The acknowledged spread of the cholera has called forth the
full activity of such machinery. as we possess for sanitary purposes. The Board of Health has issued its notifications, directing local authorities what they may do under existing statutes, and instruct- ing local officers in their duties. The difficulty felt in obeying these instructions is, either that their suggestions are not perfectly intel- ligible, or that they direct duties to be performed without convey- ing the requisite power. They instruct the Boards of Guardians to do a variety of things, for which the medical officer is pointed out as the proper instrument; but in many instances the very form of the instruction implies an admission that there is no exist- ing authority to enforce or even sanction the duties in question. Perceiving this defect in the machinery, the Morning Post suggests that two or three special Commissioners should be appointed in every place to carry out the requisite precautions and palliatives : hut who is to give the Commissioners their authority ?
