and 144 females; and on the 31st of Decem-
ber last the number was 519, being 383 males and
136 females; having been augmented during the
year by the rec,ption of 178 males and 42 females;
arid diminished by the deaths of 16 males and 7
females, the discharge of 169 males and 43 females
•(of whom 132 mates and 29 females were by free
pardon, 26 males and 14 females by pardon on me-
dical grounds, and II males upon the expiration of
their sentence of imprisonment); 1 male was sent
to the Hulks for recovery of Itedlth, 1 was remitted
to the Secretary of State as being incorrigible by
the discipline of the Penitentiary, 1 was sent to the
Bethlehem Hospital, being insane, and one com-
mitted suicide.

Of those who died in the Prson last year,2 males
were received in very delicate health, and 14 males
and 5 females fell victims to cholera mot bus.

Of those submitted to the S,ereiary of State for
the Home Department, for pardon on medical
grounds, 7 males and 2 females came into the prison
in a diseased state.

The number at present withri the walls, is 531,
being 393 males and 138 females.

With the exception of the visitation of the late
prevailing epidemic, which on two different occa-
sions made its appearance in the Penitentiary, the
health of the prisoners throughout the year has been
remarkably good, and continues to be so. The last
Report of the Medical Officers, upon their monthly
inspection of all the prisoners both in the Pentagons
and Infirmaries, states, " That on no former occa-
sion his the Institution been so free from disease.
The Infirmary Reports exhib t that the ailments
generally during the month of January have been of
a very trdLng description, and with the exception
of two cases of consumption in the Infirmaries"
(one of which has since proved fatal) " no other
of any moment are to be found."
In their last Report the Committee stated, that
they had ordered every precautionary measure to he
adopted and carried into execution with a view to
guard against the approach of cholera; and they
have the satisfaction of observing, that by those
measures, and the prompt attention which was be-
stowed upon every case that occurred by the Resi-
dent Surgeon and an assistant (which the Com-
mittee found it was indispensably necessary to aid
him with in the very arduous duty which had to
be performed), the number of deaths which took
pace from that direful malady have been few, in
comparison of the number who were attacked.

Mr. Wade (the R ident Surgeon) concludes his
Journal for the year with the following statement
upon the subject :—" On the Gth of March last
cholera morbus made its appearance in this Institit-
tion, and by the end of April it ceased, having in
that time attacked 40 prisoners, viz., 18 males and
22 females: 8 cases among the males and 4 in
females were extreme; of these there died 3 males
and 2 females; the others recovered. On the Ist
of July the disease re-appeared, and prevailed with
great severity until the 31st of August ; in that
time 25 cases of collapse occurred, 19 of which were
males and 6 females, and of these there died 10
males and 3 females. Exclusive of these extreme
cases, there prevailed a diaracea of a character dif-
ferent from anything which had heretofore been ob-
served, having, in a greater or less degree, choleratic
symptoms. During the months of March and April
47 males and 37 females were removed to the In-
firmaries, having this p:culiar diarrhoea ; and from
the beginning of July until the end of October 127
males and 54 females were removed to the Infir-
maries, having the same complaint. All the above
cases of diarrhoea recovered. Between the 31st of
August and the 31st of December, no cases of
cholera appeared, but on the last-named day a fatal
one occurred."
Small-pox made its appearance in one of the Pen-
tagons appropriated to male prisoners ,in
, n the be-
giuning of December, where four cases occurred
two of them, which had been vaccinated, had the
disease mildly ; of two, which had not been vacci-
nated, one was very severe; but all recovered, and
the contagion spread no farther, Mr. Wade hav-
ing immediately vaccinated all who had not pre-
viously undergone that operation, or had not expe-
rienced the disease.

In addition to the number of prisoners discharged
in 1830, who had received gratuities for good con'