The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-20 00:00:00

SANITARY STATE OF INDIA.

It is now admitted that the climate of India is not so
injurious as some persons have supposed it to be. Many
causes have contributed to the sickness and mortality
which prevailed among the European troops, but these
chiefly related to sanitary arrangements in which im•
provements could be made. It is encouraging to
notice in the reports of the permanent Sanitary
Commission which appear in the Blue-book just
issued, that some excellent measures have engaged the
attention of the local Government in respect to public
health. Until the year 1856 the mortality of European
forces in India was 69 per 1,000 strength, bnt in 1864 the
mortality of the British army was not much over 20 per
1,000. The first thing that struck the Royal Commission
was that the civil servants of the Company at the soldiers'
age did not die at a higher rate than 20 per 1,000,
because it followed that the climate of India was
not necessarily fatal to any higher proportion. People
were astonished at the great reduction in the rate of mor.
tality which followed upon the labours of the commission.
Bad choice of stations has been the cause of much injury
to the troops, and magnified the ills attendant on the
climate a hundredfold. A sanitary committee and depart-
ment have been appointed at the India Office, in order
that due attention may be given to the important questions
affecting public health in India. In 1865 the Govern.
went of India proposed a reconstruction of the
Sanitary Commissions of the three Presidencies, and so
recently as April 1868 Sir S. Northcote forwarded a
despatch to the Government of India, urging the adoption
of Lord Herbert's army medical regulations with as little
delay as possible. These made ample provision for the
health of the troops, but they have not yet been fully
adopted in the Indian army. The India civil sanitary
service is divided into two branches—the discovery of
local causes of disease, and the work of executive
officers, whose duty it is to remove these causes. The
memorandum states that the public health problems in
India are more extensive than any that we have to deal
with in England. A valuable sketch of sanitary progress
in the Bengal Presidency previous to 1864 is given by Dr.
Goodeve, and he makes suggestions for the improvement
of the sanitary abstracts in future years. Abstracts of
sanitary reports in each of the presidencies show
the improvements that have been effected in the
health of European and native troops, and the health of
the inmates of gaols and of the civil population of India.
In 1866 the mortality among the European troops was
201 per 1,000 in Bengal ; 17.9 per 1,000 in Madras ; and
127 per 1,000 in Bombay. The statistics relating to the
civil population are as yet imperfect, the measures for
securing accurate returns of the registration of deaths
having only recently been adopted.

Mr. Bright was in Leeds'on Monday and Tues-
day, on a private visit to Mr. R. L. Ford, solicitor, of that
town. The right hon. gentleman was met at luncheon on
Tuesday by the Mayor and Mr. Darnton Lupton, presi-
dent of the Chamber of Commerce.
Lord Carnarvon, the Bishop of Cheater, and Mr.
Charles Buxton, AI.P., have been appointed members of the
Ritual Commission, one vacancy having been caused by the
death of the late Archbishop of Canterbury, and two by the
withdrawal, on taking office, of Mr. Cardwell and of the
Lord Chancellor.

PENRYN AND FALMOUTH ELECTION PETITION.
The Western Morning News says :—" We understand that
there is not the remotest possibility of the election petition
for Penryn and Falmouth being withdrawn by the peti-
tioners, as suggested by rumour, the expense being quite a
secondary matter. It is stated, indeed, that the evidence
obtained is so strong that it is quite impossible for the peti-
tioners, even if they had a desiie to do so, which they have
not, to withdraw."

FATAL MISADVENTURE.—At the Derby infirmary
last Friday a female nurse supplied one of the patients,
named John Waite, with what she thought was his
medicine, whereas it turned out to be a lotion ordered to
be applied to his thigh, which he had injured by an acci-
dent. The unfortunate man took a dose of the lotion,
and several hours elapsed before the mistake was dis-
covered. The usual remedies were resorted to, but the poor
fellow died. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased
died from the administration of carbolic acid and oil taken
in mistake.

The proposal of a member of the Oxford Town
Council to present a corporation address to the Lord Chan-
cellor on his elevation to the woolsack has found such favour
at the hands of that body, that instead of nominating two
or three gentlemen, as is usual, as a deputation to
wait on his rordship, it has been arranged thet
the whole of the council shall accompany the mayor and
sheriffs to town, and it only remains for his lordship to
name a convenient day for the resolution to be carried into
effect. The Lord Chancellor, as Mr. Page Wood, first re-
presented Oxford city 21 years ago, and was returned on
three different occasions unopposed.

THE PUBLIC IIEALTH.—The results of the mild
again apparent in a decreased mortality.
In'eaher are
thet seven days which ended on Saturday last, 1,490
deaths were registered in London, the average number
for the second week in the year being 1,830. The
deaths thus fell short by 340 of the estimate, and
were 11 less than were recorded in the previous
week. Of the total number who died in London last week,
600 were children under five years of age. The mean
temperature of the week was 40.4, or rather more than
four degrees above the average. The temperature ranged
between 331 on Thursday night, and 50'9 on Friday.
SURVEYING THE ENEMY'S TERRITORY. —A cor-
respondent of the Vossische Zeitung says that France has
made every preparation for war, lie relates an amusing
anecdote in connection with the surveying of the
German fortress by French spies. One of the persons
employed in taking measurements of the works at
Coblentz and Ehrenbreitstein feigned drunkenness,
and rolled down the glacis. The sentries picked
him up, took him to the watch-house, and
after he was supposed to have slept off the effects of his
debauch, dismissed him without any further investigation,
or even ascertaining his identity. The process, however,
of rolling down the grass had enabled him to measure
places with tolerable accuracy, which he could not have
done in any other way.

On Monday the Right Hon. James Moncreiff
was installed as Lord Rector of the University of Edin-
burgh. The ceremony took place in the music-hall, in
presence of the students and a large company of ladies
and gentlemen. The principal of the university (Sir
Alexander Grant, Bart.) occupied the chair, and Mr.
Moncreiff, having been formallypresented for installation,
was duly invested with the robe of office, and proceeded to
deliver his inaugural address. He began by paying a
graceful tribute to his predecessors in the office, and.
thereafter gave a sketch of the distinctive features of
college experience between 1825 and 1832, when he was a
student at the university. He next noticed the pecu-
liarities of the Scotch university system as compared with
that of the English universities, and concluded with some
remarks on the much-vexed question of classical study.
A BALL ON BOARD A MAN-OF-WAR.—The grand
ball given by Lady Clarence Paget on board the armour-
plated flagship Caledonia, " to see the old year out and
the new year in," was a magnificent novelty in this part
of the Mediterranean, and turned out a really splendid
success. The upper deck of the Caledonia presented
a most beautiful and magnificent scene. An immense
awning, inlaid with the glorious flags of Old England and
all nations, extended two-thirds the length of the ship
at a height of about sixty feet, and different parts of the
vessel were decorated with bouquets of flowers, bowers.,
and flags, giving the whole deck a fairy-like and enchant.
ing appearance ; the ship being brilliantly illuminated
with gas, and a large and beautiful gas star appearing on
the poop. An excellent orchestral band, placed in a good
position on the fore part of the vessel, played select and
spirit-stirring pieces of music, whilst the dancers kept them-
.ielves at their gay work alive on the spadous deck ; and,
o crown the noble festivity, the jolly Jack tars, part of
he crew of the vessel, numbering about 400, were conside.
~Itely perched on the hammock nettings, dressed in their
,eat summer clothing, as living statues and spectators of
the festive occasion, apparently enjoying this grand ball,
and no doubt ready to take a mgr dive part if dert:l.7l
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