5 JULY 1884, Page 11

The outburst of cholera in Toulon has not yet been

very severe. The highest rate of death has been fifteen, and this only for one day ; and on Thursday it was only six, while there were only 118 cases in hospital. A large proportion of patients recover, and so far the disease has not assumed its most terrible form. It is, however, Asiatic cholera ; and until it disappears there is no security against sudden rises in the death-rate. Meanwhile, the population of Toulon appear to have gone mad with terror. Out of 69,000 taxpayers, 40,000 have fled, usually to overcrowd the suburbs ; labour is suspended, accept- ances cannot be paid, and the supply of good provisions has -ceased, the people being unable to buy them. The terror has even infected the Marines, for Admiral Peyron having allowed Marines to leave on good cause shown, every Marine at once produced letters with such cause in them. A stampede of this kind is so like a mania that we hesitate to blame; but we trust if the cholera appears here, even in this sweltering weather, that we shall witness nothing of the kind. The clear duty of all is

to help in cleansing London, if it is only with money, to see that their own drains are right, and then to pursue in a tran- quil spirit their avocations. If they will just recognise tran- quillity as an imperative duty they will not lose their heads.