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    GREENWICH EA 3 R . ( From the Morning Chronicle . ^ "Tot intelligent foreigner "—written down "decisively an ass" m Jus own country , we always suspect—who does the hypothetical criticism of our British institutions for authors doubtful ' of their own opinions ' must have been onxzlad at Greenwich , ^ What ' s it all about ? " is not an tmnl tural question when you find tens or hundreds of thou sands of people collected in a smoky town , or pretending to enjoy God ' s blessed sunshine" on a cold aayf in anjinVJP sible-green park much the worse for orange-peerand the ends of penny pickwicks . What precisely biqnKhfclhesojnyriadB of rather 4 irty people here?—not , probably , their rigorous observance of Lent , for there weremany pleasure trains&id

    tew exclusively fish dinners on Good Friday , some tHree days ago . They came-to be amused ; and-lere are we , professionally , in Greenwich to see how . they accomplish their most innocent design . - .:. . -. ; . ' . , Arriving earl y , as in duty we were bound to do ,-we were not troubled with more than six advlts Over the ufffialtnitin-* er in a first-class carriage ; on that head , therefore , ^ we cannot complHin . To be snre there were several babies : but they don't count , though they cry . We got out warm , ^ ut safe , and not very discontented . J--Always on the look oot for useful information ,, and havirifc time to spare , we accepted most of the handbills preaentejl to us . If there is any reliance to be placed upon professionc we . must say , from their perusal , that Greenwic h in not . hy aw means an expensive place . . You can have ^ ea ( and shrimps for sixpence , and are considered insulting if you oifer the waif er a penny ; and you can be lmried for 1 Z- 12 Ss . ; Vor thereabouts , by sober acd respectable men . with-anblack

    oorse , plumes , and every needful symbol of-grief , virtu e ^ ahA respectability . - There is no harm in the supposition that one may have -an appetite , and , ultimately , be mtertad ;/ but why the terribly prevalent suspicion that you are noba total abstainer , and are on the point of conversion by an emissary of the Cbnrch of Rome ? Why has everybody we bam *" yet met and , recognised had his pockets stuffed wBhi assurances that spontaneous combustion is "No Fiction , " -and that something or other will happen towards the close of May to the Pope , and another Vial ? That is Hot amusing or particularly appropriate to a fair . We ; admit i that itria benevolent , and observe that the donor obtained a ^ largearaduction ( the original price was a halfpenny ) ifvhe stoofc * hundred . But we do not want to take ia ihundrecL ssotnfr

    • writer must be . satisfied with limited gratitude from us . # We walked up towards the park , observing that the ginger " bread hada look of 1853 , and met with another geatie&ian of aingttbrious turn of mind , whose mission was orator / , and who was enlarging on the text recently attempted itabe illustrated in the dead lamb supplied by patriotic hay Contractors , that "All flesh is grass . " We saw wnere , tha& would Jead to , and did not wait for any elaboration of theresuit , but proceeded towards BlackUeatu . and the avowed ) donkeys . The scene in the park waa the usual business : young gentlemen , of the social position of Sir Biehaol Whittington at a period considerably prior to hla itttyoraUyt were galloping young ladies—charitably , supposed to Jm tbV objects of their affections—down steep hills , and , tallest they

    Drobre tneir necKs in toe interim , caressing tnem ; a > t < ttie end . of the race with a not sentimental devotion . The ' females , whose costume wa » a study , were looking shocked , but ; delighted , and ruining the coats of . their admirfog persecutors with an absurd instrument of torture ironically called " the whole fun of the fair . " Proceeding to the Heath , you arrived at a still livelier and more rational scene f > f amusement , and found lovers bad become perspiring donkey , drivers —though , like the fair ores' bonnets , it must be confessed they were a long way behind ; while , the . beloved , unconscious of Mahomet , were trying to find Heaven on asSesVbacks . with , persevering assiduity . Dot that was not a permanent . enjoyment , and you felt that something must be . done tor . refiove its monotony . You returned—possibly with an eye to dinner at some place which did not advertise— 'and you

    came upon the other everlasting luxury of rifles out of which flew darts , sticking , perchance , in lucky holes , entitling you to fabulous amounts of rotten nuts . Everything it appeared , depended on " the quickness , " nothing on "the precision , " of your fire ; and , as the proprietor for his personal objects was always enforcing this bad moral , we passed him invariably , in disgnst . " Three sticks a-penny , " to persons who wi&h the pounds to take care of themselves , w a game naturally contemptible , and , besides being hazardous , it is slow . There is , in fact , no mention of anyv other amusement to be made , except Ihe universal eating of hyper-brobdignaginn oysters and spongy St . Michael oranges . That , surely , might have been transacted at home . _ In . sliort , the diiy ' s amusements were the stereotyped stupidity of centuries— " the whole fun of the fair" being wooden as

    usual . But the evening . The evening brought down thousands nnd thousands unquestionably of the -worst class of London . society : and however conventional writers may presume upon the benevolence of an inadequate folice—however much talk there muy be of this " innocent recreation" of th « working classes—it was perfectly clear that the real working classes would all udder at the thought of being identifi . ed . witC ihe debused , grim-visHged mass of jocund ruffians vrho appeared towards night upon the scene . There were no rich —there wna no harvest of plunder where everybody had l * one , leaving his watch and all superfluous ca&h behind ; there would be no police-court drunkenness where "for one night only" high spirits must be looked on with a charitable eyo ; but there were there , visibly and incontestably , thou-

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    on the completion of the works , to break up the pavements , in order ^ to put in house-drains . . The board regard with satisfaction the progress made by some local boards in spite of much opposition and misrepresentation in carryinginto effect in their respective towns a combined and complete system of sanitary works at [ moderate cost . Out of 182 cities and towns , comprising upwards of 2 , 000 , 000 of town population , under the Pubfic Health Act , 126 have had surveys made , the first step for effecting improved works . In 70 towns plans for such works have been laid out , and in 13 more the main or public works have been completed . It is expected that in about 35 other towns similar works frill be ia operation in the course of another year . The act itself , constituting the necessary authority , and conferring the requisite powers for carrying out these works , has been obtained at the average expense of 1121 . ; that is , at little more than a twelfth part of the average expense of a local act .

    exception to this remark . The means of toeventinc them are as mueh under the power of human So ? ZfKbr ? ™ ni LT i ° Preven . ting the evils of lightning an * coS SS ^ Vm S ° 6 atlsfied of this ° P « n thatllookfcr the time when our courts of law shall punish citfeTand villages for permitting any of the sonrfes of nXnSj fevers to exist within their jurisdiction . " malignant ( Si gned ) T . Tatlob , Secretary , General Board of Health .

    of them do to the peril and some to the loss of their own lives . ' Thus Occupied with the treatment of cases , they are who lly unable to device , organise , and superintend measures for Tirevfen ting the spread of the pestilence among the population as yet unattacked . Additional medical assistance has now to be sought from a distance ; proper qualified house to house visitors , to perform the . service of bringing the premonitory cases under immediate treatment , are to be obtained ; houses of refuge are to be procured ; dispensaries are to be opened ; in short , the . whole preventive system has to be organised , and before these arrangements can be made , which ought to have been completed before a single case of the disease occurred , the pestilence is at its Jeight . fl * V ^ A AAXHAnnnMA * * kf 4-n « fl AmAftf fkW 4 llA W * A « Vn » * vn * JA J A-f One of this neglect of the period of

    ** consequence proper preparation is , that in the actual presence of the epidemic , some of the most powerful predisposing causes of the disease cannot be rembvied without the risk" of" increasing the evils intended to be remedied . Cleansing operations , Which at all tfmes require caution , are then hurriedly and precipitately resorted to , and are sometimes jwrformed in such a manner as to produce positive aggravatien of the disease . In some instances cesspool matter has been discharged even into the kennels of the streets , and the cohtents of foul ditches , in a state to giveoff poisonous exhalations on the slightest agita-6 < jn , have been spread on the banks close to habitations . The board deem it necessary again to caution local authorities against such a culpable mode of proceeding , which even

    in ordinary seasons would be attended with imminent danger , bat that danger is greatly increased at an epidemic period . Though accumulations of filth may be removed with perfect safety , with the proper use of disinfecting substances , and under the superintendence of persons of competent knowledge , yet in an epidemicjpeason the emanations from decomposing animal and vegetable matter acquire bo much potency , that at that time it njyetter to leave large collections of foul refuse undisturbed , and to cover , them temporarily with layers of quicklime or of fresh earth . Wherever it has not been already done , an efficient scavenging staff should be immediately organised and kept in unremitting action . * The mortality from the epidemic in towns well scavenged has in some instances been only

    onehalf of that in ill scavenged towns , both being in otter respects in similarly imperfect sanitary conditions . It is sometimes observed , as a ground for inaction , that extraordinary epidemics merely take the place of ordinary epidemics , and only destroy in a shorter space of time those who Would hare perished probably within the year , by some form of zymotic disease . But even if this were true , it cannot bo too strongly impressed on local authorities that ordinary epidemics , which Baay take the p lace of an extraordinary epidemic , are themselves preventtble and are in great measure prevented by proper sanitary arrangements ; as is seen in the comparative immunity from these diseases among the inmates of well-managed union-houses and prisons , of well-regulated

    lodging-houses , and . of improved dwellings for the labouring classes . If , therefore , from the favourable state of the weather , or from some unknown cause , the disease should return only with diminished force , or should not recur at all as a general epidemic , no properly directed , effort can fail to qe of benefit equivalent to the expense incurred . It should not require the occurrence of an extraordinary disease , terrifying the imagination by the suddenness of its attack and vie rapidity of its course , to call forth' such efforts ; they are called for by ordinary epidemics , which , though less alarming as being always present , are , for that very reason , far more mortal than any extraordinary epidemic . It is , however , so far from being true that an extraordinary epidemic does not increase the average mortality , that it sometimes swells that mortality nearly by the whole number of persons who perish by it . This was the case , to a considerable extent , in the epidemic of 1849 . Out of its 72 , 000 victims , 40 , 00 * 0 were added to the mortality of that year .

    Judging from past experience , there is no reasonable ground to hope that a similar loss of life will not take place in the approaching summer , unless timely exertions are made to prevent the calamity , and it is now only that timely exertion can be made . It is at the present juncture that the extraordinary powers conferred by the Order in Council for enforcing external and internal cleansing , and for the removal of nuisances , should be exercised with the utmost activity , vigilance , and stringency . . Nor should it be forgotten that within tlie time of preparation ' which may yet be allowed us , in the actual condition of great numbers of places in all our towns , it is only palliatives that can be applied . Where there is no drainage , no proper water supply , no water-closets , nothing but foul cesspools , only limited benefits can be expected .

    For this reason the board would urge on local boards of health , whose works under the Public Health Act are the most advanced , the great importance of hastening on the completion of such operations as are necessary for the abolition of cesspools , and the substitution of the water closet apparatus ; by laying down , wherever possible , especially in epidemic districts and localities , impermeable and selfcleansing house drains , and by providing ample supplies of water . Hitherto , almost exclusive attention lias been given to the construction of main sewers , but experience has shown that these alone , without systematised connexion with Belfqleansing house drains and ample supplies of water , are of little nvail in the prevention of disease ; but that wliore foul cesspools have beea the princi pal sanitary evil , as from house to housa these have been filled up , and the water-closot substituted , the outbreak and spread of fever and other forma of zymotic disease have been at once arrested .

    At the sumo time that these works nre proceeded with , the damp and miry surface in front and ut the back of houses should be removed by paving . There are instances in wliich tins single improvement has apparently protected the inhabitants of courts and streets from the recurrence of ordinary epidemics . A flagged nurfnco further affords the meuna of more effectual cleansing by the hose nnd jot . l ' aving niny be done in many instances without waiting for the coinplotion of drainage works , and where ilio principle baa been adopted of draining from the backs of houses , inatead of through them into sewers in the front streets , them will bo comparativilj few instances in which it will bo necessary ,

    In the towns in which the works are the most advanced , and which may be taken as average examples of the whole , the public works of drainage . have been completed at the average cost of Id . per week per house . The supply of water , including the works within the house , the service-pipes , sinks , water-ebsset and house-drains , has been afforded , with principal and interest , at a rate under 2 | d . per week per house ; making the total expense for the whole of these works 3 £ d . per week per house . Sanctions for the execution of such , works , after careful examination of their efficiency , economy , and completeness , have been given to the amount of upwards of 1 , 000 , 0002 . ; and it is estimated that there will be required for the towns already under the . act the further sanction of upwards of

    6 , 000 , OOOi . » Though the most advanced of these works are as yet too recent lor the development of their results on the public health , the diminution of sickness which has . already been effected in some of the worst localities , the removal of the sense of depression , which was before so generally felt ; in these districts , and the cleanliness and comfort experienced by the inhabitants , justify the hope that these amendments will act , in some degree at least , as safeguards against the threatened pestilence . , . . ' , But no external works , however perfect , can prevent the operation of the causes of disease which arise from residence in dwellings unfit for human habitation , such as underground kitchens and cellars , in which no families can

    maintain health . Nor can the most perfect external works stop the diseases caused by internal filth and overcrowding . The Common Lodging Houses Apr , indeed , which enforces certain conditions of internal cleanliness , and prevents overcrowding , reaches the latter evils for the class of houses under its control ; but there are hundreds of thousands of the people who live in tenemented houses ,, placed back to back ; each house being divided into many rooms , and each room being in fact tlie house of the entire family , in which there is a total and . habitual disregard both of cleanliness and of the amount of breathing space . These dwellings are considered as private houses , ana consequently the Common Lodging Souses Act does not touch them .

    With these and other conditions favourable to the generation and diffusion of epidemic disease , too common in all our villages and towns , local outbreaks of the pestilence must be expected , and . preparation must be made to mitigate tlie calamity as far as may be practicable . . With a view to assist local authorities ia the preparation of preventive measures , the board has issued revised instructions , particularly with reference to the organisation of the system of house to house visitation ; and experience has shown that the saving of life in an outbreak of epidemic cholera will mainly depend on the promptitude and efficiency with wliich this measure is carried iuto execution . The board would call the earnest attention of boards of

    guardians and local boards of health to the evidence which has beea adduced of the surprising and almost incredible success that , in some instances , has attended well directed exertion , even under circumstances in which , temporary measures only were available , and when an outbreak seemed inevitable . Recently , at Tynemouth , where the local authorities exerted themselves with extraordinary energy , no case of cholera occurred though neighbouring towns were devastated by the pestilence . Within the barracks of Newcastle , where all the means at command for cleansing , for the removal of nuisances , and for the avoidance of overcrowding , were employed with great

    promptitude and energy , no case of cholera occurred , though premonitory diarrboaa was so prevalent among the garrison that out of 519 men , forming its total strength , 451 suffered from this affection ; while in the town there were upwards of 1 , 500 deaths from cholera , and nearly 45 , 000 persons received relief at the public expense . At a settlement in the Bahamas , in which energetic measures of cleansing were promptly effected , tlie mortality from thtt disease scarcely reached 1 per cWt . of the affected population j whereas in the neighbourirqr Battlement , in which no such measures were adopted , tho \ nortality ranged from 12 to 20 per cent .

    At Baltimore in the United States , during the epidemic of 1849 , which ravaged neighbouring cities , neither monoy nor labour was spared to purif y the town , and the cleansing operations were so energetically performed that it was admitted that the town had never before been in so clean a state . l 1 or the space of three weeks or a month , premonitory diarrhoea and other symptoms , denoting the presence of the cholera poison , were us prevalent throughout tho city as in the barracks at Newcastle ; yet no outbreak of the pestilence took place , though at the liultimore ulmshouses , situated about two miles from the city , and close to which a large mass of putrifying filth hud been left uncleanscd , 91 ) deaths occurred from cholera , out of a population of leas than COO souls .

    These results recal the observation of a great physician of that country , made nearly a century ago , with relcreuce to another epidemic , but which is equally applicable to this . — " To . all natural evils , " flays l ) r . Kush , the eminent physician of the United States , " the Author of nature hue kindly prepared an antidote . Pestilential fevcra funnah no

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    April 22 , 1854 . ] THE LEAD 3 E R . ^ g

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 22, 1854, page 369, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2035/page/9/