Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-11-14
FIRST EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA.
OUR sAruR DAY LETTER.


PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 13.
Following the meeting of the National Acsd-
emy of Science, we have had this week the
convention Of the American Public Health Asso-
citation. This body of learned men, while not
seeking, IN so many words, to "popularize"
science, have yet succeeded in making their
proceedings interesting to the general public,
for the reason that the topics discussed, while
treated at times in technical way, yet relate to
the physical well-being Of us all. such vital
questions as ventilation sewerage, the, proper
construction OF dwellings and hospitals, and the
proper modes Of preparing food and of bringing
the raw material to market, were debated, and it
will be seen we're of kind to interest every in
tellgont person. Among the most valuable essays
Of the week were one upon summer catarrh,
"hay fever" by DR.. Beard, of Now York, and
another upon the effect of mountain climate
upon persons inclined to pulmonary complaints,
by DIR. Billings, of the U. s. Army. The use of
poiHons in agriculture, subject introduced by
DR.. LeConte to the attention Of the National
Science Association, was also debated, the con-
cusion being the same al that arrived at in the
other body, that the use of such agencies is to
be aternly deprecated. An immense amount Of
practical good must accrue from these elabora-
tions OF the experience OF our foremost medical
men, huu IL IL ROOu hlbn Oh Tue lutelllSbnco OF
the age that on the one hand the public take an
interest in such discussions, and on the other
that leaders in thought esteem 1t judicious to va
cate their customary exclusive place. and invite
all citizens to join them in the work of making
men healthier and consequently happier. Science
is seen by this example to be mans most efficient
helper, and not dry abstraction in which he has
no practical concern.
One of the most important actions taken by
the Association WAS the appointing of repre-
of the country to investigate the condition Of
health in all the leading American cities, and to
report at the next annual meeting to be held
at Baltimore. This committee ID TO decide OH
the relative HYGIENE condition OF our cities, as
we'll upon the causes which render some
communities more healthy than others. This is
surely great subject and one that is worthy tile
best attention. Sardonc people are heard WON
dering why 1t is that Doctors are 80 willing to
inform the people of the causes of disease and
the best way Of remedyIng them That
does seem a rather curious thing, at first sight,
but fancy 1t will be found that in proportion
rs Education in such matters becomes more
general. the higher in esteem will rise those
professional men who have had the courage to
throw off the mask of infallibity, and TO invite
laymen to Join the medical priesthood in the
endeavor to conquer disease and make
the world better place to live in. No doctor
worthy the name need have any fear as to him
self, OF the effect OF such Education. Know
ledge never hurt anybody yet, tis not in its ma
ture to. III hygienic matters, for one thing, the
more we know the more respect we haae for the
opinion of those who know still more, aud the
effect of the popularizing OF the facts OF medi-
cal science will be only the blessed one of show
ing people how to live. IN this process only the
qnacks will be discounted, and none but them
selves would bewail that turn Of fortune.
1t is perhaps not extravagant to ra5e ~ the
event next in importance, at least in gen eral
interest," to the meeting of tho Health Assoc.a-
ton, the engagement OF Miss. Charlotte Cush
| Atu1 s,f
ment is quite removed from the usual run of
such enterprises. Miss. Cushman's hold. not
only on the admiration but OF the esteem and
affection of the public, is CT such character
tlat the announcement OF her farewell appear
ance caused an expression OF interest of the
| most intense kind II il doubtful If any e. eat
ricsl occasion OF the generation has caused go
much oommotion. People have gone
to see her who never dream Of going
| TO the theatre at other times many
indeed who have never been to the theatre te-
| fore, and do not expect to go again, but who
| could not forego the satisfaction of seeing the
great actress before her final retirement. There
| ID double disappointment felt that the engage
ment is 80 brief and that Miss Cnshman plays 80
| few parts. One Of these things is contingent on
| the other, but if the engagement had beon ar
ranged to extend over at least three weeks, and
the actress had given some of the parts she so
used to delight us with, the public would be
better satisfied. She has been giving the eternal
round of Meg MerraieS, Lddy Macbeth, aud
| Queen Kat. rtne for years, and there
is something Of sameness i'll the business.
| True, she has grown too old for many of her
parts, such as Rosahnd and Beatrice, but Lady
| Macbeth is not supposed TO be an old woman
and the actress who docs not offend likelihood
in that part can still play q een Constance, Bi-
onca, in 'Fazio," and mauy other roles. Miss
Cuslman should also act Hamlet which she
used to do 80 famoualy She looks no older
than Davenport, and could make up for it suifi-
cienty we'll. She should also appear as Hotsey,
and she could certainly do Nancy
| Skies as effectively al ever. She does
not round her career sufficiently with the parts
she elects to act Many people now see her for
the first time aud do not know the great range
| Of parts she WAS accustomed to cover.
Her acting ls as fine as ever it was but "Mac-
beth " is the only attractive play she presents
" Henry VIII cannot be made a good acting
piece, and Katherine. grandly as she does it, has
| 30 little to do that the performance somehow
docs not satisfy-not that the acting Is at fault,
| but because the part il not enough in itself.
=" Guy Mannering" is az stupid and dreary play
as was ever acted almost Meg is but flashing
meteor over waste of dullness. The piece
| should have been reconstructed and the part
made more of, long ago, but it is now too late.
IL is not TIE fashion to talk in this way, but in
| telligent p'aygOers will bear me out in what has
been said. So will Miss Cushmans managers
in the conviction that they make a queer blum
der in not working this gold mine to better adj
| vantage. Three weeks in the present state of
public feeling would have been as sure one.
Other matters must be treated more summar-
lily. Mr.. J. j.. Clarke, the comedian, who has
Just arrived from England has a long head for
such round-faced mrth-maker His gift Of
$1,000 to the Centennial does him quite us much
good as it does the Exposition project. Tho
amount of free advertising 1t brugs him in can
not be easily computed Clarke showed that
long head in another matter. He was to have
opened this week at the " Walnut" but seeing
that we were all for Cushman he gen. ly withdrew
for a SPELL and until he could have the town to
himself. But these are the things which explain
his success,-a success he entirely deserves
He is the best comic actor since Burton.
The renovation Of the State House front prom
ses to be as heightened job as was the laying
OF the famous State House pavement. There il
hope at the same time that the lelsurely
manner of doing the work may result in
better effect than was at first sntici
pated. Arepainted brick front, with the NOR
tar marked in white, We all know to be de-
structive process, and as applied to Iudepend-
ence Hall it would have been little short OF van
dallsm. In this work, the surface ia gone over,
foot by foot, with the brazier The weather
and time-eaten part of the brick thus burned
sand paper is applied, and new but genuine
surface il obtained. Then the mortar is fresh
"pointed.' 1t is expected that the renovatng
thus done will be satisfactory, and that the old
Hall will be in becoming shape for the Centen
nial, and yet in no wise changed.
The disappearance of tile Priest Gerdemann
with young woman of his congregation al
with large sum of money belonging to his con-
gregation, is still surrounded with mystery and
.s4 ID Gatl ~.