The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-03-20

iHE SICKNESS AT WASHINGTON is stili attract
ing very general attention. as perssns from all
paris CT the country ere suffering from the effect
OF their visit. The belief that poisoned rats dying
in 'ne water reservoir of the National Hotel, has
somewhat given away under statements which
suo" tnat the sickness confined to no parlicu-
lar spot In the city, but existed the entire eng III Of
Fennsyivsnia avenue. The editor of tha New
iorHiDay Book, who was at the National Hotel at
'ne time OF the inauguration rejects the rat theory,
aud sums up careful article reviewing the whole
case, as follows:
horacs r. Day, Esq, il now lying very low In
tns CITY he was boafder there, and 10 doubt, 10
aneetea s precisely - Mls. Adams. A dausht OF
sils % also eei7 sick and under tho charge
OF Dr' marey DIR Leon has several patients incud-
fg cnl a OF the writer. who is very low. That we
al osen s poisoned ny some substance daily ad-
70 us IN the fJod, is beyond question:
" hat that subs ance was, how or by whom sdrninis
tesea remains my'tery. The proprietor. of the
house, we are tis6sd, Rave used eyary effort and
meens In hsir power to find out TIE susa sf th;s
widespread infction, but in vain To hem il is as
PtoIonnd mystery ss to any in the lard"
Inc Daily JaeSsonian, of Newark, n. j., says
Among the indvidua's suff srine from a soiourn
st the NsuoBal Hotel, Washington is our fellow.
citizen, Col. Hamilton, editor os the Sussex Hera
De came 90 with US from Trenton on Friday fore.
noon. on his way homo. He has lost fl sab wonder.
fully, snd is still suhsrins from dsraoged bowels
ooucing ncessapt diarrheA that it seems Irupc sat-
DIS To check, aud that weakeDs and emsciates linn
very much He says of forty that pertook OF SD q.
cisl banquet at the National. every one was taken
down, AID are sli sof,rioe."
n letter from Washington says:
"rhe dsesss which has been 20 prevalent A. the
National Hotel ia not confined to that ,eut
but 10 very neral the line of the avenue where
ths water used Is obtained from sprinss having their
haad on the more elevated portions OF the city north
q that point Almost svery second person i have
met fort two dsys, who have msd use Of this Eatsr
compian OF the same symptoms that siilist the
guests of the National 1t is my firm belief
that IN consequence Of The sudden melting OF the
vast body of snoW, the water from the surface has
penetrated the veins Leading to the springs csrryin
with II some oeetelious 50 distances l have ray.elf
bee sfh cted with the complaint for several W sch r.
8 d found relief By change OF water" a
The Washington correspondent of the New
1oFk Times disposfs of the story that the sickness
had been caused by poisoned rats by stain h at
the water-tank into which the rats were said to
have plunged after they were poisoned, sits upon
the roof of the building, from which its sides rise
perpendicularly at least eight feet 1t ia not easy
to see how rat could climb that height Without
assistance. especially when weak and dying from
the effects of poison. Neither was the water from
the tank used for drinking or cooking purposes, but
Only for bathing The correspondent adds that
there is no doubt Of the sickness being caused by
defective sewerage, the removal of which, itis be-
lieved will restore the usual good health of the
hotel.