The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-08 00:00:00

The Diseases Prevention Act.

The following are the arrangements that have
been made in St. Giles's district for carrying into
effect the provision of the Diseases Prevention Act:

The Sanitary Committee of the Board of Works sits
daily at half-past 9 o'clock, and has already met 12 times.
They receive each morning a return, compiled from infor-
mations obtained from their own officers, from public in-
stitutions and private medical practitioners, of all cases of
diarrhoea and cholera that have occurred iu the previous
day. The new cases, so far aanown, now amount to 600
or 700 a day, in a population of 54,000. Only one case of
real Cholera is known to have occurred hitherto.

The committee have mapped out the district into six
subdivisions, one comprising the greater part of the parish
of Bloomsbury, the other five being parts of the poor
parish of St. Giles, and each part contains from 6,000 to
9,000 people.

In the five poor subdivisions it is the rule for a family
to live in each room. To each subdivision a medical staff
is assigned, consisting of one medical practitioner and two
assistants. Tho medical visitor is in all cases young and
highly qualified ; his assistants are usually medical stu-
dents who have had much hospital experience, but have
no legal qualification.
Each medical visitor is held responsible for his own and
his assistant's work. His pay is two guineas a day ; his
assistants' half a guinea a day.
Every morning before 9 a.m. the medical visitor makes
to the Medical Officer of Health a return of the number of
houses and of families visited by himself and his assistants ;
of the number of cases of diarrhoea, choleraic diarrhoea,
and cholera that have been newly met witk in the subdi-
vision of the district assigned to.him ; and of the result of
his treatment of old cases of such sickness. It is found
that 1,000 families can be efficiently visited each day in
each of the six districts.

For the supply of medicines to the poor, the committee
have engaged the services of four druggists in various parts
of the district, who supply---(1) concentrated medicines for
immediate adMinistration by the visitors in their rounds ;
(2) medicines for all per sons presenting prescriptions from
the visitors ; (3) medicines, made up according to certain
prescribed formulae, fc r persons applying to them at any
hour of the day or night without visitors' prescriptions;
(4) disinfectants, on the order of the visitors, together with
a paper of instructions for use.

The disinfectant, unless another be specially ordered, is
chloride of lime.

The Committee, after seeking in vain for any other place
in their district which could be adapted to the purpose of
a cholera hospital, have had a large school-building put at
their disposal by the rector of St. Giles's. The building has
been used for raged schools, mission-rooms, workmen's
reading-rooms, and other charitable operations, which will
be temporarily suspended or carried on in some neighbour-
ing houses. The school building thus obtained is at this
moment being prepared by some few structural alterations
to receive cholera patients in a day or two. About 40 such
patients can be received, with ample space for each bed.
The building is isolated, and there is no chance of disease
extending from it to the adjacent houses. Arrangement
have been made with the Clewor Sisters, who carry on
many charitable works in the neighbourhood, to give to the
hospital thus extemporised the essential advantage of wise
female supervision, and they aro at present actively at work
with the Committee in getting ready the building, pro-
viding nurses, and anticipating every requirement for the
sick.

An engagement has been entered into with the Woking
Necropolis Company by which the dead body of any poor
person dying of cholera shall be removed within three hours
of notice given and deposited until interment at the com-
pany's mortuary.

Twenty thousand handbills have been distributed about
the district urging on householders their responsibility at
the present time to keep their premises in the wholesomost
condition, urging on the poor the need of cleanliness and
watchfulness against diarrhata, and informing them where
to go for medicine and how to get the services of the sani-
tary staff of the district. The poor aro very accessible to
the medical visitors, and very grateful for their care.
Extra assistance in the sanitary department has been
had for somo months. The inspectors of nuisances now
examine on the same day into all nuisances reported by
the medical visitors, and take the best and most immediate
action for the removal of what is injurious".
To every subdivision of the district a workman is at-
tached to do any disinfection or cleansing that cannot
otherwise be immediately done, and to assist in distributing
handbills and collecting returns. The street sewers have
been throughout the summer flushed with disinfectants at
short intervals. Last winter, in view of the necessity that
has now arisen, several important constructive works were
made.

Lastly, the clergy and magistrates, and the parochial
medical officers, are affording the committee every assist-
ance in their power.
The whole of the arrangements now described aro inde-
pendent of the Poor-law organisation of the district.
When the cholera hospital is complete it will take in all
poor patients, whether receiving parish relief or not.
August 6.

The reign of the roughs in Hyde-park has been,
of short duration. Arrangements are now in pro-
gress for the transfer of the keeping of the park from its
ordinary guardians to the police authorities, and as many
of the former as aro efficient will be enrolled in the police
force. Whether the main avenues will be lighted by gas
is not yet decided, as there are obvious difficulties in the
way; but the drives at least will receive that additional
security. We understand that ono useful result will fol-
low from the destruction of the old park railings. Tho
opportunity will be seized for the 'carrying out of a very
much-needed reform—the widening of Park-lane.—herald.
[AuvEurtsEmENT.j—Holloway's Ointment and Pills.—
Notable Facts,--Intense heat augments the annoyances of
skin diseases and encourages the development of febrile
disorders, wherefore they should, as they can, be removed
by these detergent and purifying preparations. In stomach
complaints, liver affectiong, pains and spasms of the bowels,
Holloway's unguent well'rubbed over the affected part im-
mediately gives the greatest ease, prevents congestion and
inflammation, checks the threatening diarrhoea, and averts
incipient cholera. Tho poorer inhabitants of large cities
will find these remedies to be their best friends when any
pestilence rages, or when from unknown causes eruptions,
boils, abscesses, or ulcerations point out the presence of
taints or impurities within the system, and call for instant
and effective curative measures.