The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-07-17 00:00:00

LOCAL MEETINGS.

WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—A memorial to the bishop
of the diocese, not to sanction the appointment of the
Rev. W. M. Moore as chaplain to the workhouse, was
agreed upon. It was agreed upon to take a cholera hos-
pital in Toxteth-park, and to appoint domiciliary visitors.
A letter was read from the Poor-law Commissioners rela-
tive to the charge of Mr. Thos. Smith that Mr. Cleaver,
the clerk, had inserted in the minutes of the board the
salary of Mr. Whitehead at £125 per annum, while nd
such salary had been named by the persons nominating
Mr. Whitehead. Mr. Cleaver, with warmth, denounced
the letter of Mr. Smith as the greatest attack ever made
upon his character since his connexion with the board.
The salary placed on the books was with the consent of
the mover and seconder of the resolution appointing him
to the office. Several members strongl r deprecated the
conduct of Mr. Smith, and a resolution was come to, re-
presenting to the poor-law board that the letter of Mr.
Smith was not founded on facts, either as respected the
merits of the case, or the conduct of their clerk in refer-
ence to it. A motion was then carried, giving the thanks
of the board to Mr. Cleaver for his past services, with an
assurance that he still possesses the unlimited confidence
of the board.

HEALTH COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.-Mr. Hornby in
the chair. The medical officer of health reported a con-
tinued increase in the mortality of the borough, the
deaths now being more than double the average of the
season. During the week there were 445 deaths against
373 and 316 the two previous weeks. From cholera there
were 201 deaths, against 179 and 119 the two previous
weeks. The deaths from bowel complaints were 42, and
the previous week 28. Of the deaths from cholera, 175
were in the parish of Liverpool, and of these 97 were in
Vauxhall and Exchange wards. In Exchange ward there
were 59 deuths.—A complaint was made us as to the nui-
sance arising from the bury-ground, at St. Paul's Church,
and the subject was referred to the engineer and medical
officer. This led to a conversation on the practice of in-
terment generally adopted, but more especially of deposit-
ing hundreds of bodies in one open pit. Mr. Harbord
wished the report on this subject, which had been laid
before the committee, and also any further remarks from
Dr. Duncan to the Board of Health, with the view of
obtaining their assistance in procuring an order to compel
an alteration in the system. A resolution to this effect
was adopted.—Mr. Walthew brought before the board
the state of Oliver-street, Windsor, in which there was a
large stagnant pool of water, which was considered by
Dr. Lister, the district medical officer for West Derby, to
be most injurious to the health of the inhabitants residing
in that locality. Cholera had made its appearance in the
street in its worst form, and there had been five deaths
within the space of a fortnight. Many of the cellars were
over-crowded, and ill-ventilated, and required thorough
cleansing. _ Referred to the engineer.
.

SELECT VESTRY.—The usual fortnightly meeting was
held on Tuesday, Archdeacon Brooks in the chair. On
the motion of Mr. Denton a committee was appointed to
inquire into the manner of giving out-door relief, with a
view to prevent the imposition at present practised. Mr.
Denton next complained of a number of summonses hav-
ing been issued for this year's poor-rates on cottagers'
property. He denounced it as a most oppressive and un-
just course of proceeding. He was smartly replied to by
Mr. Brown, who referred to the obstructions raised by
the owners of cottage property to the collection of the
rates.—Mr. Dowling, the head constable, appeared before
the board on behalf of the watch committee, to express
their hope that the premises adjoining Vauxhall Bride-
well might not be taken for a cholera hospitai. The pre-
mises were close to the windows of the bridewell, and
the effluvia arising from the hospital would likely be
attended with serious consequences to the inmates of
the bridewell. He (Mr. Dowling) was rot one of
those who were afraid of contagion from the cholera, but
the class of persons in the bridewell, being mostly of
drunken and dissolute habits, would be very likely to take
the disease. Mr. Earle had no doubt that wherever they
fixed a cholera hospital complaints would be made, and
they would have people coming to them and asking them
not to have it in that particular place. Mr. Dowling re-
tired, the chairman having informed him that the matter
would be considered by the committee.—A proposal to
purchase the Northern:Dispensary, to convert it into an
hospital for general epidemic disease, was deferred for
further consideration.—Mr. Hawthorne and Cholera.—
A fierce discussion followed on a proposal by Mr. Gardner
to allow Dr. Hawthorne to nominate some medical man
to apply his treatment in pauper cholera cases. Mr.
Woodruff seconded the motion. Mr. Hodson said, That
at the time Mr. Woodruff first brought forward his mo-
tion for the employment of Dr. Hawthorne, he (Mr.
Hodson) was disposed to support him ; but since that
time he had had such proofs of the non-efficiency—nay,
the most positive danger to human life—of his method of
treating cholera, that he was now altogether opposed to
the motion before the board. Mr. Hodson referred to the
case of an elderly woman, named Kevan, residing in Scot-
land-road, who was attacked with cholera, a week or two
ago. The patient was first attended by Dr. Hawthorne's
' son—the gentleman who went to Russia, and who said he
took cholera there, but he (Mr. Hodson) thought it was
more likely the gripes. Dr. Hawthorne was with the
patient two hours after the commencement of the illness ;
his pills were given, a peculiar sleep resulted,_ and the
same evening the patient died. The reason that Dr.
Hawthorne was reported to have no deaths was,. that when
death resulted from cholera under his treatment, he re-
turned it as an ordinary case of diarrhoea. The poor
creatures who were misled by Dr. Hawthorne, and the
extraordinary puffing of the Mercury, actually pawned
their clothes to go to him for advice ;. and if they took
him only 155., he refused to attend until they came with
the other ss. Mr. Earle : "He has to pay five shillings
for his advertisement in the Mercury." (Laughter.)
Mr. Hodson continued. He said there was no case of
cholera which Dr. Hawthorne had attended where a cure
had been effected. Credit was given to him for a case
cited by Mr.Bigham, in the Mercury, but the fact was,
that the cure had been effected, not by Dr. Hawthorne,
but by the two parish surgeons called in at first. Mr.
Hodson concluded a speech delivered throughout under
much warmth and excitement, with the following remarks :.
"I am now satisfied that I have exposed humbug. I do,
however complain that the Mercury should be lending its
columns to puff up a man who has nothing more to re-
commend him than an immense stock of impudence and
assurance, and a profundity of ignorance." Mr.Abrabara
followed in support of the observations made by Mr.
Hodson. The fact was, he believed that Dr. Hawthorne
was in the habit af calling cases cholera which were not
cholera at all ; and, under all the circumstances, he (Mr.
A.) could not be a party to placing the sick paupers under
him. Mr. Earle thought that all this trumpery about Dr.
Hawthorne was most abominable ; but the truth was, that
the English had been, and ever would be, easily gulled.
(Laughter.) They were gulled by quack doctors and
gulled by quack journalists. It reminded him of a quack
in Ormskirk, some years ago, who said he could cure all
the bites of a mad dog ; and to drive a good trade, he
insisted that all persons who were bitten by a dog were
afflicted with hydrophobia. And so it was with Dr. Haw-
thorne and the Mercury. (Laughter.) Mr. Hodson re-
asserted that Dr. Hawthorne had never cured a single
case of cholera ; what he called cholera was nothing more
than gripes. After a reply from Mr. Gardner, the chair-
man objected to allow the discussion to proceed further
' and he put the motion to the vote, when it was rejected
by a large majority, four only voting for it.