The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

The Times discusses the theory of preventive medicine
propounded by Dr. Budd at Bristol, Dr. Budd treats his
theory of infection and prevention in certain specified
diseases as absolutely certified. He expresses no Inis-
givings, and makes no reservations. He affirms that in the
disorders classed as infectious the poison is actually d 55"
seminated as he describes, and that "in all essential points
the law of propagation is perfectly made out." Ile
bestowed no time upon proof or argument, as if taking ,
for granted that the allegations admitted of no dens4`,.
Fever, smallpox, measles, cholera, whooping cough, allu
other diseases are communicated by the dissemination of
material poisons, which dissemination can be stopped. That,
in brief, was his position. We need not say that on these
assumptions the field of " preventive medicine "
wide indeed. No other field can be compared to it. i`
In
the non-infectious group the work of prevention is remote'
indirect, and too often feeble ; in the infectious it is direst,
signal, and decisive." Not a doubt of it—that is, on the
theory laid down, No physician could ever hope to save
half as many lives by the ordinary practice of medicine as
he could save by extirpating typhus and smallpox. If the
theory is true, that, beyond all question, is the field for
professional ( p -ration. And we are told over and over
again that it is true and unimpeachable. We have all the
knowledge we .want. "The whole case is ripe for
action; the law of spreading is made out; the conditicss
of prevention arc clear; the measures required are
for the most part easy of execution, and when not so mar
be defined in the simplest terms." What is needed is 1.5!
information and then faith on the part of the public, n`i
doctors must agree among themselves, if that be possible,
before the outside world can be expected to agree witil
them, It may be that after a series of errors we have Fiat
length arrived at the truth, nor is that truth of a dis;
couraging character ; for, though the terrible theory' e.`
contaLion is revived once more, the antidote is presented
by its side. But every age has had its own persuasions 00
this reth:e ct, and the stage of universal consent has never
yet been reached.
It would be 'difficult, says the Standard, to imagin°
more complete contrast to " Henry of Exeter " than tli°
prelate who passed quietly away from us on. Friday last'
Dr. Samuel Waldegrave, Bishop of Carlisle. He leave'
behind him a character, not indeed of one who mixed ra
the ecclesiastical strife and religious frays of the dal 5s
did Henry of Exeter, " a fierce, dauntless, fighting ger
cules " of Mother Church, but of one whose course 1/0
from beginning to end singularly calm, unchequered
ba
brilliant vissitudes, whether of triumph or defeat ; th
name of an earnest, trustful divine, of one who ‘°s's
never brought face to face with any of those grim probloss
which have harassed prelates made of sterner stuff ; of °I
who, without mixing in any of the polemical encounters r
his day, still materially advanced, in an unostentatioas
manner, the influence of our Church. There was °lle
motive which prompted the promotion of Samuel Wald°•
grave to Carlisle, and that motive was gratified. As
th
rector of Bradford St. Martin, in Wiltshire, he had "-.1
played singular activity in the task of parecl°,
organisation. It was notorious that at this til'l;
and in most dioceses in the north of Bret'
parochial organisation was singularly faulty.
cumbents were neglectful ; curates were more negleet'';
still. If theology had become speculative, religi%
had become unpractical. To remedy these defects, 'to
resuscitate the working power of the parochial system/
infuse a new measure of energy and life into the eler'4
and curates of his diocese, Dr. Waldegrave was apneillAtej
to Carlisle. This was the service which ho was intellfie
to do for his Church, and this he did. That he did
severe though of necessity the nature of his task was, ijog
manner which has left no trace of inefficiency, and neth 40
but a legacy of affectionate memories, on the minds of ow- f
with whom he worked behind, is due to the happiness °
his disposition, not to the incompleteness of his labol
rs' f
The Telegraph thinks that in translating the Bish°2l,°,l
Oxford to the see of Winchester, the Prime Minister
performed an act which will be applauded by the large and
ever-growing class that places personal ability, enerei)
zeal above the narrow, distinctions of the thoolebn',
schools. Dr. Wilberforce has doubtless made enel:nt
by his aggressive Chuichmanship, and his fe o,
advocacy of High Church claims. Never
many even of his theological and ecclesiaststc;
opponents will welcome his promotion to pi
great see of Winchester, and the bulk of la
countrymen will hold the distinction to be Mot
merited. As a preacher, the new Bishop of Winches
stands in the very first rank. As a platform speak°'e
ecclesiastical subjects he has scarcely a rival in the Ch" 1.
as a political debater he has no superior on the crisce,oo
bench. For mnny a year no such number of bishoprics
oho
been vacant at ihe same time. The circumstance is 511 the
more remarkable because it occurs at a time when eveili.3ll.
most fervent devotees admit that the Anglican Est3b'tho
meat is on its trial. It so happens that at a season 101°,00
Church stands in signal need of able and °C3:I to
bishops, the selection lies with a Minister better Ocilsii
guard the interests of the Church than any fl'I'110;
statesman who has wielded power for centuries. beet
generations the English Church has not been WI tho
with so many ler.rned, gifted, and earnest men 55 aft rao
present time. The harvest is ready, and the labouroOntej
not few, but many. Seldom has the Church Prcr'e,ool
such excellent materials for the recruitment of her sPirl.w-ijo
staff; already she has men in the very highest postslode
comprehend the necessities of the hour, its urgent e
ro
and its unprecedented opportunities ; and no 01,51.-
Minister has ever united in larger measure than I%lr' 1430
stone the qualifications requisite in the statesman
would reform the English Church.
The Daily News declares that the whole world, or ill:4
part of it which is interested in ecclesiastical aff3ill3sn'y of
made up its mind that Dr. Wilberforce would be
Winchester. Those who thought that he ought toll° ea ss
natcd, and those who thought he ought not, were tltiliet
to the probable fact. By what mysterious
they were led, friend and foe alike, to this egads con'
it would be hard to determine. There is a sort o'ci Dr,
gruity between the Bishopric of Winchester efeciple
Wilberforce, between one of the most venerable oath yiog'
of England, in the ancient but decayed capital of the
gem, and its highest Anglican prelate. A savour el coierS
antiquity and of Anglo-Catholic ecclesiologY t to
over both. If Dr. Wilberforce had been E'en Deo
London or to Manchester, there would 135`'e ugllll
no, slight outcry. But Winchester is theri°cotoa
in keeping. There is high art in the se
.f teere
There are qualities in the Bishop of Oxford, ant°3e°
have been passages in his career, which all his counts hii
may admire, however much they may dissent fl find
theological and ecclesiastical views. His energy w foal
abundant scope in a diocese which extends ~at of
Southwark-bridge to within a few miles of the °lOO4
Normandy, including the county of Surrey and the 0
Islands. reefing 4
-There is no greater shame, says the Star, now Dote
this country than that which is occasioned by trt" d tiff
condition of the tillers of the soil in the larger P 5 ties., ne
kingdom, and notably in the southern cowl reeelet•
Stafford Northcote, in his inaugural address es. Peoje,ecof
of the congress, bestowed some attention to this "ractl to
but we cannot say that his remarks were of a verfSagedtije
character. Employers, it is true, are to be en°°, of not
improve the status and to increase the wan-co is,:ol
labourer ; but we are afraid that this good at's'. ea l'oe
likely to be extensively followed. The generosity onee he
feeling of individuals will not exert much inn to
the inert mass ; and the evil is far too deePencte
it
cured by superficial treatment. If landlords 18,0 to
would carry out Sir Stafford's suggestions, and gthOott
labourers greater educational facilities, enablerste r.deo
occupy small allotments of land at a Ea°4B,,.s
improve their cottages, and do a host of t.hin'tioald,tll
which the great majority are not likely to 60" gre`,li•
the condition of the rural population wn,n'citli. rteioet
improve. But, unfortunately, we have to deal eatO oor
ties, and not with day dreams. CompulsorY j
so far as the elements of knowledge 50010
cerned; the establishment of co-opera tors' ors
t
the better remuneration of parish de° the
next to agricultural labourers are 13.rilars.i.,forOroo0
paid of mankind ; and the general diffusion ef,l,r, tic
as to the rates of wages in countries where tnyr, of "oell
and to spare for the hewers of wood and dravi_e_eeetell
—these formed a part of the scheme of improvr,,,p taecl
Canon Girdlestone elaborated in his burghthoug/itfu cle..„P'4o
is something that the agricultural labourer is b, /
about at the Social Science Congress ; and it i?!c,
indeed if these discussions do not induce Inn•orati°
his friends, to attempt the permanent al° 110(
his lot. , e0r10.,.5"$ 010
The Post remarks that there will be man ono tt
some anxious observers of wind and water uni,lo oeffro
next, notwithstanding the Astronomer-ilnrseicePe°9,oos,:
reassure the public mind. Mr. Saxby's progn°aistnr'eel
probable danger arising from atmospherinfaii to
_rei, 00
combined with an unusually high tide, inal• t
any verification, but there is a sufge'e!l, t°,,Nies
fact and probability to cause attest-0.0 cipei
paid to the . subject. The wave formed 0 eljoes'
day in the south under the influence of tlicpt
tion" of the sun and moon will not reach "sld." 13e°
day ; that is, the tide will be "two days of
observers on the banks of the Thames on three ° t°'
Thursday afternoons, about half-past two or
eeck,ener.o,.
need not, in hearing of this great tidal evaeree_teol.e, o';eit,"e
a mighty "bore," or overwhelming rush of wfover
ing the cellars of Southwark and floodintsur
Marshes. While we talk thus lightly of
.°c.t the J'afl
excitements and dangers, we should not feeig aft/jell
_0 or
ful perils that those who live in countries
_oence'uree 400
the ocean are exposed to in anY %elec. ",,ini.e;
naturally very high tides with atraosins. env,
bances of groat magnitude. Our owilL
a 71,, '
of :tit;
the danger is by no means imaguirospects,l,cos
but a faint idea of the condition and P wee Latoos,
people in many parts of Holland. If, thef.e.,c
.vaticutlis
has been occasioned even in England by rho th?..0,61e5r0
of Mr. Saxby, much more, we may 5un.17.4 appre"vel`a
Bien relative to the great tidal wave exc proeereeF
elsewhere, It is obviously rash te 1
_novo t?;
regarding the winds and waves ;
.but, as %at tbel!,o
to show, we do not for a moment imagineobs
least likelihood of any disastrous effects re wi-,
eenitencti9A of the euut a.. 441499,4 Pc.Pg