- Email: [email protected]
THE CHOLERA.
425 Wright, however, gratuitously offers the suggestion that the applicant should study, and thus obtain, an equivalent for that Candidates for the First Appointments:—G. C. Millar. which he has sought at her hands." Fromthisam I to infer Honours obtained: 1848—Medicine, Junior Class, Honorary that you kindly acquiesce to my proposal? If so, may I trouble Certificate; Physiology, Gold Medal. 1849-Medicine, Senior you again to favour me with a line by return of post, which Class, Honorary Certificate ; Midwifery, Honorary Certificate. will, Madam, be most kindly received By yours very respectfully, 1850-Hospital Surgical Gold Medal. P. Peete. I-Iunow’8 To the Lady of the late Surgeon Wright, M. R. C. S. obtained: 1849—Midwifery, Gold Medal. 1850-Medicine, High Pavement, Nottingham. Senior Class, Honorary Certificate. 1851-Medicine, Senior Class, Gold Medal; Anatomy, Senior Class, Honorary Certifi-
intimating, also,
that it would be awarded to the most
deservingcandidate.
"
-
cate ; Forensic-Medicine, Silver Medal. - A. A. Mantell. Honours obtained:1849-Anatomy, Junior Class, Silver Medal. 1850-Medicine, Junior Class, Silver Medal. 1852— Hospital Surgical Gold Medal. *W. H. Harris. Honours obtained: 1849-Anatomy, Junior Class, Honorary Certificate; J. Dale. Honours 1850-Botany, Honorary Certificate. obtained: Not any. Candidates for the Second Appointment:—G. C. Millar;
THE
CHOLERA.
-
-
A. A. Mantell. Horzozers obtained :As mentioned above.r. W. Jenkins. J. Dale. Honozcrs obtained: Not any. Flonouos obtained: 1851-Chemistry, Silver Medal. 1852Medicine, Junior Class, Silver NIedal; Surgery, Senior Class, Gold Medal; Materia Medica, Silver Medal ; Forensic Medicine, Silver Medal ; Botany, Silver Medal. 1853-Hospital Medical Gold Medal; Medicine, Senior Class, Honorary Certificate. Candidates Selected:—First Appointment: *W. H. Harris. Second Appointment: * J. Dale. The appointment of each of these gentlemen was printed in a medical periodical: one was without any honour; the other, the least in the list. What would Messrs. Benson and Ewart (of Guy’s), Naylor (St. George’s), Macnamara (King’s College), Kean (Middlesex), think, if they had an opportunity of learning these facts? All these gentlemen received their merited honour after undergoing a rigid examination at their respective hos-
THE cholera may be said to haveentirely ceased its ravages, epidemic, at least for the present. The cases reported are in various localities, and probably little exceed in number those which are usually to be found, under ordinary circumstances, at this period of the year. It has been mentioned in some quarters, but with what accuracy we have not the means of determining, that several cases have been returned as "Asiatic cholera" in children, which were, in reality, simple cases of "English cholera," dependent on want of proper nourishment, particularly of breast-milk. These cases are not uncommon at any period of the year, but particularly in the Should the cholera visit the metropolis autumnal months. in the ensuing spring, its ravages will be awful, unless proper hygienic measures be previously adopted. as an
(From the Gea2erccl Board of Health.)) OCTOBER 20.
pitals.
Just and honourable reader, examine the above, and then offer an unbiassed and candid opinion. Of what avail are prizes? Mark this glaring instance of their not serving their purpose, and their yielding to principles which, if permitted to predominate, would engender an indifference to industry, perseverance, and talent, and cripple the exertions of those who, if enccuraged as they deserved, would be zealous cultivators of medical science. Let these FACTS SUFFICE. October, 1853.
SEVENOAKS UNION,
death,
(WESTERHAM.) - Oct. 18, diarrhoea,
1.
GLOUCESTER.—Oct. 18, cholera, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE.— Oct.
death, 19,
1.
cholera, deaths, 2;
diarrhoea, death,
1. The total number of deaths from cholera and diarrhoea in Newcastle during the present outbreak has been 1517. In the same period (viz., the first forty-nine days), during the prevalence of epidemic cholera in 1831-2, the number of deaths was 291. GATESHEAD.—Oct. 18, cholera, deaths, 3. A NEW MODE OF OBTAINING THE APOTHECARIES’ No deaths were registered in Gateshead yesterday (19th inst.) LICENCE. from either cholera or diarrhoea. 7b the Editor of THE LANCET. DARLINGTON.—It has been already stated that the local have decided on exercising the powers they possess authorities to forward of two addressed SIR,—I beg letters, you copies to the widow of a medical man who lately died in this town by under the orders of the General Board of Health, for the a person signing himself M. R. C. S. I also enclose the lady’s banishment of pigs from the town. The deaths recorded from cholera and diarrhoea proved that the epidemic influence has the allowed to pass unnoticed. to the second was first; reply been actively present in Darlington, but the energetic measures I am, Sir, yours, &c., adopted have apparently kept the pestilence in check. THOMAS WRIGHT. PaLham-street, Nottingham, Oct. 1853. THE METROPOLIS.—From returns transmitted to the General Board of Health by the Metropolitan Commissioners of Police, 1853. 1, April by the Superintendents of the H, K, L, M, N, MADAM,—I was sorry to read in the papers the demise of and prepared P, T, V, and Thames divisions of police, it appears that there Mr. Wright. As his credentials are no longer of the slightest use or benefit had occurred between the 15th and 18th inst. 22 cases of to you, I here offer you one pound for his apotleECaraes’ certificate. cholera, of which 12 have proved fatal. If you feel disposed to accept of my offer, please drop me a OCTOBER 21. line by a post or two, as I have written to another party. In the of 1848-49 some of the larger SCOTLAND.—In epidemic order to make sure to you the amount, I will lodge it with the of Scotland were the first attacked, among the dense postmistress (Taylor) of this town on receipt of yours, when towns populations of which the disease spread with appalling rapidity, you can forward said certificate to her. and proved most destructive. In the present visitation there Direct to M. R. C. S. , has as yet been no similar outbreak. In numerous places, Post-office, Knaresborough, Yorkshire. indeed, sporadic cases have occurred, and in some few, as in Dunse, Bathgate, and Coldingham, the attacks have occurred in groups. Deaths have also been recorded from the malignant (REPLY.) form of the disease in Edinburgh, Leith, Glasgow, Dundee, High Pavement, Nottingham, April 2nd, 1853. Annadale, Rothbury, and Featherstonehaugh; but in none of Mrs. Wright begs to assure the M. R. C. S., of Knaresborough, these that places has there been any general outbreak, nor, as far her late husband’s was Yorkshire, professional reputation of a very high order, and everything in connexion therewith is as appears, has therebeen any extensive prevalence of diarthough some deaths have been produced by the latter sacredly preserved by her. Mrs. Wright, however, gratuitously rhoea, that the applicant should STUDY, and thus disease. It would seem that the dreadful visitation of 1848—49 obtain an equivalent for that which he has sought at her hands. has, in some instances, left a salutary impression on the minds of the people. Dr. Lyon Playfair refers particularly to St. Andrew’s as an example of this. In 1849 cholera broke out in Post-office, Knaresborough, Yorkshire, April 5th, 1853. a virulent form in this city. On that occasion Dr. Lyon PlayMADAM,—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your courteous fair, at the request of the local authorities, superintended the reply by this morning’s post. application of the measures then adopted for preventing the You conclude your note in the following words:-" Mrs. spread of the epidemic. From a recent personal inspection of
offers thesuggestion
.
426 the town, and particularly of the old haunts of the pestilence, Dr Playfair is satisfied that the town, owing in a great measure to the judicious and energetic course taken by its provost, is in a much better state for resisting an attack of cholera than it was in 1849; and that, were it not for the abominable condition of its apologies for sewers, in all human probability St. Andrew’s would remain exempt from attack. He states, in a thatcommunication, " With regard to Edinburgh, Dundee, and one or two other towns, with respect to which I had direct communication with the provosts, I found active measures in progress, though, in the case of some of the smaller towns, where, however, my information was only indirect, it struck me that the operations were sluggish. But what will be the ultimate advantage of this temporary zeal, unless you put the towns in a position to benefit by permanent sanitary works, which, in the present state of the law, they are not likely to do ?" Numerous applications have been received from Scotland for increased powers for carrying into effect sanitary improvements, and at the instance of the Board of Supervision at Edinburgh, and on consultation with the Lord Advocate, supplementary regulations, specially adapted for the Scotch towns, have been issued.
GATESHEAD.—Cholera, death,
1.
would havebeen only 29, 485-that is, 25,000 lives would have been saved in that year in the metropolis alone. NEWCASTLE.—Oct. 21, deaths, cholera, 2; diarrhoea, 1. The total number of cases of choleraic disease treated by the medical officers at Newcastle-upon Tyne, from the 21st of September to, the 18th of October, has been 4688; of these, 3706 have been cases of diarrhoea, 534 approaching cholera, and 448 cholera. During the same period there have been discovered by the house-to-house visitors, 4906 cases of choleraic disease, 4580 of which were diarrhoea, 258 approaching cholera, and 65 cholera In addition thereto three corpses have been discovered in various houses in the course of the visitors’ rounds. The total. number of deaths from cholera and diarrhoea in Newcastle during the present outbreak has been 1524. In the same period (viz., the first fifty-one days) during the prevalence of epidemic cholera in 1831-2, the number of deaths was 293. LUTON.-Oct. 21, diarrhoea, 1 death. GATESHEAD.-Oct. 20, cholera, 1 death. GATESHEAD (HEWORTH.—Oct. 20, cholera, 1 death. DUNDEE.—Oct. 20, cholera, 3 deaths. DUNSE.—From a return of cases of cholera and diarrhœa in the parish of Dunse from the 27th of September to the 18th of October instant, made to the General Board of Health by Dr. M’Watt, the medical officer, it appeared that there have been altogether 11cases of "malignant cholera," 8 of which resulted fatally and 3 recovered. Also 4 cases of choleraic diarrhoea, all recovered ; and 20 cases of diarrhoea, likewise all reThese various cases have " occurred generally covered. through the town,’’ and chiefly among the better classes. The inspector of the poor remarks that, " of all the cases both of diarrhoea and cholera, no pauper, with the exception of one female belonging to the neighbouring parish of Edrom, has been seized with either disease."
GATESHEAD (HEWORTH.)—Cholera, death, 1. KINGSTON-UPON-HULL.—OCt. 17, cholera, death, 1. NEWCASTLE.—Oct. 20, cholera, deaths, 2; diarrhcea, deaths, 2. Scattered cases of attack and death are from time to time reported as occurring on shipboard in port as well as at sea, some of the latter under remarkable circumstances of apparent spontaneous development av ay from all infected places. In most of these cases there is no medical man on board, but plain instructions for dealing with premonitory diarrhoea are widely circulated by Custom-house officers and pilots, to whom, as well OCTOBER 23. as the captains, special directions have been addressed. THE METROPOLIS. -From returns forwarded by the MetroHoo UNION.—Oct. 22, diarrhoea, death, 1. NEWCASTLE.—Oct. 22, cholera,, deaths, 3. Oct. 23, cholera, politan Commissioners of Police to the General Board of Health on the 21st instant, as prepared by the superintendents of the death, 1. The total number of deaths from cholera and diarrhcea in F, H, K, L, M, T, and Thames divisions, relative to cases of cholera within those districts, it appears that there have been Newcastle during the present outbreak has been 1528. In the 15 attacks between the 16th and 19th instant, of which six same period, viz., the first 52 days, during the prevalence of proved fatal. Among the number, a man seized with ellolera, epidemic cholera in 1831-2, the number of deaths was 294. in Little Denmark-street, St. Giles’s, died nine hours and a GATESHEAD.—Oct. 21, cholera, death, 1. Oct. 22, diairhosa, half after the attack. He was twenty-seven years of age. The death, 1. GATESHFAD (HEWORTH).—Oct. 22, cholera, deaths, 3. This remark in another case is, that "the drain at the back of this house, and others adjoining, is open, and the inhabitants com- makes the 493rd death from cholera, and 42nd from diarrhoea, (from the 1st of September to October 21, both inclusive). plain of its smelling bad at times." LIVERPOOL, OCT. 21.-The mortality from cholera is greatly Total, 535. on the decrease, and it is hoped that the workhouse hospital MORPETH (BEDLINGTON), OcT. 22.-Two very severe cases will be clear of cases in a few days. During the last week of cholera at Barrington Colliery have occurred here this day. there have been 25 fatal cases, all the unfortunate victims being " both of them likely to prove fatal," according to the report German emigrants of the poorest class, with the exception of of Mr. Maclaren, surgeon, Bedlington. The Morpeth Local two persons who lodged in the low districts of the town. There Board of Health have issued a notice to the inhabitants of are at present 13 cases in the house, but none of a serious Bedlington that before Wednesday they require that "all nature. The deaths from diarrhoea are fewer than the average. refuse ashes, night-soil, and stagnant water shall be carefully removed from the premises where they exist, and that all OCTOBER 22. hollows now used for cesspools, middensteads, or receptacles THE METROPOLIS.—The Metropolitan Commissioners of for night-soil, shall be completely filled up with clay or earth Police this day transmitted to the General Board of Health to a level with the surface of the adjoining ground, and covered various reports by the superintendents of the D, G, H, K, L, with some hard material. On that day a dust-box will be sent M, P, R, and Thames divisions of police relative to cholera, to every house, in which the occupiers must place all ashes, from which it appears that between the 16th and the 20th inst. refuse, and night-soil, before nine o’clock every morning, when there have been 22 cases, of which 10 have resulted fatally. the boxes will be called for, and emptied into and taken away Of the latter three have been previously reported by the police by a cart. These requirements will be rigidly enforced, but, " as recovering." One of the 10 cases of death is that of a man as their object is the preservation of human life, the local whose wife died also of cholera on the 13th. In another in- board hope the inhabitants of Bedlington will cheerfully obstance the return states that there is a filthy ditch at the rear serve them." ofthe house which emits an unwholesome smell, dangerous to THE METROPOLIS.—From returns made this day to the the public health. This is the second case which occurred in General Board of Health of cholera cases in the parish of St. the same buildings (Dyer’s-buildings, Gravel-lane,) within a George (East), Middlesex, it appears that from the 17th to the very short period of each other. The authorities, it is added, 22nd inst. there have been nine cases of cholera, of which one are adopting no measures to abate the nuisance. has thus far resulted fatally within twenty-four hours of the From a return made to the common lodging-house branch of attack. The description of locality and house is, in every the Metropolitan Police-office, and transmitted this day to the instance, without exception, in which the cases are reported to General Board of Health, by Captain Hay, it appears that four have occurred, extremely bad. In one case " the room of the persons have been attacked by cholera since the 16th instant, family" is stated to be " dirty and full of poisonous air." In at the Government Emigration Dep6t at Nine-Elms, of whom another the return is, that the rooms are " overcrowded and three have died-one within twenty-four hours of the time of dirty, with filthy children in rags, with dirty skins." Again, attack. " dirty in the extreme, eight persons sleeping in the same The result of sanitary improvement, as exemplified in the Another, "very overcrowded." Six c, s a occurred room." one house, 33, Upper Chapman-street, also described as experience of those establishments, as far as that experience hasi in " yet extended, amounts to this-that if the mortality in the! " overcrowded." Another house is stated to have " very bad whole of the metropolis had, during the year 1851, for example, drainage, bad smell pervading the whole of the he use, no sewer been in the same proportion as in the establishments under the or means to carry off the water; sewer close by, but no comMetropolitan Society, the deaths, instead of being 55,354, munication." Returns made by the superintendents of the
I
,
427 F, K,L, M, and N divisions of police to the commissioners, and transmitted by them to the General Board of Health, state that between the 15th and 21st inst. there have occurred eight new cases of cholera in those districts, in addition to three cases previously reported, one of whom has died, and the other two haverecovered. MILLBANK PRISON.—One case of death from cholera in the Millbank Prison is reported by Dr. Baly as having occurred on the 22nd inst. OCTOBER 24. STOCKHOLM.—The last accounts from Stockholm render it probable that the epidemic is nearly at an end in that city. The cases are not only becoming daily fewer in number, but milder in character, the most certain sign of the decline of the epidemic. On the 14th instant, being the sixty-second from the first outbreak of the epidemic, the returns were-Of premonitory diarrhoea, taken ill during the last twenty-four hours, 19; convalescent, 44; passed into cholera, 1; remaining under treatment, 265. Of cholera, taken ill during the last twentyfour hours, 7; convalescent, 6; passed into collapse, 1; remaining under treatment, 152; dead, 8. From the commencement of the epidemic : Cholera. Premonitory Diarrhœa. Attacks 4123 5819 Attacks Recoveries 5096 Recoveries 1617 2654 Passed into cholera ... 458 Deaths DUNDEE.-Oct. 24, cholera, death, 1. COCKERMOUTH.—Oct. 22, cholera, deaths, 4. HEMEL HEMPSTEAD.—Oct. 24, cholera, death, 1. NEWCASTLE.-Oct. 24, cholera, death, 1; diarrhoea, death, 1. The total number of deaths from cholera and diarrhoea in Newcastle during the present outbreak has been 1530. In the same period—namely, the first fifty-three days, during the prevalence of epidemic cholera in 1831-32, the number of deaths was 294. LUTON.—Oct. 24, cholera, death, 1. This death occurred in a place previously reported " as filthy, overcrowded, and unfit for human habitation."" SOUTH SHIELDS.—A return from the clerk to the South Shields Union, transmitted to the General Board of Health, states that six deaths have occurred therein from cholera since the 16th instant, five being in South Shields, and one in Whitehaven. These, with the 54 deaths previously reported, make up 60 deaths from cholera in the South Shields Union during the present visitation. LIVERPOOL.—Dr. Duncan reports this day to the General Board of Health, that since his last communication of the 18th to the 24th there have occurred in Liverpool 10 new cases, and 9 deaths. In 8 of the new cases the persons were Germans, 6 of them emigrants. One was a servant in a German emigrant lodging-house, and one had been resident nearly three weeks in Liverpool previously to the attack. Two fatal cases occurred among the residents of the town. .........
.........
.........
.........
............
,
THE METROPOLIS. Deaths from Cholera irt corresponding period of 12 weeks, 1848.
Deaths from Cholera during the yrerioc? of 12 weeks, 1853. Week enclinq :-
between the 17th and 23rd inst., there have occurred in those districts 27 cases of cholera, of which 13 have proved fatal; of the latter, three had been previously reported as under treatment. In one case the patient died twelve hours after attack; and of another, (in Hill-street, Blackfriars-road, dying within twenty-four hours of the attack), the surgeon states it to have been the most virulent case of Asiatic cholera which has come under his notice this season. " The next door neighbour describes the stench from the drain in the yard, between four and five every evening, as insufferable;" and that " when the wind sets in from the direction of Green-street, the stench from Footman’s bone-boiling premises, Newan and Winkley’s horse-slaughtering yards, and from the catgut-makers, is very bad. She has suffered so much from those abominably disgusting smells that her health is rapidly sinking under it." Her house is infested with numbers of filthy black flies, which smell very offensive. The soapboilers’ premises opposite (Anderson and Carthy’s) are described as filling the houses with thick, heavy, sickly vapours, the smell of which has caused her to faint away; it damps the bed-clothes, and the stench on these occasions is so intolerable that her husband is frequently obliged to leave the house. Complaint is also made of tubs of putrid fat, kept in the yard of 24, King’s-bench-walk, and of the liquor from the boneboilers’ in Green-street, of the knackers’ yards, and other like premises adjoining. It was yesterday reported that no fewer than six cases of cholera, and two of choleraic diarrhoea, had occurred in one house, 33, Upper Chapman-street, in St. George’s-in-the-East, two of which had proved fatal. It may be added that almost all the cases were from the inmates of a single small room, in which as many as twelve persons slept. It is satisfactory to know that upon the certificate of Mr. Garrett, the medical officer of the district, most of the inmates have been removed from this house. There has been no fresh case in New-court, Bluegate-fields, where two deaths occurred last week. A good deal has been done to cleanse and purify the place. The owner of this property, as well as of the passage leading to it, ought to be compelled to nag it immediately. There is a considerable amount of diarrhoea in the district, and it is somewhat on the increase.
OCTOBER 25. METROPOLIS. -From returns made by the superintendents of the H, K, M, and P divisions of police to the commissioners of police, and transmitted by the commissioners to the General Board of Health, it appears that on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th instant, there have occurred within those districts four cases of cholera, all terminating fatally. In one case the person died 9½ hours after the attack, and in a second 18 hours after seizure. GATESHEAD.— Oct. 24, two deaths from cholera were registered as occurring, this day, in the Heworth district of this union. This makes the 489th death from cholera, there having also been 43 from diarrhoea. There were also two deaths at Heworth on the following day. 24th October, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD UNION (BOXMOOR). -
cholera,
1 death.
NEWCASTLE.—On the 25th October, no cases from cholera registered. One death from ditrrhcea was entered on that day as having occurred in the Westgate district. were
EAST SURREY CHOLERA SOCIETY. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1853. -ROBERT WILLIS, M.D., in the Chair. THE first meeting of the East Surrey Cholera Society was Dr. held at Richmond, on Tuesday evening, Oct. 18th. WiLLls, of Barnes, was called to the chair. Mr. RICHARDSON having read a very able paper, showing the objects of the contemplated Society, and having been
As
requested to act as Secretary to the meeting, it was moved by Dr. JULIUS, of Richmond, seconded by Mr. RAY, of Dulwich, and unanimously carried,That Mr. Richardson’s excellent statement, now read, be "
the comparative progress of cholera in the and that the gentlemen present do metropolis in 1848 and 1853, in corresponding periods up to entered on the minutes; ’the present time, the preceding table shows that in 1848, in form themselves into a society, under the name of the EAST ’the eight weeks ending the 24th, the deaths num- SURREY CHOLERA SOCIETY, with power to add to their bered 74; while in 1853 in the corresponding weeks the deaths number" qualified medical practitioners residing within East humberecl 119, and that in the four weeks ending the 22nd of October the deaths in 1848 were 152, and in 1853 they were After some conversation, it was agreed that the medical 242. gentlemen residing within the bounds of East Surrey, who had From reports transmitted yesterday to the General Board of responded approvingly to Mr. Richardson’s circular, should be Health from the superintendents of the metropolitan police, enrolled, along with those present, as original members of the K, L, M, P, R, T, V, and Thames divisions, it appears that society.
illustrating
September
Surrey.
intimating, also,
that it would be awarded to the most
deservingcandidate.
"
-
cate ; Forensic-Medicine, Silver Medal. - A. A. Mantell. Honours obtained:1849-Anatomy, Junior Class, Silver Medal. 1850-Medicine, Junior Class, Silver Medal. 1852— Hospital Surgical Gold Medal. *W. H. Harris. Honours obtained: 1849-Anatomy, Junior Class, Honorary Certificate; J. Dale. Honours 1850-Botany, Honorary Certificate. obtained: Not any. Candidates for the Second Appointment:—G. C. Millar;
THE
CHOLERA.
-
-
A. A. Mantell. Horzozers obtained :As mentioned above.r. W. Jenkins. J. Dale. Honozcrs obtained: Not any. Flonouos obtained: 1851-Chemistry, Silver Medal. 1852Medicine, Junior Class, Silver NIedal; Surgery, Senior Class, Gold Medal; Materia Medica, Silver Medal ; Forensic Medicine, Silver Medal ; Botany, Silver Medal. 1853-Hospital Medical Gold Medal; Medicine, Senior Class, Honorary Certificate. Candidates Selected:—First Appointment: *W. H. Harris. Second Appointment: * J. Dale. The appointment of each of these gentlemen was printed in a medical periodical: one was without any honour; the other, the least in the list. What would Messrs. Benson and Ewart (of Guy’s), Naylor (St. George’s), Macnamara (King’s College), Kean (Middlesex), think, if they had an opportunity of learning these facts? All these gentlemen received their merited honour after undergoing a rigid examination at their respective hos-
THE cholera may be said to haveentirely ceased its ravages, epidemic, at least for the present. The cases reported are in various localities, and probably little exceed in number those which are usually to be found, under ordinary circumstances, at this period of the year. It has been mentioned in some quarters, but with what accuracy we have not the means of determining, that several cases have been returned as "Asiatic cholera" in children, which were, in reality, simple cases of "English cholera," dependent on want of proper nourishment, particularly of breast-milk. These cases are not uncommon at any period of the year, but particularly in the Should the cholera visit the metropolis autumnal months. in the ensuing spring, its ravages will be awful, unless proper hygienic measures be previously adopted. as an
(From the Gea2erccl Board of Health.)) OCTOBER 20.
pitals.
Just and honourable reader, examine the above, and then offer an unbiassed and candid opinion. Of what avail are prizes? Mark this glaring instance of their not serving their purpose, and their yielding to principles which, if permitted to predominate, would engender an indifference to industry, perseverance, and talent, and cripple the exertions of those who, if enccuraged as they deserved, would be zealous cultivators of medical science. Let these FACTS SUFFICE. October, 1853.
SEVENOAKS UNION,
death,
(WESTERHAM.) - Oct. 18, diarrhoea,
1.
GLOUCESTER.—Oct. 18, cholera, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE.— Oct.
death, 19,
1.
cholera, deaths, 2;
diarrhoea, death,
1. The total number of deaths from cholera and diarrhoea in Newcastle during the present outbreak has been 1517. In the same period (viz., the first forty-nine days), during the prevalence of epidemic cholera in 1831-2, the number of deaths was 291. GATESHEAD.—Oct. 18, cholera, deaths, 3. A NEW MODE OF OBTAINING THE APOTHECARIES’ No deaths were registered in Gateshead yesterday (19th inst.) LICENCE. from either cholera or diarrhoea. 7b the Editor of THE LANCET. DARLINGTON.—It has been already stated that the local have decided on exercising the powers they possess authorities to forward of two addressed SIR,—I beg letters, you copies to the widow of a medical man who lately died in this town by under the orders of the General Board of Health, for the a person signing himself M. R. C. S. I also enclose the lady’s banishment of pigs from the town. The deaths recorded from cholera and diarrhoea proved that the epidemic influence has the allowed to pass unnoticed. to the second was first; reply been actively present in Darlington, but the energetic measures I am, Sir, yours, &c., adopted have apparently kept the pestilence in check. THOMAS WRIGHT. PaLham-street, Nottingham, Oct. 1853. THE METROPOLIS.—From returns transmitted to the General Board of Health by the Metropolitan Commissioners of Police, 1853. 1, April by the Superintendents of the H, K, L, M, N, MADAM,—I was sorry to read in the papers the demise of and prepared P, T, V, and Thames divisions of police, it appears that there Mr. Wright. As his credentials are no longer of the slightest use or benefit had occurred between the 15th and 18th inst. 22 cases of to you, I here offer you one pound for his apotleECaraes’ certificate. cholera, of which 12 have proved fatal. If you feel disposed to accept of my offer, please drop me a OCTOBER 21. line by a post or two, as I have written to another party. In the of 1848-49 some of the larger SCOTLAND.—In epidemic order to make sure to you the amount, I will lodge it with the of Scotland were the first attacked, among the dense postmistress (Taylor) of this town on receipt of yours, when towns populations of which the disease spread with appalling rapidity, you can forward said certificate to her. and proved most destructive. In the present visitation there Direct to M. R. C. S. , has as yet been no similar outbreak. In numerous places, Post-office, Knaresborough, Yorkshire. indeed, sporadic cases have occurred, and in some few, as in Dunse, Bathgate, and Coldingham, the attacks have occurred in groups. Deaths have also been recorded from the malignant (REPLY.) form of the disease in Edinburgh, Leith, Glasgow, Dundee, High Pavement, Nottingham, April 2nd, 1853. Annadale, Rothbury, and Featherstonehaugh; but in none of Mrs. Wright begs to assure the M. R. C. S., of Knaresborough, these that places has there been any general outbreak, nor, as far her late husband’s was Yorkshire, professional reputation of a very high order, and everything in connexion therewith is as appears, has therebeen any extensive prevalence of diarthough some deaths have been produced by the latter sacredly preserved by her. Mrs. Wright, however, gratuitously rhoea, that the applicant should STUDY, and thus disease. It would seem that the dreadful visitation of 1848—49 obtain an equivalent for that which he has sought at her hands. has, in some instances, left a salutary impression on the minds of the people. Dr. Lyon Playfair refers particularly to St. Andrew’s as an example of this. In 1849 cholera broke out in Post-office, Knaresborough, Yorkshire, April 5th, 1853. a virulent form in this city. On that occasion Dr. Lyon PlayMADAM,—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your courteous fair, at the request of the local authorities, superintended the reply by this morning’s post. application of the measures then adopted for preventing the You conclude your note in the following words:-" Mrs. spread of the epidemic. From a recent personal inspection of
offers thesuggestion
.
426 the town, and particularly of the old haunts of the pestilence, Dr Playfair is satisfied that the town, owing in a great measure to the judicious and energetic course taken by its provost, is in a much better state for resisting an attack of cholera than it was in 1849; and that, were it not for the abominable condition of its apologies for sewers, in all human probability St. Andrew’s would remain exempt from attack. He states, in a thatcommunication, " With regard to Edinburgh, Dundee, and one or two other towns, with respect to which I had direct communication with the provosts, I found active measures in progress, though, in the case of some of the smaller towns, where, however, my information was only indirect, it struck me that the operations were sluggish. But what will be the ultimate advantage of this temporary zeal, unless you put the towns in a position to benefit by permanent sanitary works, which, in the present state of the law, they are not likely to do ?" Numerous applications have been received from Scotland for increased powers for carrying into effect sanitary improvements, and at the instance of the Board of Supervision at Edinburgh, and on consultation with the Lord Advocate, supplementary regulations, specially adapted for the Scotch towns, have been issued.
GATESHEAD.—Cholera, death,
1.
would havebeen only 29, 485-that is, 25,000 lives would have been saved in that year in the metropolis alone. NEWCASTLE.—Oct. 21, deaths, cholera, 2; diarrhoea, 1. The total number of cases of choleraic disease treated by the medical officers at Newcastle-upon Tyne, from the 21st of September to, the 18th of October, has been 4688; of these, 3706 have been cases of diarrhoea, 534 approaching cholera, and 448 cholera. During the same period there have been discovered by the house-to-house visitors, 4906 cases of choleraic disease, 4580 of which were diarrhoea, 258 approaching cholera, and 65 cholera In addition thereto three corpses have been discovered in various houses in the course of the visitors’ rounds. The total. number of deaths from cholera and diarrhoea in Newcastle during the present outbreak has been 1524. In the same period (viz., the first fifty-one days) during the prevalence of epidemic cholera in 1831-2, the number of deaths was 293. LUTON.-Oct. 21, diarrhoea, 1 death. GATESHEAD.-Oct. 20, cholera, 1 death. GATESHEAD (HEWORTH.—Oct. 20, cholera, 1 death. DUNDEE.—Oct. 20, cholera, 3 deaths. DUNSE.—From a return of cases of cholera and diarrhœa in the parish of Dunse from the 27th of September to the 18th of October instant, made to the General Board of Health by Dr. M’Watt, the medical officer, it appeared that there have been altogether 11cases of "malignant cholera," 8 of which resulted fatally and 3 recovered. Also 4 cases of choleraic diarrhoea, all recovered ; and 20 cases of diarrhoea, likewise all reThese various cases have " occurred generally covered. through the town,’’ and chiefly among the better classes. The inspector of the poor remarks that, " of all the cases both of diarrhoea and cholera, no pauper, with the exception of one female belonging to the neighbouring parish of Edrom, has been seized with either disease."
GATESHEAD (HEWORTH.)—Cholera, death, 1. KINGSTON-UPON-HULL.—OCt. 17, cholera, death, 1. NEWCASTLE.—Oct. 20, cholera, deaths, 2; diarrhcea, deaths, 2. Scattered cases of attack and death are from time to time reported as occurring on shipboard in port as well as at sea, some of the latter under remarkable circumstances of apparent spontaneous development av ay from all infected places. In most of these cases there is no medical man on board, but plain instructions for dealing with premonitory diarrhoea are widely circulated by Custom-house officers and pilots, to whom, as well OCTOBER 23. as the captains, special directions have been addressed. THE METROPOLIS. -From returns forwarded by the MetroHoo UNION.—Oct. 22, diarrhoea, death, 1. NEWCASTLE.—Oct. 22, cholera,, deaths, 3. Oct. 23, cholera, politan Commissioners of Police to the General Board of Health on the 21st instant, as prepared by the superintendents of the death, 1. The total number of deaths from cholera and diarrhcea in F, H, K, L, M, T, and Thames divisions, relative to cases of cholera within those districts, it appears that there have been Newcastle during the present outbreak has been 1528. In the 15 attacks between the 16th and 19th instant, of which six same period, viz., the first 52 days, during the prevalence of proved fatal. Among the number, a man seized with ellolera, epidemic cholera in 1831-2, the number of deaths was 294. in Little Denmark-street, St. Giles’s, died nine hours and a GATESHEAD.—Oct. 21, cholera, death, 1. Oct. 22, diairhosa, half after the attack. He was twenty-seven years of age. The death, 1. GATESHFAD (HEWORTH).—Oct. 22, cholera, deaths, 3. This remark in another case is, that "the drain at the back of this house, and others adjoining, is open, and the inhabitants com- makes the 493rd death from cholera, and 42nd from diarrhoea, (from the 1st of September to October 21, both inclusive). plain of its smelling bad at times." LIVERPOOL, OCT. 21.-The mortality from cholera is greatly Total, 535. on the decrease, and it is hoped that the workhouse hospital MORPETH (BEDLINGTON), OcT. 22.-Two very severe cases will be clear of cases in a few days. During the last week of cholera at Barrington Colliery have occurred here this day. there have been 25 fatal cases, all the unfortunate victims being " both of them likely to prove fatal," according to the report German emigrants of the poorest class, with the exception of of Mr. Maclaren, surgeon, Bedlington. The Morpeth Local two persons who lodged in the low districts of the town. There Board of Health have issued a notice to the inhabitants of are at present 13 cases in the house, but none of a serious Bedlington that before Wednesday they require that "all nature. The deaths from diarrhoea are fewer than the average. refuse ashes, night-soil, and stagnant water shall be carefully removed from the premises where they exist, and that all OCTOBER 22. hollows now used for cesspools, middensteads, or receptacles THE METROPOLIS.—The Metropolitan Commissioners of for night-soil, shall be completely filled up with clay or earth Police this day transmitted to the General Board of Health to a level with the surface of the adjoining ground, and covered various reports by the superintendents of the D, G, H, K, L, with some hard material. On that day a dust-box will be sent M, P, R, and Thames divisions of police relative to cholera, to every house, in which the occupiers must place all ashes, from which it appears that between the 16th and the 20th inst. refuse, and night-soil, before nine o’clock every morning, when there have been 22 cases, of which 10 have resulted fatally. the boxes will be called for, and emptied into and taken away Of the latter three have been previously reported by the police by a cart. These requirements will be rigidly enforced, but, " as recovering." One of the 10 cases of death is that of a man as their object is the preservation of human life, the local whose wife died also of cholera on the 13th. In another in- board hope the inhabitants of Bedlington will cheerfully obstance the return states that there is a filthy ditch at the rear serve them." ofthe house which emits an unwholesome smell, dangerous to THE METROPOLIS.—From returns made this day to the the public health. This is the second case which occurred in General Board of Health of cholera cases in the parish of St. the same buildings (Dyer’s-buildings, Gravel-lane,) within a George (East), Middlesex, it appears that from the 17th to the very short period of each other. The authorities, it is added, 22nd inst. there have been nine cases of cholera, of which one are adopting no measures to abate the nuisance. has thus far resulted fatally within twenty-four hours of the From a return made to the common lodging-house branch of attack. The description of locality and house is, in every the Metropolitan Police-office, and transmitted this day to the instance, without exception, in which the cases are reported to General Board of Health, by Captain Hay, it appears that four have occurred, extremely bad. In one case " the room of the persons have been attacked by cholera since the 16th instant, family" is stated to be " dirty and full of poisonous air." In at the Government Emigration Dep6t at Nine-Elms, of whom another the return is, that the rooms are " overcrowded and three have died-one within twenty-four hours of the time of dirty, with filthy children in rags, with dirty skins." Again, attack. " dirty in the extreme, eight persons sleeping in the same The result of sanitary improvement, as exemplified in the Another, "very overcrowded." Six c, s a occurred room." one house, 33, Upper Chapman-street, also described as experience of those establishments, as far as that experience hasi in " yet extended, amounts to this-that if the mortality in the! " overcrowded." Another house is stated to have " very bad whole of the metropolis had, during the year 1851, for example, drainage, bad smell pervading the whole of the he use, no sewer been in the same proportion as in the establishments under the or means to carry off the water; sewer close by, but no comMetropolitan Society, the deaths, instead of being 55,354, munication." Returns made by the superintendents of the
I
,
427 F, K,L, M, and N divisions of police to the commissioners, and transmitted by them to the General Board of Health, state that between the 15th and 21st inst. there have occurred eight new cases of cholera in those districts, in addition to three cases previously reported, one of whom has died, and the other two haverecovered. MILLBANK PRISON.—One case of death from cholera in the Millbank Prison is reported by Dr. Baly as having occurred on the 22nd inst. OCTOBER 24. STOCKHOLM.—The last accounts from Stockholm render it probable that the epidemic is nearly at an end in that city. The cases are not only becoming daily fewer in number, but milder in character, the most certain sign of the decline of the epidemic. On the 14th instant, being the sixty-second from the first outbreak of the epidemic, the returns were-Of premonitory diarrhoea, taken ill during the last twenty-four hours, 19; convalescent, 44; passed into cholera, 1; remaining under treatment, 265. Of cholera, taken ill during the last twentyfour hours, 7; convalescent, 6; passed into collapse, 1; remaining under treatment, 152; dead, 8. From the commencement of the epidemic : Cholera. Premonitory Diarrhœa. Attacks 4123 5819 Attacks Recoveries 5096 Recoveries 1617 2654 Passed into cholera ... 458 Deaths DUNDEE.-Oct. 24, cholera, death, 1. COCKERMOUTH.—Oct. 22, cholera, deaths, 4. HEMEL HEMPSTEAD.—Oct. 24, cholera, death, 1. NEWCASTLE.-Oct. 24, cholera, death, 1; diarrhoea, death, 1. The total number of deaths from cholera and diarrhoea in Newcastle during the present outbreak has been 1530. In the same period—namely, the first fifty-three days, during the prevalence of epidemic cholera in 1831-32, the number of deaths was 294. LUTON.—Oct. 24, cholera, death, 1. This death occurred in a place previously reported " as filthy, overcrowded, and unfit for human habitation."" SOUTH SHIELDS.—A return from the clerk to the South Shields Union, transmitted to the General Board of Health, states that six deaths have occurred therein from cholera since the 16th instant, five being in South Shields, and one in Whitehaven. These, with the 54 deaths previously reported, make up 60 deaths from cholera in the South Shields Union during the present visitation. LIVERPOOL.—Dr. Duncan reports this day to the General Board of Health, that since his last communication of the 18th to the 24th there have occurred in Liverpool 10 new cases, and 9 deaths. In 8 of the new cases the persons were Germans, 6 of them emigrants. One was a servant in a German emigrant lodging-house, and one had been resident nearly three weeks in Liverpool previously to the attack. Two fatal cases occurred among the residents of the town. .........
.........
.........
.........
............
,
THE METROPOLIS. Deaths from Cholera irt corresponding period of 12 weeks, 1848.
Deaths from Cholera during the yrerioc? of 12 weeks, 1853. Week enclinq :-
between the 17th and 23rd inst., there have occurred in those districts 27 cases of cholera, of which 13 have proved fatal; of the latter, three had been previously reported as under treatment. In one case the patient died twelve hours after attack; and of another, (in Hill-street, Blackfriars-road, dying within twenty-four hours of the attack), the surgeon states it to have been the most virulent case of Asiatic cholera which has come under his notice this season. " The next door neighbour describes the stench from the drain in the yard, between four and five every evening, as insufferable;" and that " when the wind sets in from the direction of Green-street, the stench from Footman’s bone-boiling premises, Newan and Winkley’s horse-slaughtering yards, and from the catgut-makers, is very bad. She has suffered so much from those abominably disgusting smells that her health is rapidly sinking under it." Her house is infested with numbers of filthy black flies, which smell very offensive. The soapboilers’ premises opposite (Anderson and Carthy’s) are described as filling the houses with thick, heavy, sickly vapours, the smell of which has caused her to faint away; it damps the bed-clothes, and the stench on these occasions is so intolerable that her husband is frequently obliged to leave the house. Complaint is also made of tubs of putrid fat, kept in the yard of 24, King’s-bench-walk, and of the liquor from the boneboilers’ in Green-street, of the knackers’ yards, and other like premises adjoining. It was yesterday reported that no fewer than six cases of cholera, and two of choleraic diarrhoea, had occurred in one house, 33, Upper Chapman-street, in St. George’s-in-the-East, two of which had proved fatal. It may be added that almost all the cases were from the inmates of a single small room, in which as many as twelve persons slept. It is satisfactory to know that upon the certificate of Mr. Garrett, the medical officer of the district, most of the inmates have been removed from this house. There has been no fresh case in New-court, Bluegate-fields, where two deaths occurred last week. A good deal has been done to cleanse and purify the place. The owner of this property, as well as of the passage leading to it, ought to be compelled to nag it immediately. There is a considerable amount of diarrhoea in the district, and it is somewhat on the increase.
OCTOBER 25. METROPOLIS. -From returns made by the superintendents of the H, K, M, and P divisions of police to the commissioners of police, and transmitted by the commissioners to the General Board of Health, it appears that on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th instant, there have occurred within those districts four cases of cholera, all terminating fatally. In one case the person died 9½ hours after the attack, and in a second 18 hours after seizure. GATESHEAD.— Oct. 24, two deaths from cholera were registered as occurring, this day, in the Heworth district of this union. This makes the 489th death from cholera, there having also been 43 from diarrhoea. There were also two deaths at Heworth on the following day. 24th October, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD UNION (BOXMOOR). -
cholera,
1 death.
NEWCASTLE.—On the 25th October, no cases from cholera registered. One death from ditrrhcea was entered on that day as having occurred in the Westgate district. were
EAST SURREY CHOLERA SOCIETY. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1853. -ROBERT WILLIS, M.D., in the Chair. THE first meeting of the East Surrey Cholera Society was Dr. held at Richmond, on Tuesday evening, Oct. 18th. WiLLls, of Barnes, was called to the chair. Mr. RICHARDSON having read a very able paper, showing the objects of the contemplated Society, and having been
As
requested to act as Secretary to the meeting, it was moved by Dr. JULIUS, of Richmond, seconded by Mr. RAY, of Dulwich, and unanimously carried,That Mr. Richardson’s excellent statement, now read, be "
the comparative progress of cholera in the and that the gentlemen present do metropolis in 1848 and 1853, in corresponding periods up to entered on the minutes; ’the present time, the preceding table shows that in 1848, in form themselves into a society, under the name of the EAST ’the eight weeks ending the 24th, the deaths num- SURREY CHOLERA SOCIETY, with power to add to their bered 74; while in 1853 in the corresponding weeks the deaths number" qualified medical practitioners residing within East humberecl 119, and that in the four weeks ending the 22nd of October the deaths in 1848 were 152, and in 1853 they were After some conversation, it was agreed that the medical 242. gentlemen residing within the bounds of East Surrey, who had From reports transmitted yesterday to the General Board of responded approvingly to Mr. Richardson’s circular, should be Health from the superintendents of the metropolitan police, enrolled, along with those present, as original members of the K, L, M, P, R, T, V, and Thames divisions, it appears that society.
illustrating
September
Surrey.