The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-01-12 00:00:00

inctuction trom
for granted, that THE PROPOSITION HAS BEEN PROVED

am en

nay, so abundantly proved, that I have laid myself open
to the counter charge of reiteration of proof, " usque ad
nauseam."

I consider, therefore, that the period has fully arrived,
when " silence " becomes my duty—not for the " not
proven," indeed, but for the ' proven." If there should

be yet any lingering scepticism on so important a subject,
I have yet some bolts left in my quiver.
Secondly,—lt has been demonstrated, that the same
malarial poisons, where they have not been sufficiently
concentrated to produce, in conjunction with other essen-
tial conditions, fever in one or other of its forms, yet have
nevertheless not remained innoxious ; for that the same
resultants of damp, filth, and uncleanliness, might become
potent predisposing causes of other epidemic diseases,
such as have been instanced in the late autumnal attacks
of cholera, diarrhoea, and dysentery, and also of other
non-epidemic diseases, always occurring, such as convul-
sions in infant life, rheumatism, consumption, asthma,
dropsy, jaundice, indigestion, &c., &c., and, in fact,
numberless shapes of depraved bodily health.
Thirdly,—That the chemical elements of several ma-
larial sources, having been investigated by one equal to
the task—viz., my friend Dr. Brett—shew, by the results
of many analyses, not only what may be now, I think,
safely considered as the normal elementary constitution
of such frightful pestilential foci ; but further, that these
elements exist here in a plenitude of strength efficient for
the production of the assigned natural effects, but even

analogous refuse matters, as rend

by Orfila, Derergie, Tayl6-r, and other forensic chemists

Fourthly,—That these sources of disease are largely
due to utterly inadequate scavengering and other public
cleansing processes, especially the supply of water, which
is a reproach to the late authorities.
Fifthly,—That the clauses of the more recent acts of
parliament are inadequate of themselves to grapple with
the evils to he contended with efficiently, unless the pub-
lic mind is prepared to receive and support, to the utmost
of its voluntary power, the operation of such, and to
counteract, on the other hand, by the moral force of
public and indignant opinion, those breaches of the
meaning or words of the act, ingeniously contrived by
interested individuals, in furtherance of their own selfish
ends, in the teeth of good morals as well as of these their
legislative exponents. _ _ _

Sizthly,—That the result of hasty legislation, in the
late instance of the Liverpool Improvement Act being put
Ito force, without the authorities having armed them-
selves, at the same time, with the means, power, and
ex-
pelledrio
hastyuf srormu
effect tnhi en
gnc eunlpul amor
fsbaeurinll
eodssestr
not
fsht
plans, for providing suitable reception for the poor
the
, bhbuai syi
tnhheaocedussseai
houses,
necessitating
injueja
enr
ra:eyts..,
the equally hasty and therefore highly dangerous occupa-
tion of the same, or the deepening of the condemned
cellars, whereby, especially in the former instances, many
lives have been sacrificed through the diseases, acute or
chronic, superinduced, or at least aggravated thereby.
Seventkly,—That the fact of the streets of these new
houses having been found wanting in needful sewerage
Previous to the buildings having been erected and occu-
pied, has been attended with the most natural, but most
prejudicial results, by creating sickness or retarding con-
valescence.
____

Eightly,—That the cemeteries and grave-yards, as
public resorts for suitable purposes or for exercise, &c., are
not without risk, inasmuch as either in selection of loca-
lity, nature of soil, economic arrangements, overcrowd-
ing, or other important particulars, they tell unfavourably
upon the health of the living, especially in large towns,
crowded upon the surrounding area, as is instanced in
Liverpool to an unprecedented extent,—the best way of
performing the last offices for the dead, compatible with
safety to the living, not having been systematically at-
tended to, or consulted.

Ninthly,—That the physical evils already discussed (as
only a part, after all) do not stand alone, but that society
endures another penalty, additional to the direct and im-
mediate'one of causation of disease, which, is a physical
result of a physical cause,—to wit, the moral effects ;
which form also a long train of secondary results, preju-
dicial in various ways to the wellbeing of social and indi-
vidual happiness, and which, like circles formed on the
water by any disturbing body, proceed expanding as they
run, until they are absorbed in the magnitude of their own
giant footsteps. The orderly, cleanly, and virtuous por-
tions of society are thus discouraged in welldoing, and,
by evil example and contagion of filthy habits, are degraded
and are drawn into the vortex of encouragements to vice ;
and are, as a penalty for resisting the latter, imposed on
by the idle, filthy, and bad-disciplined neighbours, who
often succeed in removing the burthen off their own
shoulders, and placing it upon those of their industrious
and cleanly neighbours.
Lastly,—That many of the evils contained in this cate-
gory are capable of mitigation and correction by the ma-
gistrate, but that eradication and restoration of the pro-
prieties of life still remain the field for the enterprise of
individual teaching, influence, and example, and can be
no otherwise accomplished ; and that, therefore, it is idle-
ness itself to expect everything from the magistrate, and
nothing from ourselves,—as if every man" had not "to
do his duty."
I remain, Sir, yours, faithfully,
GEO. C. WATSON, M.D.
Beryord-street, Dec. 29, 1846.

MODE OF FURTHERING THE OBJECT OF THE
REV. HUGH M`NEILE'S APPEAL ON BEHALF
OF THE POOR OF IRELAND AND SCOTLAND.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SlR,—Allow me to suggest that the appeal which has
been madeto the mercantile community, and the public
in general, by the Rev. Hugh M`Neile, whose address ap-

he means were a

sponded to, more genera
for receiving contributions of small sums, such as the dc
nors might not wish to have exposed to the surveillance
of collectors and committee-men, by having their names
recorded on the lists of subscription. The means that I
would suggest, to carry out to the fullest extent Mr.
M`Neile's truly. benevolent appeal, affording to all classes
of the community an opportunity of testifying their sym-
pathy in the sufferings of their fellow-countrymen in
Scotland and Ireland, are—

Firstly, That boxes should be placed in all the news-
rooms of the town, having inscribed on them, " For
the relief of the suffering poor in Ireland, or in
Scotland."

Secondly,` That similar boxes should be placed in the
entrances of all churches, chapels, and places of wor-
ship in the town. And
Thirdly, That similar boxes be exhibited in the windows
of the newspaper offices, in some of the most public
and most frequented shops of the town, such as
Hausburg's, Compton House, Golden Eazle.&c.

By these means many, as I observed before, might
promptly be induced to give something, though abstain-
ing to expose their poverty by recording their names in
subscription lists for sums which the world might imagine
very inadequate for their appearance in society and posi-
tion in life.—l am, sir, &c. S. P
N.B.—The

,ritors
'of the news-rooms, the °mu-
, , .

such a cause, to be at tne expens
Liverpool, 7th January, 1847

of providing such boxes

THE HIGH-PRICED MERCURI

TO THE EDITOR OF TILE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SlR,—Can you inform me why the Mercury still re-
tains its high price, when I always understood the pro-
prietor was an advocate for the reform of abuses, high
prices, heavy rates, &c. Surely he does not consider his
paper more valuable than the rest, for I used to take
about two hours to read it Lnow less than an hour will do.
—I am, sir, &c. STUDIO.
`January, 1847.