The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-17 00:00:00

TREATMEYT OF CHOLERA AND DIARRIICEA.

Sir Thomas Watson, Bart., M.D., whose lectures
on medicine have most influenced the practice of
this half-century, writes this week in the British
Medical Journal:—" I find it necessary to modify
considerably some advice which I formerly gave my
auditors as to the treatment of a disorder which
appears to be again increasingly prevalent through-
out the country." The form and features of this
dreaded pestilence have, he says, " been the same
in all its visitations to this country." " Must we
still, as heretofore, make the mortifying confes-
sion that our art is unable to cope with it success-
fully ? Not so, I trust. Among:the many and
discordant experiments which have been brought
forward, and fairly tried, for the cure of cholera,
one long since suggested, and almost scorn-
fully rejected, has emerged of late into clearer sig-
nificance and more intelligible and ascertained
value. I mean the method—recognised as legiti-
mate and reasonable in various other maladies—of
elimination ;' of which the main advocate has been
Dr. George Johnson, Professor of Physic in King's
College." After commenting upon the facts and
principles involved, Sir Thomas Watson lays down
the following rules in language partly his own and
partly that of Dr. George Johnson :
" Diarrhcea ought not to be neglected, even for
an hour.

" One important and guiding rule of treatment
is, ' not to attempt by opiates, or by other directly
repressive means, to arrest a diarrhoa), while there
is reason to believe that the bowels contain a consi-
derable amount of morbid and offensive materials.'

" The purging is the natural way of getting rid
of the irritant case. We may favour the recovery
by directing the patient to drink copiously any
simple diluent liquid water, or (cold or tepid),
toast-water, barley-water, or weak tea ; and we
may often accelerate the recovery by sweeping out
the alimentary canal by some safe purgative, and
then, if necessary, soothing it by an opiate.
Castor-oil, notwithstanding its unpleasant taste,
is, on the whole, the safest and best purgative
for this purpose. It has the advantage of being
very mild and unirritating, yet withal very
quick in its action. A tablespoonful of the oil
may be taken, floating on cold water, or any
other simple liquid, which may be preferred by
the patient. A mixture of orange-juice or of
lemon-juice with water forms an agreeable vehicle
for the oil. If the dose be vomited, it should
be repeated immediately, and the patient should
lie still, and take no more liquid for half
an hour, by which time the oil will have passed
from the stomach into the bowels. Within an hour
or two the oil will usually have acted freely. Then
a tablespoonful of brandy may be taken in some
thin arrowroot or gruel ; and if there be much feel-
ing of irritation, with a sense of sinking, from five
to ten drops of laudanum may be given in cold
water. These means will suffice for the speedy
arrest of most cases of choleraic diarrhoea. If the
patient have an insuperable objection to caster oil,
or if the oil cannot be retained on the stomach,
ten or fifteen grains of powdered rhubarb, or a
tablespoonful of the tincture of rhubarb, or a tea-
spoonful of Gregory's powder, may be substituted
for the oil.
" If the diarrhoea have continued for some hours,
the stools having been copious and liquid ; if
there be no griping pain in the bowels, no feel-
ing or appearance of distension of the intes-
tines ; the abdomen being flaccid and empty,
and the tongue clean—we may conclude that the
morbid agent has alreadypurged itself away. There
will, therefore, be no need for the castor oil or
other laxative ; and we may immediately give the
brandy in arrow-root, and the laudanum, as before
directed. The rule in all cases is, not to give the
opiate until the morbid poison and its products have
for the most part escaped ; not to close the door
until ' the enemy' has been expelled. While there
are some cases in which the evacuant dose is not
required even at the commencement of the attack,
there are many more in which the opiate is un-
necessary in the later stages. In some cases of
severe and prolonged diarrhoea, it may be ne-
cessary to repeat the oil and laudanum alter-
nately more than once at internals of three or
four hours. Practical skill and tact arc required
to discriminate these cases. It must be borne
in mind that, when the choleraic secretions are
being :actively poured out from the blood-vessels,
the blood, though it may have been completely
emptied by a dose of oil, may quickly again be-
come filled with morbid secretions, and hence the
need for an occasional repetition of the evacuant
dose."

" If the diarrhoea be associated with vomiting,
this should be encouraged and assisted by copious
draughts of tepid water. The vomiting affords re-
lief, partly by the atiratilu which it gives to the

circulation, but mainly by the speedy ejection of
morbid secretions."

" If there be nausea without vomiting, and more
especially if the stomach be supposed to contai❑
undigested or unwholesome food or morbid secre-
tions, an emetic may be given—either a teaspoonful
of powdered mustard, or a tablespoonful of com-
mon salt, or twenty grains of ipecacuanha powder,
in warm water.

44 In all cases of severe diarrhoea, the patient
should remain in bed."

WE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS BILL.

The Select Committee upon this bill resumed
their discussion of clauses yesterday. In the chair
was the Chancellor of the Exchequer. On clauses
1) and E, affecting the Caledonian Company, Mr.
Scudamore explained that the company let their
:public business by agreement, but they had a rever-
sion, for which it was proposed to compensate them.
In other cases the claim to a reversion would have
to be shown before it could be entertained.

Mr. Goschen asked whether if a company claimed
tinder D it could also claim under E ?

Mr. Blenkinsopp replied in the negative. A
company would have to decide whether they would
claim for loss of way-leave under clause I), or
compensation for not being able to carry on busi-
ness themselves after the agreement had terminated
under clause E.

A substantial agreemeit had been come to with
the North British Railway Company on the dis-
puted points to which attention had been previously
called.

Mr. Coates introduced the question of the com-
pensation to employes who had been engaged on
yearly salaries.

Mr. Baxter urged that the words "five years"
in the employ of the company were sufficient to
entitle to compensation. If a literal interpretation
of the words " yearly salary" were insisted upon
there would not be more than twenty persons who
could claim, if their services were not required.
The telegraph companies, for their own conveni-
ence, had been paying their salaries fortnightly or
monthly.
The Chairman asked Mr. Baxter for a list of
their servants, with the terms of service.
Mr. Baxter said he could not furnish it that
afternoon. He hoped that the committee would
deal liberally with the employes, as they had already
settled the purchase of the whole system.
The Chairman denied that he agreed to compen-
sation being given to employ6s of five years' stand-
ing without the limitation of a yearly salary.
Atter some discussion it was ultimately agreed
that the principle of compensation should be seven
years at a rate of £75 per year, or five years at a
yearly salary.
In reply to Mr. Leeman,
Mr. Baxter said all their clerks in charge did not
get £75 per year.
Mr. Goscben said it would be wise for Mr.
Baxter to submit the return which had been asked
for in time for the discussion which would take
place in the House of Commons, so that no unin-
tentional injustice might be done to any one.
Mr. Leeman urged that £5O should be the limit.
The committee divided upon the question, and it
was decided that the limit should be £75.
In the clause which referred to contracts with
newspapers, it was agreed to insert words so as to
include clubs, exchanges, and news-rooms within
the meaning of the clause. Words were also added
that no proprietor or publisher of a newspaper
should have priority in obtaining news, or a pre-
ference in the rates charged over any other pro-
prietor or publisher.
Several other clauses of minor importance were
discussed, but no alteration of any consequence
was made.

Counsel, on behalf of Bonelli, asked whether
they would have the privilege of going before the
arbitrator, and the Chairman said they clearly
would.

Mr. Sargood said they could of course go before
the arbitrator, and the promoters would then argue
that they had nothing to dispose of.
The committee then proceeded to the scheduling
with less or more of opposition or explanation, of
agreement between the Postmaster- G eueral and the
following railway companies : —The Great 'Western,
the South-Western, the London, Chatham, and
Dover, the South-Eastern, the North-Eastern, the
Bristol and Exeter, the North British, and the
Caledonian ; and baweeu the following Telegraph
Companies : The Submarin,i, Renter's, the Atlantic
and Anglo-American, and the Universal Private
Telegraph Company (Limited).
_ . .

The promoters of the bill propose that the arbi-
trators —to whom, in the many transactions to be
taken into their consideration, so much is entrusted
should be appointed by the Lord Justices of her
Majesty's Court of Common Pleas.
The committee then terminated their labours, and
the bill will be reported in due course.

HORRIBLE CHILD MURDERS AND MU-
TILATION.-7HE POLICE AND THE
CORONER.

Last evening Dr. Lankester held three inquests
at the Elephant and Castle, King's-road, St.
Pancras, relative to murdered and exposed children.
The first case was one of a horrible character,
and had been adjourned for the attendance of the
alleged mother. The surgeon, however, yesterday
gave a certificate that the suspected woman could
be removed, which the police took advantage of,
and she was placed before the magistrate, and sent
to the House of Detention under remand, thereby
frustrating the view of the coroner's jury
Charlotte Dalton, the alleged mother of the
deceased, was in service at Belitha.Villas, Barnsbury
Park, but left there on the 30th ult., going to
a Mrs. Barber's, at No. 30, Thanet-street, St.
Pancras. She asked Mrs. Barber to throw some
water down the water-closet, when the latter saw a
child there. She tried to get it out of the pan. She
accused the woman Dalton of being the mother of
the child and having deposited it there. Dalton
said it was born on the Sunday night. She said it
was born dead, and she did not like to tell anybody
about it. She said she was quite alone at the time
of the birth, and the child fell on the floor. She
also said she had thrown the placenta down the
closet.

Dr. J. T. Paul was called in, and examined the
dead child. He found a piece of merino over the
bead, tied tightly round the neck, with two separate
ligatures. It was a very fine child, and was fuily
developed, the lungs floating freely iu water. The
cause of death was fracture of the skull and other
injuries.

The jury returned a verdict of " Wilful murder
against some person or persons unknown."
The second case was on the body of a child found
near Bedford-square Chapel. It was wrapped up
in a parcel, and the cause of death was effusion of
blood on the brain. Verdict, " Wilful murder
against some person or persons unknown."

A third case was that of a packed-up child which
was found in Dean's-place, Somers Town, in the
front garden of a dwelling-house. This child had
not fully lived, and therefore a verdict of "Still-
born" was returned.

Mr. Bedford, the Westminster coroner, held an
inquest the previous evening at the Sessions-house,
Broad Sanctuary, on the body of the illegitimate
male chill of Mary Jane Heath, a general servant
at Storey's Gate Tavern. The mother of the child
was confined in the water-closet, and she wrapped
up her offspring in her apron and placed it in the
coal cellar. She denied till the last that she had
been delivered, but the child was found alive, and
so continued for four hours. The skull was frac-
tured after birth, and there was effusion of blood
at the base of the skull. There was also a jagged
cut near the temple, over the left orbit. The cause
of death was exhaustion from the pressure of extra-
vasated blood on the brain, produced by fracture of
the skull.

Verdict—" Death from fracture of the skull, but
how caused there was not sufficient evidence to
show."

All receive with satisfaction the announcement, that in
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