24 DECEMBER 1831, Page 12

PROGRESS OF THE CHOLERA IN ENGLAND.

THE returns of last Saturday were rather unsatisfactory. Those that have arrived since are of a more consoling kind. The number of cases at Sunderland is now reduced to seven. At Newcastle, the new cases in last report are numerous ; but so are the recoveries, which leads us to infer that they are mild in their type. The reports of North Shields, Houghton, Scabani, and the collieries of Seghill and Walker„ are too trifling to require separate notices. It seems strange, if isolation be really s-aluable, that it is not attempted in such instances as that of North Shields. There is but one case remaining—why might not the ex- periment be made with the single house in which it exists ? Why, in Sunderland, where the disease extends to seven houses at most, might it not also be tried? Where the cases are numerous, isolation, if attempted, leads of necessity to much and severe suffering—the whole, in that case, are too few to look after the sick: but where the cases are so few, the contributions of the whole may pour in upon those who are subjected to a week or a fortnight's confinement for the public benefit, such a stream of good things as to convert their nominal prison into a real palace. A couple of hundred pounds at most, promptly applied, would rid Sunderland and Shields of the plague,—if it be really a plague which may be got rid of by quarantine,—not only without grumbling on the part of the poor who are watched, but with their good-will and their blessing. An impudent forgery was palmed on the Sun this week, respecting a pretended ease of cholera at Durham. The case bore to be certified by a Mr. Botham, a member of the College of Surgeons there. Mr. Botham has made an affidavit that be is no member of the College of Surgeons ; that he never saw the letter bearing his signature, until he saw it in the Sun ; that be knows of no case of cholera ; and that no such man as the letter describes to have died ever lived in Durham. It is difficult to fancy what object the contemptible scoundrel who forged such a document could propose to himself in doing so. Some anxiety has been felt in Edinburgh, the papers say,. from the arrival in that town of a lady, the wife of the Dissenting clergyman who died last week at Sunderland. They speak also of her hurried journey, and a threatened preinarnre labour, having prevented her "being sent to the country for.the.sake of removing alarm." Did the inconceivably silly persons who. talk in this style really contemplate the forcible re- moval of this lady to relieve their alarms? The fact turns out, that the Reverend Thomas Scott, the clergyman .alluded- to, did not die- of

cholera, nor was he ever afflicted by it. The only ground of suspicion was the suddenness of his death. The body was opened. by the cele- . brated Majendie ; who found that there was an extravasation of blood on the brain, considerable enough to cause instant death. There have been various other rumours, but apparently with no better foundation. Dr. Daun has returned to London; with the thanks and gratitude of the people of Sunderland for his extreme attention during his stay . there. He is perfectly well, 'notwithstanding the report to the contrary. . The Magistrates of Durham, as a precaution, have ordered the bodies of Cholera patients to be buried within tW.elve hours after death ; . and the Vestry of Sunderland, as a precaution of more value, have • unanimously given up the practice of farming the out-poor, which had been the occasion of great and crying 'abuse.

Sunderland. Newcastle.

. 31 15 13 20 11

171

_2_0 Total Recoveries 35 52 Dee. 15, Deaths 2 10 - 16, 8 6 - 17, 3 5 18, 7 9 - 19, 7 5 -20, 2 9 - 21, 2 4 - - Total Deaths 31 41 _ - Total Deaths and Recoveries... 66 93 - - Cases remaining 7 45 Total since commencement.

Cases 511 154 Deaths 188 53 Recoveries 316 46 Remain as above.... 7 45 . . .

The Cholera report of this morning gives 3 new cases at Sunderland, 2 deaths, 2 recoveries ; at Newcastle, 11 new cases, 6 deaths, 7 re- coveries; at North Shields 2 new cases, 2 deaths. A letter from Wreckington, about four miles from Gateshead, reports 2 deaths from cholera.

Dec. 15, Remaining

18 New Cases 8 -16, 14 -17, 17 -18, 8 -19, 4 -20, 2' -21, 2 _

Total Cases 73 133 Dec. 15, Recoveries 5 2

-16, 6 2 -17, 5 7 -18, 4 3 19, 8 19 20, 6 7 - 21, 1 12