The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-04-27 00:00:00

THE FEVER SHEDS IN BROWNLOW HILL.
DEPUTATION OF MEDICAL MEN AND IN-
HABITANTS OF ABERCROMBY WARD TO er4U THE HEALTH COMMITTEE.

On Saturday evening a meeting of the Inhabitants of
Abercromby Ward was held at the Phoenix Inn, Mount
Pleasant, to consider the best means to be adopted for
the removal of certain sheds, erected in the vacant ground
belonging to the Fever Hospital, for the reception of
persons afflicted with typhus fever. The Meeting was
very numerously attended, and several of the most in-
fluential medical gentlemen of the town were present.
Dr. Cooper was unanimously called to the chair, who, in
opening the business of the meeting, observed, that when
the Fever Hospital which was at present in existence was
first erected, there was not a dwelling within a quarter of
a mile. Now the case was quite different, the proposed
erections being in the very centre of the town. He hoped,
however, that persons would not add to the evil by unne-
cessary alarm. Dr. Watson suggested that a more
favourable site might have been selected in the neigh-
bourhood of Wavertree or Broadgreen, the ground on
which the whole of the buildings were erected being bad,
nothing more than bog-moor. They might have a
Dreadnought, or floating hospital, in which to put the
patients, where the ventilation would be very free. Mr-
John Taylor said, that a similar cause of complaint
took place in Manchester a short time ago, where
they were obliged to remove the buildings in conse-
quence of the neighbourhood becoming densely popu-
lated. The corporation of this town had surely not
erected these, sheds with a view to economy : it was no eco-
nomy at all. He had hoped that some of the gentlemen
who promulgated the scheme would be present, in order
that the meeting might have heard the reason why the
buildings were erected there. The meeting was afterwards
addressed by several gentlemen, among whom were Doctor
M`Naught, Dr. Moffatt, Alderman Griffiths, Mr. Bage,
and Mr. Steward, who occupied land and houses in the
ward, and who stated that, in consequence of these build-
ings, the value of property was very, much depreciated ; no
tenants would stay in their houses ; and they (the sheds)
were doing a serious injury to lodging-housekeepers. It
was proposed by Mr. Bage that a memorial—a copy of
which was read to the meeting—)e presented to the Health
Committee of the Town Council on the subject, stating the
views of the meeting, and urging the necessity, to insure
the health of the district, of the immediate and total re-
moval of the sheds. After being seconded by Mr. Fisher,
it was carried unanimously. The chairman suggested that
wooden sheds would be far preferable to the present ones
of brick, for two reasons—that they would not be the pro-
perty of the landholder; and, also, they would admit of a
freer circulation, and could be taken down at any moment.
He also remarked that these sheds should be built in vari-
ous parts of the outskirts of the town, and not in one
locality. A deputation was then appointed to present the
memorial to the Board of Health, on Monday.
Yesterday morning, accordingly, at the usual hour for the
sitting of the Health Committee (12 o'clock), a numerous
deputation, headed by the chairman of the meeting on
Saturday (Dr. Cooper, surgeon to the Infirmary), attended
at the Town-hall, with the memorial • and, after the busi-
ness of the committee was opened, they were admitted..
Amongst the professional and other gentlemen present, we
noticed—Dr. Sutherland, Dr. M`Naught, Dr. Watson,
Mr. Bradley, surgeon ; Messrs. Robertson Gladstone,
Todd (councillor for the ward;) Fisher, Bage, Webb,
Thomson, and some of the most influential inhabitants of
the ward. The committee was very fully attended.
On the entrance of the deputation, Mr. Ambrose Lace,
who occupied the chair, requested that they would first
state to the committee the object for which they had de-
sired an interview ; after which they would be glad to hear
any observations which they had to offer, and to give them
their consideration, upon which the chairman of the depu-
tation (Dr. Cooper) stated the circumstances under which
they had waited on the committee—to express their ob-
jections against the site of the sheds immediately abutting
upon two such great thoroughfares as Broxvnlow-hill and
Mount-pleasant, which lie considered one of the most
ineligible which could have been chosen ; and proceeded
to read the memorial itself, in which those objections were
goneinto in detail ,and praying for the removal of the sheds.
The principal of these were the closeness of the sheds to
the houses opposite • and the certainty that, with the pre-
vailing wind from the westward, during the greater part of
the year, the danger of contagion being communicated
was imminent. The lowness of the surrounding wall was
another source of danger; whilst the chimneys for ventilation
were not raised sufficiently high. The privies, it was
stated, abut immediately upon the parapet. The memo-
rial contained also the opinions of Dr. Cooper himself,
deprecating the location chosen as most inimical to the
health of the neighbourhood ; and the concurring opinions
of Drs. Sutherland, M`Naught, Watson, Neill, and Mr.
Bradley. The signatures exceeded 200 ; and it was stated
by the secretary, that many had been prevented signing
by the shortness of the time allowed. In addition to the
abeve medical opinions, Dr. Neill communicated to the
committee the substance of a resolution, which was yes-
terday to be laid before the Workhouse committee, by
the Honorary Medical Board, referring to the wretched
condition of the sick wards of the Workhouse, owing
to the want of cleansing and their bad arrangement,
which were producing serious mortality amongst the
inmates. The honorary board considered that it would
be necessary shortly to remove all the patients in order
that these wards should be cleansed and put into a proper
state. Another resolution went on to say that, although
uninstructed by the vestry, they had thought it their
duty to inspect the new fever sheds building opposite tho
Workhouse ; and, whilst abstaining from any remark as
to their construction and fitness for the object of their
erection, with respect to which they reminded the vestry
in emphatic terms that they had not been consulted, they
felt bound to state their opinion, that they would not be
in a state in which patients can be safely admitted for
more than three months.

His worship the Mayor, in addressing the committee in
reply to the memorial, remarked upon an expression
occurring in the opinion of Mr. Neill, quoted in the
memorial, which he thought was rather harsh towards
the Select Vestry, who were anxious to do all in their
power in the very difficult position in which they were
placed. With respect to the prayer of the deputation
for the removal of the sheds, they must remember they
were built upon land belonging to the Vestry, upon
which one fever hospital was already erected ; and it was
not quite reasonable to say that they should not elongate
that hospital, or build such erections for the use of the
parish, which they thought desirable. It had been asked,
why they could not ggt a site out of town. But they
must be bold that the law would not allow them to go
beyond the bounds of the parish. He was afraid that
upon whatever neighbourhood they had decided, they
would have been met with the same kind of opposition ;
and if they conceded to the prayer of the memorial, they
might next be applied to by the inhabitants in the neigh-
bourhood of the new Fever Hospital in Great Howard-
street. His worship concluded by stating that the
Committee would willingly give their best attention to
the subject. _ _

A' conversation took place, in which Messrs. Procter,
Kaye, Todd, Alderman Houghton, and others took part,
in which the depreciation in the value of property in the
neighbourhood was strongly urged, one gentleman stating
that, of three houses which he owned, every tenant had
given him notice to quit ; and relating one case of great
hardship, in which a widow lady had engaged her drawing-
room and her bed-room for a sovereign a week, but on
hearing of the location of the sheds, had received notice
that the parties would not come into the locality, ant. that
the whole of her other lodgers had left her. The chairman
of the committee reminded the deputation of the restricted
powers which the council had to deal with such matters.
They had no power to interfere on the plea of such a de-
preciation of property as that which had been described.
If it could be shown that any thing would result from the
erection of the sheds prejudicial to the public health, then
their powers would arise, and they could interfere. But
any complaint as to property must be made against the
Select Vestry, which was the body having sole control in
the matter.

After a proposal 1 y Mr. Todd, that the deputation
should retire, and that the committee, after debating the
question, should communicate their determination to a
meeting intended to be held at the Phoenix Inn, to-night.
Mr. Robertson Gladstone addressed the committee in
a very able manner, in support of the memorial, and took
the opportunity of dissenting strongly from the views of
the mayor upon the subject. Considerations of expense
ought to have no weight in a question like this, where
both property and life were at stake. He viewed with
great alarm the introduction of pestilence in embryo into
such a locality, and thought that a much better locality
might be found nearer the river. If they had wished to
find the most central point of the town, to which to plant
the seeds of contagion, the present was the locality. As
to the remark of Mr. Lace that the committee had no
power to interfere, on the ground of depreciation of pro-
perty, they should remember that the bulk of the land in
Abercromby ward was leasehold property under the
corporation ; and in protection of this property the
council ought to interfere, and to be the best supporters
of the views of the memorialists.

A wish was expressed by the committee to hear the
opinion of some of the medical gentlemen as to the actual
danger to health likely to result, which was replied to by
Dr. SUTHERLAND, who strongly reprehended the situation
chosen. They had, as yet, no proof that contagion would
spread, but it could never be said that it would not do so ;
and the experiment ought not to be tried in so populous a
locality. He thought, also, that the natural fear enter-
tained by the public upon the subject ought to have great
weight with the council. •
_ _

The deputation then retired, leaving the committee to
discuss the question.

THE EMPEROR AND THE JUDGE.—Many merchants in
Russia lamented bitterly, in my hearing, the iniquitous
corruption of the courts of law ; and told me that no cause
can ever be brought to a successful termination without a
decent and proper administration of bribes. But justice
even in Russia sometimes finds out the wicked, as is in-
stanced by the following story, often told at St. Peters-
burgh. • A poor woman having an affair of much import-
ance under litigation in one of the courts, was given to
understand that the cause would never be brought to a
satisfactory termination without a present to a senator of
20,000 roubles. Horror-struck at this, and seeing no
chance of procuring the immense sum, and thus termina-
ting the expensive lawsuit, she one day addressed the
Emperor in the street,' and begged him to lend her 20,000
roubles. , His Majesty is said to have questioned her as to
what she could want with so large a sum, and having
heard her story gave her the money, privately marked by
himself. The poor woman immediately made the corrupt
judge the shortlyrequiredpresbeeigitg.edTohfelEkilmnitvorolrendhim m
some
met the senator, and
money ; the wretched man, without any hesitation, put
some of the spoil of the poor woman into his Majesty's
hand. He recognised his own money ! The se 1. „, „.,_ .....,
said to have disappeared.—Russia, by R. S. V; r. Pi VI KM,
Esq. • a _ . .•
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