The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-04 00:00:00

ANTICIPATORY REMARKS RELATIVE
TO HEALTH UNDER A DIMINUTION
OF ELECTRICITY IN 1857-8.

BT ME. G. T. F. SMITH.

If sanitary regulations may be considered as conducive
to health, or indeed any other available means calculated
to promote so desirable an object, be worthy of public
attention, I would strenuously advise that no relaxation
of imperative duty be suffered to impede such salutary
precautions during the present year 1856 and the suc-
ceeding one 1857. The reason I would assign for these
cautionary remarks is based upon the following premises
prelusively submitted. In all epidemical diseases medi-
cal skill, notwithstanding its importance, and the essen-
tial efforts made to arrest their virulent progress, but
little has been accomplished towards determining the
causes (in any probable way) of their origination or pro-
gress, particularly with regard to cholera and the phases
under which it manifests itself. Ordinary conclusions
being thus baffled, may it not be permitted to view the
matter metaphysically, and therein note the evidence
holding any claim upon our respect or attention, with
regard to those principles. Firstly, then, in the year
1849, when cholera proved a great deficiency of electri-
city, and also a product of the latter termed " ozone,"
and that a gradual diminution of both bad been going
on since the month of January, 1849, and that during
the rage of the disease but little of either of the proper-
ti.s named could be detected in the atmosphere of those
plans. It was also ascertained that during the height
of the pestilence at St. Petersburg, a magnet capable
of sustaining 50 pounds had its power reduced to 26
pounds ; a fact that importantly arrests our attention in
evidence of electric abstraction being the primary cause
of cholera. Upon this basis an inquiry suggests itself to
the following effect :—ls there any known law supported
by antecedent uniformity of operation that may consist-
ently be deemed the cause of such abstraction, as the facts
named illustrate? It can be proved that at and during all
the epochs of epidemical diseases from 1625 to 1849 that
such have invariably been accompanied by either con-
junctions or oppositions of the more ponderous planets,
w hese magnitudes individually, much more when con-
jointly considered, so far exceed that of our earth that
their magnetic attractions under such circumstances be-
come unquestionable. It is, therefore, humbly presumed
from these coincidences and analogous tests that the de.
ductions as to cause and effect are well founded. Indeed
the capricious bounds of the fell destroyer have hitherto
assimilated so closely upon the mode of development in-
stanced in that mighty agent, electricity, that no converse
conclusion is induced, so far as experience has hitherto
determined.

I may now take leave to mention that in the year 183 t,
perceiving an approximating conjunction of the planets
Jupiter and Herschel, I was impressed with the belief
thata scourge would lamentablyoecurin England in 1831.
The result but too truly proved my conviction was well
founded, for in that year the cholera first broke out in this
kingdom. Also in 1846, upon the same principle, my pre-
diction was printed and published of a scourge occasioning
much mortality which was likely to occur in the years
1849 and 1850. This prediction also was founded upon the
then approximating conjunction of the planets Saturn and
Herschel in the sign Aries ; and again the result but
too truly proved the prediction to be well founded. Now
reasoning still further upon these premises, I find that
in the years 1857 and 1858 another conjunction of
these planets will occur in the sign Taurus ; and finding
from the eclipse of the sun during the present year 1856,
the effect of which extends to 1857 and 1858 in its inten-
city, testimony not very dissimilar to that which deter-
mined my previous conclusions on the epochs now tran-
spired. I ant led to conclude that a scourge, virulent
in its character, may again visit this country, and there-
fore my remarks addressed to the various authorities
connected with the Boards of Health, &c , are made.
We have an old proverb that to be forewarned is to be
forearmed. Whether these conclusions be deemed well
fmnded cr not by such authorities, no possible wrong
can arise in being prepared for all c3ntingencies. The
value of the maxim of the master minds of every age,
whether in military provision and command, or in na-
tional provision and government in being prepared, as
far as human prudence and our finite knowledge will ex-
tend, cannot be disputed. The indispensable duty of
being in time and prepared may be classed as one of the
mandates of an ueerring Providence.
I have so tar endeavoured to urge the necessity of a
general observance of every precautionary means, and
the utility of it.
Cheltenham, May, 1856.

THE ROYAL WESTMINSTER OPHTHAL-
MIC HO,F.PITAL.

The annual meeting of the governors and friends of
this charity was held at the Hospital, Charing-cross,
yesterday afternoon, the Marquis of Westminster in the
chair, in the absence of the president, the Duke of
Richmond. The chairman of the committee of manage.
ment, Sir J. S winburne, who has manifested his interest
iu the hospital by constant and munificent donations,
and by being invariably present at these meetings, was
unavoidably absent on account of ill health ; but at the
board were the Earl of Stafford, the Earl De Grey,
Major-General Broke, Admiral Grace, Colonel Wood,
son., of Littleton, Colonel Wood, jun., of the Grenadier
Guards, Mr. L. Powell, the deputy-chairman, Mr. C. J.
Bunyon, other governors, and several officers of the
hospital. According to the annual report read by the
secretary, Mr. G. C. Farrant, the hospital had been sup-
ported at the expense of 8211. 12s. 3d. for the year
ending the 31st of Dec. last, and there was left a deficiency
of assess for the current year of 171.135. 10d. Only the
interest of the inalienable fund had been appropriated for
the purposes of the hospital ; the principal formed a per-
manent capital to insure the future existence of the hoe-
pital on an enlarged scale. 4,8001. stock was invested,
but 12,0001. were required to receive an extended num-
ber of in-patients. 110,641 persons had availed them-
selves of the benefits of the charity since its formation
to the first day of the present year. 2,328 had been re-
stored to sight by operations for cataract and the forma-
tion of an artificial pupil ; 4,603 bad had their appear-
ance improved by the removal of squinting ; 5,938 had
during the past year been admitted to the benefits of the
hospital ; 184 had been in-patients. The number of in-
patients was now 24. But the hospital had two wards
closed, and many urgent and important cases had been
refused solely for the want of funds. The minutes of the
special meeting of the 15th of May last were read, in
which the committee expressed regret for the death of
Mr. Guthrie, and testified affection and respect for him
on account of his valuable services to the hospital over
a period of nearly 40 years, and of the skill and energy
with which he had promoted its interests. The meeting
expressed its entire concurrence in the testimony borne
in those minutes to the memory of Mr. Guthrie. After
a long discussion between the noble chairman, the Earl
of Strafford, the Earl de Grey, the Dean of Hereford,
Gen. Broke, Col. Wood, and others, it was unanimously
resolved that, in order to perpetuate regard for the
memory of Mr. Guthrie, a subscription should be en-
tered into to be applied in aid of the Inalienable Fend,
and to be called the Guthrie Fund. The subscriptions for
this fund from the noblemen and gentlemen present
amounted to 1301.

SINGULAR RECOVERY OF EYESIGHT.—An old woman
named Mary Brockbank, residing at Preston, lost the
sight of one of her eyes 61 years ago. A. few days
since she was unwell, but soon recovered her health,
under the treatment of Mr. Pilkington, surgeon, and to
her joy and surprise her eyesight, of which she had
been so long deprived, returned to her.—Manchester

Courier.
DID CITY CERlEYERY.—Yesterday, at :a meeting of the
City Commissioners of sewers, a report was brought up
from the Cemetery Committee, stating that they had
had a conference with Lord Palmerston and Sir G. Grey,
upon the subject of the opening for burials of the City
Cemetery ; the result being that they were recommended
to prepare a table of net charges to submit to Lord Pal
m( raton and Sir G. Grey. This table they had drawn
up, and now asked the sanction of the board before sub-
mitting it for the approval of Lord Palmerston and Sir
G. Grey. In the course of a discussion that followed,
it was stated by the clerk that the fees were nearly the
same as had been agreed on at a former meeting. The
report was adopted.