The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-21 00:00:00

THE FEVER IN VIE MAURITIUS.

We briefly refered last week to the subject of the pre-
valence of malarious fever in the Mauritius, and particu.
larly to its occurrence among the troops recently arrived
there. The late epidemic scarcely attracted the attention
in this country which might have been anticipated, cons'.
Bering that in magnitude, in the extent of its prevalence
and mortality, it was probably unparalleled in modern
history, and we are forcibly reminded by it of the epidemics
recorded in Jewish history, or during the Middle Ages.
It does not say much for our humanity, nor is it very
creditable to the Government, that a colony forming part
of the British dominions should have suffered from such a
disastrous epidemic without there having been an official
inquiry into all the circumstances, as we had long ago
urged, instituted by persons untrammelled by local inte-
rests, and not by those who, with every desire to get at the
truth, are tied and bound by insular prejudices or dis-
tracted by conflicting interests. But our object at present is
to direct public attention to a matter which appears to us
simply gross negligence or incapacity on the part of some one.
We have received reports from various sources, and on all
bands it is stated that the disease is manifestly on the in-
crease, and only threatens to involve less loss of life than
during last year in consequence of there remaining fewer
inhabitants to be attacked. The mortality at Port Louis
at the time of our correspondents' writing was three times
in excess of the normal standard, and upon the increase.
Ratios of mortality afford, be it remembered, very falla-
cious guides by which to test the prevalence and severity
of a disorder which does not kill in anything like the pro-
portion to the number attacked. Fever is very prevalent
among the civil population, and particularly among the
poorer classes inhabiting the lower parts of that most insa-
lubrious of cities, Port Louis. Under these circumstances,
we are not surprised to learn that the troops are suffering,
and that those newly arrived have already begun to do
so. It will be remembered that we directed attention
last year to the removing of the 32nd Regiment from the
Cape to the Mauritius, and we dwelt upon the inexpe-
diency of that step. Still, it might have been urged that
the season was not unfavourable, and there was then very
little sickness in the island. ,Ve now learn that in the
detachment of that regiment stationed at Port Louis there
are upwards of fifty suffering from fever. We adverted
to the fact last week that the 86th Regiment, after being
detained at the Cape for some months, had been forwarded
to the Mauritius, and landed at Port Louis. The
result has been exactly such as might have been
anticipated ; about twenty-five cases of fever have already
appeared in that -corps, and fresh attacks were of daily
occurrence among the men, women, and children composing
it. We can only express our surpr:s3 that the regiment
was ever allowed to leave the Cape, and still more that it
wa,s permitted to disembark, considering the conditions
existing at the time of its arrival. It would have been
far better to have incurred any cxpen e rather than expose
a healthy regiment to the malarious influences of that
climate ; and the authorities were apparently at one time
of that opinion ; but, with an inexplicable vacillation on
their part, the order for the return of the ship to the
Cape was rescinded the day after it was given, and the
regiment disembarked. We have no hesitation in saying
that to lodge men, even for a day, at this season, with the
thermometer sometimes as high as (..)3 deg. Fahrenheit, in
barracks at Port Louis, where some 3),003 victims of the
late fever were interred during the past year, was to expose
them to imminent risk. It is true that our correspondents
state that the regiment has been broken up into detach-
ments, and despatched to various outposts, but not before
they had been already exposed to the noxious influ-
ences of Port Louis and its vicinity. Preparations,
one would think, might have been made in anticipation of
their arrival for immediately pushing the regiment on to
the elevated non-malarious localities of the island. 11
these steps have been taken on the recommendation or
with the concurrence of the army surgeons, then it clear
member will Lite
they are unfit for their posts, and if their opinions have
been overruled, we should be glad to learn by whom, and
reasons.to
puta
ifnorduwchedat
required to justify the circumstances we have detailed.—
order to elicit the information which is unquestionably
that . some
House
ofm
Lancet. questioniV e °line

DR j-,NNE,R.—The into tion (1 her Majesty to
confer on Dr. Jenner the distinction of a baronetcy has
been intimated in so gracious a manner as to enhance the
value of the dignity. For a long period the accomplished
physician has been honoured by the implicit confidence of
the Queen, his position at the Court having been attained
through repeated proofs of his scientific and skilful quali-
fications for the duties of so important a trust. The
gazetting of Sir William Jenner will take place next
Tuesday.

While two little boys were playing by the side of
the Regent's Canal the other day, a parcel came to the
surface of the water, and they took it out. It was found
to contain the body of a child, strangled, mutilated, burnt.
The child, it was conjectured, had been born in a healthy
condition, and at once strangled with a piece of string
found tied round its neck. The murderers had tried to
burn the body, but, finding they ran some risk of detec-
tion, they had finally thrown it into the water. It came
to the surface to testify to the crime, but not to the crimi-
nals. No clue to them was obtained, and the jury returned
a verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons
unknown.

DISMISSAL WITHOUT NOTICE. —A case of some
..nportance has been heard before Mr. Commissioner Kerr
at the Sheriff's Court. A Mr. Haigh, formerly a clerk in
Messrs. Banbury, Barnett, and Co.'s bank, Lombard.
street, brought an action for wrongful dismissal without
due notice, and for balance of wages. The defendants
paid £l7 • ls 8d into court. Plaintiff had used disrespectful
language to one of the gentlemen in the bank, and had
absented himself from the balances, and a complaint being
made to the heads of the house it was decided that he
should be dismissed as an example to others. The jury
found a verdict for the plaintiff for £2l 53. in addition to
the 111111 paiiinto court.