The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-25 00:00:00

The Cholera.

The Privy Council have just issued two orders in
pursuance of the powers given by the " Diseases
Prevention Act," containing directions and regula-
tions to be enforced in the metropolis and all unions
and parishes in England, and in all parts and arms
of the sea lying within the jurisdiction of the Admi-
ralty. These documents have been sent to the boards
of guardians or vestries of every parish. That with
regard to the metropolis directs the board or vestry
in a parish where cholera or diarrhoea may exist to
meet daily with the view of carrying the regulations
into force, power being given to them for the ap-
pointment of necessary medical officers for various
purposes, including a daily house-to-house visitation
amongst the poorer classes, and giving the necessary
immediate medical assistance to the sick. Such
medical visitors are to repert cases of destitution re-
quiring relief to the relieving officer, who is to afford
it at discretion, and in every case of cholera or diarr-
hoea, where the patient is not under medical care
and treatment, the vestry or board shall cause medi-
cal assistance to be rendered with the utmost expe-
dition, and such aid and comfort, nourishment, and
accommodation as the circumstances of the case will
admit, with the object of restoring health. The
vestry or board are also to provide nurses to aid the
medical visitors, and where necessary, hospitals for
patients who have no home, or cannot otherwise be
properly treated. Directions are also given for the
proper separation of the sick and healthy in dwell-
ings where diseases exist, and for the disinfection
or destruction where necessary of bedding, clothing,
and other things. Vestries or boards having power
over waterworks are to cause the reservoirs, cisterns,
pipes, pumps, and other apparatus belonging thereto
to be cleansed and purified. Arrangements are to
be made with undertakers, and with the proper au-
thorities of burial grounds, so that coffins may be
ready to be supplied immediately on demand, and
interments speedily take place in the cases of death
arising from cholera or diarrhoea ; and the vestry or
board shall, when informed of any such death, cause
the corpse to be buried with the earliest possible
despatch. No collection of persons is to be allowed
in such case to assemble in the room where the corpse
is, and no " waking" of the dead is to be allowed.
The immediate removal is ordered from any room
which living persons inhabit of the corpse of every
person dying from cholera or choleraic diarrhoea
until the time of its interment, and such means are
to be adopted for preventing the spread of infection
from the corpse as the medical officer of health of
the district shall recommend. Precautions are to
be taken by boards or vestries as to ships and ves-
sels lying in their par:bid or district. Statistical re-
: arus are to be furnished weekly to the Privy Coun-
cil. Vestries or boards are to distribute such ad-
monitory notices to the owners and occupiers of pro-
perty within their parish or district as to the pro-

• • r
shall appear to be requisite, and all such mei

vice and such directions and instructions as in their
judgment shall be necessary to afford aid to persons
attacked with cholera or diarrhoea, or for the carry-
ing of those regulations into execution, and inform
the public what special arrangements have been
made for affording medical or other assistance in
the parish or district. In conclusion, a general
order and exhortation is given for aid to vestries or
boards in their efforts to prevent or mitigate the
diseases in question.

Some useful hints have just been published as to
what should be done during the epidemic of cholera.
The writer says :----It is now admitted that cholera
is almost invariably preceded by the premonitory
symptom diarrhoea, and that in this stage the disease
can be most successfully treated. Experience
dearly bought during previous visitations demon-
, strates that the very large proportion of those per-
sons who died would not attend to the premonitory
symptom. They were too apathetic or careless to
seek medical relief, and it was found that the only
way to check the epidemic was to seek the disease
out. For this purpose the different parishes were
divided into districts. To each district was ap-
pointed either a medical man or an advanced medi-
cal student, whose duties were to visit every house
daily ; to inquire whether any one was suffering,
• from diarrhoea ; and in every case where the symp-
tom showed itself, to treat the patient on the spot,
or else get the usual medical attendant sent for.
These inspectors had each night to make up returns
to the medical officers. Boards of guardians and
vestries then knew exactly the progress or decline of
the diseasC. The staff of inspectors of nuisances
was doubled, and in some instances quadrupled.
Their duties were not to remove nuisances in the
shape of decomposing animal and vegetable matter
whilst cholera was epidemic, but to cover them over
with fresh earth and deodorising and disinfectant
' chemicals. Dispensaries were opened in various
parts of the districts, and handbills were circulated
informing ttte public where medicine and advice could
be obtained. Great pressure was put upon the water
companies to compel them to give an increased sup-
ply of as pure water as could be obtained. Cholera
hospitals were formed, so that persons attacked
might at once be removed from their overcrowded
homes. Directions were given and enforcedfor the
general use of the lime brush, and for cleansing
courts, alleys, &c. Government inspectors were
appointed, who divided the metropolis into sections,
and their duty was to put themselves into commu-
nication with the different parochial medical officers
of health, and to instruct boards of guardians as to
what they should do, and urge them to fulfil pro-
perly the important duties they had taken on them-
selves. This system was found to act admirably.
It mattered not how much the epidemic raged. No
sooner was this machinery got into working order
than the disease was checked and gradually de-
clined. The above is no idle theory or vague vagu
Board of
sur-
mise. The reports of the late G
Health and the medical officer of the Prig* Council
prove that this system was admirably adapted to
stay the pestilence. This being so, it behoves the
different local authorities throughout the kingdom
to at once adopt a_similar course ; for it is impos-
sible now to say where cholera will not break out.
It -seems almost simultaneously to have Appeared in
inland towns and seaports, and therefore all lotal
authorities are bound to adopt preventive measures.
Englishmen pride themselves upon their courage,
and upon the determination with which they face
and resist an enemy. Let them now bring this into
action, for they have a foe to meet far more insidi-
ous and deadly than any they could encounter in
the battlefield. All wars are costly, and require
great personal and pecuniary sacrifices, but there
are none that require so much immediate energy
and determination as the fight against cholera.
Boards of guardians should recollect that they have
to look not only after the ratepayers' money, but,
what is of far greater importance, their health
and their lives. It is, therefore, their duty for the
time being to throw parsimony aside altogether,
and for once spend money freely in saving life.

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pensive remedy, but in a question'of.life' :4 ' `'%'siS
who ever thinks of money ? We urftttnitely
.1
however, judging from the past, have very little
faith in either the humanity or good sense of boards
of guardians ; and, therefore, we trust that, short
as the days of the present session are, the Govern-
ment will press on the Public Health. Bill, and in-
troduce as stringent clauses as possible. It is
simply childish now to talk about centralisation or
local self-government. We have a foe amongst us
that must be grappled with at once, else he will be
too powerful to be overcome until he shall have
carried off some tens of thousands of our fellow-
men. We have one word, however, of caution to
the public as to what individuals should do in this
emergency. Intemperance is one of the surest pre-
disposing causes to the disease. Let, then, the
heavy drinker for. a time at least be moderate in his
potations, if he would avoid the pestilence. Care
should be taken as to the quality of the food con-
sumed. Let it be little and good, rather than
abundant and inferior. The public should also
guard themselves against the fatal error of entirely
altering their style of living. A sudden change
weakens the digestive organs and predisposes per-
sons to attacks. What everybody's motto should
be at the present time is, " Temperance, modera-
tion, and cleanliness." Let every one, rich and
poor, employ the lime-brush freely, and where there
are bad smells let them be cured by the use of car-
boliC acid.

Sanitary Condition of the City.

Yesterday at a meeting of the City Commissioners
of Sewers, held at Guildhall, it was stated by Dr
Letheby, the Medical Officer of Health, as a matter
for congratulation, that there had been no death
from cholera, dysentery, or diarrhcea among the
adults of the city during the last week, and
that the present indications of the state
of the public health in the City are satis-
factory. Indeed, he said the number of cases of
diarrhcea and cholera (of an English type) upon the
books of the medical officers of the city Unions is not
nearly so great at present as in the corresponding
period of last year, and so far the appearances were
satisfactory ; but it was proper, he said, to notice
that diarrhcea and cholera were on the increase in
the districts around the city, especially on the eastern
side of it. In all London last week there were 346
deaths from cholera and 221 from diarrhoea, out of
a total mortality of 1,798, whereas in the preceding
week the numbers were but 32 and 150. There were,
however, but 17 that were of an Asiatic character. It
was evident, therefore, he added, that cholera of a
fatal type was prevalent in London, and as far as his
observations of it had gone, especially in the London
Hospital, where many cases had been treated, itwas
almost entirely among the poor, and the occupants
of the worst classes of houses, where sanitary regu-
lations had been seriously neglected. Last week
there were 41 births and 33 deaths registered in the
city of London. The mortality returns were much
below the average (49) for the corresponding week
of the last 10 years. More than half of the deaths
were among children of less than five years of age,
and eight were among persons at GO and upwards.
Dr. Letheby called attention to the circumstance
that 19 houses in Baker's-buildings, Liverpool-
street, which had been dismantled by the Great
Eastern Railway Company, were now occupied by
240 persons, who were without water supply or closet
accommodation, or any other necessary sanitary pro-
visions. He had been told that those persons were
occupying the houses without consent of the com-
pany, but it was necessary, he said, that measures
should be immediately taken either to remove the oc-
cupants or to put the houses in apropersanitary con-
dition. The same also was the case with the houses
No. 14 to 19 inclusive, in Union-court, Holborn.
The houses were required for no Ile Ahorn-valley
Improvement, and at present were without
water or closet accommodation, and were not fit for
habitation. During the past week 227 houses had
been inspected in the city, and lie submitted a list
of 59 which required sanitary improvement in vari-
ous respects. The markets and slaughter-houses
had been duly inspected, and the officers of the corn-

_oond,lnined 17,8981 b. of meat as unfit
for human food, besides 136 fowls, 87 ducks, 39
rabbits, and 13 geese. Most of the meat was in a
putrid condition, but 3,2211 b. :of it were from di-
seased animals, and 8071 b. were fronfanimals that
had died from accident or disease. Y esterual, wo
the meeting of the Commission of Sewers, Mr.
Starkey, a new scavenging contractor for the north-
ern district of the city, was fined £l5, for neglect-
ing to remove dust and to water the streets ; and at
Guildhall Police-court, on Monday, Mr. George
Waller, of Newgate-market, was fined £3 and had
his license suspended for a month, for neglecting to
cleanse his slaughter-house in accordance with the
regulations made by the Commissioners.

BENSON'S SILVER & ELECTRO-PLATE.
Prize Medal, 1862.