The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-10 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

train having got off the line. Six trains were stopper; b;
this accident. Another accident occurred at the Chet ford
station by a luggage train running into the down se,.
ger train, smashing a horse-box and the carri r
:4ge of Mr.
R. H. Greg, and inflicting injuries upon th 4 son and ser-
vantS of that gentleman. Fortunately himself and his
daughter bad alighted, and thus eser..,ped.
Many of theevere contusions, and
passengers in the train received F
one or two fractures. They are recovering, however,
under the care of the Co,-.4pany's medical officer for the
district. Ultimately the trains, now joined together,
reached Manches:Ler about eleven at night, instead of ten
minutes to tve. The whole of the accidents are attri-
buted to. the negligence or incapacity of the drivers of the
lurr7sage trains, who are inferior men, and paid a lower
',salary than the passenger drivers.

CORRESPONDENCE.

ON THE SANITARY CONDITION OF SOME
PARTS OF LIVERPOOL.

LETTER XVIII.
To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
" Property has its duties as w ell as its rights."

BLUNDERS ABOUT HOUSES.—WATER, CONTAMINATED.
A friend of mine took a small villa residence some-
where about the suburbs of the town. The supply of
water was from a spring he understood—not from one of
the water companies. The well was located somewhere
about the foundations of the cottage, under the scullery
kitchen place; the floor of which scullery was always
damp. The water for a long time past has been entirely
unfit for use, so that they were constrained to avail them-
selves of rain water, caught for the purpose, or to resort
to some extraneous source. The water when pumped up
was latterly even ropy, and stunk horridly; so that, so
far from being able to make any use of the water what-
ever, except for garden watering, it was a matter of
loathing to work the pump at all, the result was such a
stench. The atmosphere of the lower part of the house
was always more or less oppressive, and often foetid.
Meat could not be kept, and scarcely the appetite for
food I The fluid, which my friend Dr. Brett was kind
enough to analyze, was clear, but possessed a most offen-
sive odour, satisfactorily attributable to sulphuretted hy-
drogen, in most probably a free state. This opinion was
confirmed by the fact, that when the ordinary means were
used for ascertaining whether ammonia was present in
' combination,, there was no eridence to show that such
was the case.
When this water was exposed to the atmosphere for
some hours, a copious deposit of sulphur took place.
This is precisely what is round when water is purposely
impregnated with the gas for chemical uses. It was not
thought necessary to examine the water for any other
noxious gas save sulphuretted hydrogen. This gas was
found to amount to not less than l9i cubic inches to the
imperial gallon. This is more than half a pint of gas.
and consequently more than one-sixteenth of the volume
of the water, and double that which the celebrated Harrow-
gate water contains! (Harrogate Spa does not contain two
inches to the pint.) Add the other ingredients only, and
it would be perfection! In all cas.% where this water is
heated for domestic purposes, doubtless the greater pro-
portion of this gas would be evolved. That such an evo-
lution of gas, and in such proportion, would be injurious,
there can be little doubt, from the known properties of
thi, gas in its effects upon vegetable and animal life.
"This gas is found to destroy life, even when it is allowed to
, remain in contact with the skin."—Taylor's Medical Jurispru-
' dence.
" When introduced into the lungs of animals, even in a very
diluted state, it has been known to give rise to fatal conse-
quences."—Tay/or.
It appears that the charge of gas which has been borne
by an individual with impunity has been 3 per cent.
Rats seem, either from habitual exposure in drains, or
from other causes, to enjoy freedom from injury when the
proportion rises from 2 to 8 per cent., according to French
experimenters.
" The respiration of an atmosphere, only slightly impregnated
with the gas, may, if long continued, seriously affect an indivi-
dual, and even cause death."—Taylor.
Jn discussing the nature of the symptoms, the same
authority mentions, in reference to " air but slightly con-
taminated by the gas," that " sometimes there is a feeling
of nausea or sickness, accompanied by pain in the head,"
and so on.
1 have adduced these authorities on the several points
given, in order that the position of parties may be fairly
determined by the reader, without one single expression of
my own, which might be supposed to be a strained opinion,
as grafted on the fact narrated. It will be impossible to
suppose that a fluid, capable of giving off such a large
quantity of this highly deleterious gas can be accumulated
about a house—nay, within its very foundations—without
prejudicing the atmosphere of the house, and, thereby, the
health of the tenants. As to the using of such water for
any domestic purposes of the coarsest kind, comment
must be needless. It can be no wonder that, under the
most restricted dealing with su..h an inimical nuisance, an
amount of ill-health, loss of appetite, and other symptoms
of indigestion, should be complained of by the tenants,
and correctly referred by them to the above source. The
source of contamination proceeded from two cesspools,
one upon the premises, a few feet from the well, the other
over the Wall adjoining !
A domestic, who had been in the family about five
months, came a stout, florid girl, and lett, looking very
thin and very pale. A servant girl informed the tenant
that, tw years ago, when she lived in one of the houses,
the landlord was acquainted with the existence of the
nuisance.

INJURIOUSNESS OF IDADIP WALLS OR FLOORS

Dr Moffat informed me of a case of confinement, which
he attended, where the party had imprudently rushed into
a new house before it was dry ; so that the walls were
running down with water at that very time : the danger
of which damp atmosphere would have been only aggra-
vated by the mistaken expedient of lighting good fires, of
course. He preferred the plan of getting the walls well
wiped down with dry cloths. Who could wonder that the
poor creature suffered from a severe febrile attack, which
actually placed ber life in jeopardy. She did recover,
however, no thanks to the wet walls, whatever might be
due to her doctor.

Mr. Ritchie. surgeon, tells me that he had lately some
cases of low nervous fever, and rheumatic fever, in some
new houses situate upon ground generally under water,
previous to being occupied with buildings. The cellar
kitchens and cellars are often trickling down with damp at
the present time ; and the people, though ill, cannot quit
their prison houses, without giving the regular legal no-
tices. Here is a field for the beneficial duties of a Sana-
tory Commissioner, whose certificate might thus be the
means of saving health from disease, and life from death,
in numerous instances. As it is at present, many in-
stances might be found where the chances are that death
might release the victim rather than the landlord's avarice.
Mr. R. mentioned a case to me the other day, where 3
or 4 members of a family he was attending were attacked
with disorders which he felt satisfied must have sprung
from damp being constant in the house. He inquired if
such were the case, and was shown down into the cellar,
where there was water flooding the whole floor to the ex-
tent of at least one foot deep. He accused this accident
as the undoubted cause. In a short time, on his return-
ing visits, he found the tenant busy Pumping out the wa-
ter from the cellar, by a temporary pump, which he had
obtained for the purpose. From the nozzle of which a
very respectable stream was issuing, whereby the existing
evil was remedied for the time. He had advised the
party to use no delay in vacating such an unhealthy house.
The reply was that there existed a difficulty in complying
with this essential part of the medical prescription, be-
cause a long notice of quitting would be requisite ; de-
spite of which, however, the party declared his purpose
not to sacrifice the health of himself and family even for
such a heavy consideration as large forfeit of rent. This
is just one of many illustrations of the necessity existing
for a legal provision introduced into future sanatory mea-
sures, whereby the alternative of a tenant's remaining,
under certain prejudice to health, or quitting under pro-
longed legal form of notice, ought to be met. The State
has an interest beyond the landlord in saving life, or sa-
crifice of money.

The subjoined case occurred not a week ago :—A poor
woman, who bad been confined but four mouths ago, got
the present epidemic, low fever, which attack lasted about
six weeks, accompanied with rheumatic swellings of the
joints of the ex retnities ; she was delirious, and had other
symptoms proportionately severe. Under careful treat-
ment, she rallied into convalescence, and began to sit up
in her room for a little while; when she relapsed without
obvious cause, such as error in diet, exposure, or other
imprudence; her respiration became difficult, and at length
cough set in denoting one of the most dangerous affec-
tions of the vital organs in fever, and its relapsed forms
especially. I❑ this state, I was adred by her medical at-
terilant to sr e her. She proved to be in a sinking state.
v v, *, the condition of the house-place struck
me as teine itnuse is

At my visit

oighly prep,. .to health. The
one of those recently built on the flat land of Windsor; it
is situate in a court, the whole of which is well flagged.
This is sa far a great advantage over the former state of
such courts ; but then the floor of the house-place was
flagged, end the stones were exceedingly damp, so that
there was not a square foot of the whole flooring dry !
The digs were evidently laid down simply on the toil it-
self, without any provision by false flooring for interven-
ing space ; which, of course, ought always to be adopted
for an inhabited ground floor.
I bring forward this case as another illustration of the
unfavourable combination of exciting and predisposing
causes, as they are termed in medical languaoe, of disease.
The epidemic constitution of the atmosphere was un-
doubtedly the pre-disposing cause here ; but the con-
junction of two natural causes are requisite to the deve-
lopment of perhaps all diseases. An exciting cause in the
shape of casual exposure to cold, fatigue, or wet, might
have been the efficient secondary cause of the first attack
of fever; but the persistence of this exciting cause, viz.,
the constantly damp house floor and walls, was adequate
to cause the renewal of the attack; and, therefore, in the
absence of other obvious cause, most probably did so.
I believe that most of my professional brethren would
concur in this opinion, although it is possible, I grant, to
demur at the extent of my conclusion, upon the ground
that parties are prone to relapses in this form of fever es-

pecialiv. The other medical attendant took the same
view of the subject with myself. For a sceptic, in or out
of the profession, the proposition may be undeniably laid
down, that a relapse is more likely to occur under these
prejudicial circumstances than where such did not exist—
and this admission is sufficient for my argument, were
the full adequacy of the deleterions agency to produce re-
lapse excepted against. Therefore such ought to be dwelt
upon and suitably remedied. . .

Medicine has no fair field in sach cases,
and it is hut
justice to ourselves, Ls well as primarily to our patients,
to point out emphatically that state of things, which mili-
tates so forcibly, and I may add, so much more commonly.
than is generally admitted, against all the applied resources
of the healing art, and will do, until the hygiene of the
case is studied and efficiently carried out. Unless this is
investigated and fulfilled, the resort to drugs is but as if
a right-handed weapon were wielded by the left hand
against the foe. Theiprofession ,hus'too.logg suffered itself

to remain in this false position, endeavouring to carry on
its unequal contest : deceived into the supposition that
the elemental processes of nature were in friendly alliance,
whereas they irtve in the crowded social state but too fre-
quently been turned against us—subsidized as it were by
that very enemy against whose inroads we relied upon
their most important assistance in order to overcome. It
has been well observed, " that natural laws are either for
or against us,"—they cannot remain neuter in their cease-
less activities. Yet it will take long years of still further
sacrifice of life, before this hard-earned wisdom shall have
brought itself into systematic operation amongst the masses
of ignorance and prejudice. The machinery of even a pa-
ternal administration will be like all the great bodies, but
slow in its movements. 'The profession must have pa-
tience ; they cannot undo in a year what a century of
folly has been permitted to build up in men, manners,
and materials. The philanthropist must even let his entiau-
siasticdesires cool somewhat—even though his eyes are pain-
fully open to thestill sustained carnage of preventible disease.
I have further facts to bring forward, which I resume for
my next letter.—l remain, Sir,
Yours faithfully,
G. WATSON.
Bedford-street North, November 7th, 1846.

ANTICIPATION OF LOCOMOTIVE CARRIAGES
AND PADDLE WHEELS, BY EIGHTEEN
HUNDRED YEARS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIR,—In the ancient Irish manuscript, called " The
Book of Ballymate," which is very many hundred years
old, and is preserved in the library at the Royal Irish
Academy, in Grafton-street, Dublin, there is an account
given, at folio 93, of a vehicle called the" rowing wheel,"
constructed by an Irish prince, named " Moga-Roh," in
the first century. In " The Book of Fermoy," also,
which is a manuscript of the twelfth century, a similar
vehicle, and of the same name, is described. The writer
of this work states, that this vehicle will be brought into
requis.tion, at some future time; that it will travel, both
by sea and land, all over the world ; and that it will be
used as a means of gathering the Jews together. and con-
veying them to their own land. The reader may see an
account of this matter in the " Abstract" of " The Book
of Ballymale," published by Mr. Owen Connellan, who
is probably the best Irish scholar, as to ancient Irish, at
present in existence; and who was employed for many
years, by their late Majesties, the Prince Regent, George
the Fourth, and William the Fourth, to make exact
copies, for the Royal Library, of " The Book of Leacan"
and " The Book of Ballymate," and of other unique
Irish MSS. in that and other public libraries ; and who
is now employed, with a bookseller in Dublin, to publish,
in numbers, a literal translation of these books, which
are the most authentic records in existence as to Irish
history before the invention of printing, and of the early
state of knowledge and literature in that country.

The above invention seems to have been an-ingenious
anticipation of the use of locomotive carriages and paddle
wheels ; but whether as moved by steam or by some
other power, I cannot say.

It is difficult to say why the inventors of the machines,
or perhaps the writers of the books, speak of them in
connection with the restoration of the Jews to their own
land ; unless it be founded on a translation of Isaiah xviii.
2, similar to that which BiOlop Horsley says is the cor-
rect one, namely, " vessels of revolution," or " of re-
volvers," instead of " vessels of bulrushes," as in the
common translation; and who also translates the first
verse, " Ho! to the land," &c., instead of " Woe to the
land," &c., which prophecy has an evident relation to
the future and final restoration of the Jews to their own
land, and to the assistance then to be given to them, for
that purpose, by some great maritime nation, possibly
our own.

I am. your obedient servant,
CHARLES EDWD. HERBERT ORPEN, M.D..
Fellow and Member of the Royal Colleges of
Surgeons of Ireland and of England, &e.
34, Hamilton square West, Woodside,
Birkenhead, 28th Oct., 1846.

LIVERPOOL

EXHIBITION OF WORKS OF MODERN ART.

[FOURTH NOTICE.]
No. 3, Pentven Back, from Llandilas, J. W. Oakes,
gives promise of great talent, as do many of the other
specimens of the artist in this exhibition. We should
like, however, to see Mr. Oakes depend a little more upon
his own. He is quite able to exhibit nature to us in her
own dress, instead of giving her to us reflected from the
pictures of Pvne.

No, 6, Portrait of Mrs. Carpenter, by W. Carpenter,
is a very well-drawn picture, very naturally painted,
although the colours are rather raw. It is altogether very
promising if, as we suppose, the author is young. It is
moreover interesting. as being a portrait of, perhaps, the
best female artist in England.
1. Portrait of Sir Philip Egerton, T. H. Illidge.
This picture is an excellent likeness of the honourable
member • but, as a painting, it possesses no very striking
merit. We cannot but express our opinion that the gene-
ral effect and utility of the exhibition it,elt, as calculated
to advance art, is injured by the prominence with which
these large and showy portraits are displayed, and the
great space which they occupy, to the exclusion sometimes
of works of a higher order of talent. No young painter,
however clever, gets orders for portraits of such a size at
prices which will remunerate him ; and few have the
means to venture so much on speculation.

d
ec
become an
ad -
eh
7. A Morning in Wales, by T. Cresswick, A.R.A.
Tmhiriastpioicnt,urdei,spolfaywehmichorwe ebtaavuetieaslretandey
acquainted with it. It exhibits all the force and vitality
mexopreresws
of genuine nature, and the character of perhaps one
beautiful spot; but it is imbued also with the spirit of
loveliness and the poetry which we only dream of. The
water is exceedingly transparent and beautiful, especially
in the foreground, where it is shallow ; and its rippling
over the pebbly bottom is finely monaged. The trees,
also, are very fine in form and character ; but, perhaps,
are deficient in that freshness and greenness of nature
which we see in his contemporary Leo.
324. Contemplation, 7'. H. Illidge. We cannot see
why this picture has received such a title. If it had been
entitled the shawl, we could have understood it, and ad-
mired its artistical execution. The painting of the face
and figure of the wearer is not worthy of Mr. Illidge.
422. Portrait of Wm. Ravenseroft, Esq., T. Scarrow,
is not a good likeness, though very well painted. Mr.
Scarrow has also a very good portrait of a lady, No. 425.
434. Portrait of the Rev. B. A. Marshall, by T. C.
Thomson, R.FI.A., is good as a likeness, although the
artist has not caught the best expression of the reverend
gentleman. The colouring is rather raw and hard.
357. Benson : Portrait of J. Bramley Moore, Req.
As a painting this is fair, with some considerable deduc-
tions however. The background, in particular, is faulty.
We recognise at once the portrait as that of the Chairman
of the Liverpool Dock Committee; and here is the prin-
cipal fault of the picture. The painter has not caught
the intelligence and character of the features of Mr.
Bramley Moore, in doing which, to our mind, consists
much of the merit of the portrait painter. Flattered
likenesses are certainly to he eschewed. Fancy portraits
are only tolerable when those of females. This is neither.
It is heavy and not at all to our taste.

378. Benson : Portrait of Mrs. Bromley Moore, is a
superior picture, the accessories well managed, and the
colouring throughout good.

477. Portrait of J. Ashen', Esq., by W. Lovatt, a
Liverpool artist, is a faithful likeness, and full of the
character of the original.
342. Portrait of Dr. Mc.Naught ; 512, Portrait of a
Gentleman; 528, Portraits of three children; and 530,
Portrait of B. J. Simpson, Esq., Everlon, by C. W.
Hart, are meritorious pictures, and convey faithful like-
nesses of the parties. The accessories, flowers, &c., of
528 we do not like. Mr. llart, we believe, has recently
taken up his residence in Liverpool.

72. Catherine Douglas, using her arm as a bolt to
assist the (scope of James the First of Scotland from
his assassins, by R. Redyrave, A.R.A., is a well-painted
picture, but rather stiff and incorrect in design. A woman
capable of such an effort, to prevent the breaking open of
a door, would be more likely to assist it by adding the
weight of her body as an opposing force than to stand
upright and aloof, depending entirely upon the feeble in•
terposition of her wrist as a bolt.

74. A Study from Nature, J. P. Drew, is meritorious

751. The Croppie's Retreat —H. 111. Anthony—is a
powerfully-painted savage landscape and figures, very
badly placed, however, and rather rough i❑ finish. There
is considerable talent in the painting of the little girl.
761. Peter the Hermit preaching the Crusades, by
David Scott, R.S.A., deserved a better place. _ _

599. Competition Desi.on for a Testimonial to the late
Earl of Leicester, by S. Huygins, is a very fine archi-
tectural design. It is a Corinthicn column, elevated on a
lofty and massive pedestal, each side ornamented with a
subject in bas relief, referring, no doubt, to the philan-
thropic pursuits (the advancement of agriculture, &c.) to
which the late earl was devoted, and or which the sculp-
tured oxen terminating the basement are fit emblems.
The sarcophagus with which the foliated capital is sur-
mounted (supposed to contain the ashes of the dead) has
a classic and solemn effect.

604. J. A. Piclon : Buildings about to be erected in
the Old Churchyard and Tower Garden, for Josh.
Bailey, Esq. M.P., is a beautiful design, most appropriate
for the situation. When erected upon this plan, they
will form one of the finest ornaments of the town, rich as
it already is in structures devoted to mercantile purposes.

The SCULPTURE-ROOM this season is not well filled,
and contains few, if any, productions of high art. Mr.
M'Bride contributes a fine bust of John Leyland, Esq.,
810, and three other very meritorious works; and Mr.
Spence's Portrait Group of the Children of Mr. A.
Holaze, architect, is a very pleasing work.
We understand that the amount received up to this
time for pictures sold is £1,300. The pictures sold are
fifty-six in numbr, of which only nine are by Liverpool
artists—a fact which does not say much for our patronage
of local art.