CHOLERA IN THE COUNTRY.
In Scotland, the disease moves languidly. It has very nearly disap- peared in several places, and its progress in others is slow. Hadding- ton is almost free of complaint; in Tranent, very few eases have lately occurred ; in Musselburgh, they have greatly declined. Edinburgh still reports now and then what the Scotch call an " &Aron" case ; but at no time have there been above three or four in existence at once; at the date of the last acounts, the town was free. One death has dis- tinguished the week—a man of the ripe age of 83! We wonder at what age the natives of the Modern Athens would be content to die "a fair stray death," seeing that they must invoke the aid of cholera to four- score ? At Kirkintilloch, there remain only:2 cases ; at Hawick, none. In the latter town, there have been in all 17 cases, and only 4 deaths.
We mentioned in our last Number, with no more than merited
praise, the regulations of the Edinburgh Board ; we fear their practice is not so perfect as their theory. We read a great deal about the use of chloride of lime in the local papers, and of its beneficial effects at the slaughterhouses and elsewhere. Now, first, with submission be it said, the chloride is no disinfectant, as most chemists know, notwith- standing the ingenious theorizing of M. Labarraque on common sewers ; and, second, it is extremely questionable whether putrefying animal substances are favourable to cholera, or to disease of any kind. Animal substances in process of decomposition, at least when decom- posed in contact with the air, give forth a large quantity of ammonia, a highly stimulant gas, and the very- last that is like to produce diseases of a low type like cholera. That the smell is offensive, is no argument : the most dangerous gases have no bad smell. There is a yet stronger objection to these sprinklings—damp is infinitely more contributive to cholera than dirt. It does not say much for the Edinburgh doctors, that they do not attend to this.
Cholera has made its appearance in Glasgow. The newspapers allege that the Provost of that town has been acting on Sir John Mal- colm's plan of suppression ; and they speak as in high dudgeon at his attempt to induce them to join him. Truth, however, will out. The cases are not numerous ; but it is alleged that the disease, though not reported, has been lurking in the bye-lanes of the city for some weeks past. In the Newcastle district, the number of cases and deaths gradually declines ; the recoveries increase. The disease is less extended in its ravages, and its type is milder.
On the whole, had it not been for the accession of strength which it has received by the discovery of it, after three months' seeking, in Lon- don, we think it not unlikely, that in a month or six weeks there would not have been a case in the island—by the reports. If March bring its usual allowance of dust, before the beginning of the Financial year, we may be free of pestilence and alarm. The people of Edinburgh have had their fast ; and nothing, accord- ing to the journals, could be more properly gone about. There were no visitings, nor feastings, nor jauntings ; indeed the latter seem to have been controlled by authority. The Policemen stationed at the various outlets, it is said, mildly prevailed on the people to turn back. The churches were very crowded, much more so than usual. All these are goodly symptoms. We fear, however, that when the terror is forgotten, whisky will reassert its authority. It is astonishing how very religiously-disposed even the least thoughtful are under the opera- tion or the apprehension of a smart fit of sickness. There is as much
truth as wit in the old epigram, "The Devil was sick—the Devil a monk woald be The Devil grew well—the Devil a monk was he." The following is the general statement of the country towns where the Cholera still lingers. Newcastle 943 North Shields, Sce 287 Iletton, .1zze . 428 Haddinzton, N. B., &c 124
Trancni- vz.c. 265
Preston Pans 102
North Berwick 16
Musselburgh 423 Hawick 17 Kirkintillech 72 Glasgow and Suburbs 5 Coal Bridge 5 Paisley 2 2,719 Totals from Places where the Disease has ceased, and from which to Re- turns have been this day received... 1,842
Total 4,561 1
; cases in the 295 75 83 57
73
18 7 185 4 26 4 3 2 846 521 367
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