367

Russia.

St. Petersburg.-General return from the commencement ofthe epidemic (June 14th) to Aug. 28th :--

Riga.—Aug. 29th, 129 cases, 70 deaths.Mitau.-On Aug. 7th cholera broke out, and from that date

to the 27th there were 35 cases.Moscow.—From the commencement of the outbreak to the

8th of September, 536 cases, 250 deaths.Kiev.-Aug. 24th, 14 cases, 6 deaths ; 25th, 23 cases, 3

deaths; 26th, 20 cases, 11 deaths.Berditchev.-Aug. 13th to 20th, 253 cases, 75 deaths.Mohilev.—Aug. 10th to 17th, 230 cases, 80 deaths.Odessa.—Aug. 20th, 59 cases, 28 deaths; 21st, 46 cases,

28 deaths ; 22nd, 39 cases, 22 deaths. The first case occurredon the 30th of June. The outbreak attained its highest deve-lopment between the 24th and 31st of July, the maximumdaily mortality being 123.

Warsaw.—Sept, llth, 28 cases, 9 deaths.France.

Nice.-Mr. Consul A. la Croix, in a letter to The Times,makes the following statements relative to the outbreak here :From the 25th July (first appearance) to 31st July, 27 deathsin the town ; 1 only from cholera. In August, 146 deaths ;20 from cholera. From Sept. 1st to 19th inclusive, 77 deaths;17 from cholera. No death from cholera since Sept. 13th.Total deaths from epidemic within the periods named, 38 (ina population of 50,000). Total mortality from all causes, 250,as compared with 262 at the same period last year.

Boulogne.—The villages in the vicinity, as well as the townitself, have been affected by the epidemic. So far as can beascertained the outbreak has never assumed serious propor-tions, the maximum daily mortality in the town not exceeding12. The disease still retains a hold upon the low-lyinglocalities.

ENGLAND.The Metropolis.-During the week ending 22nd of Septem

ber 150 deaths were registered from cholera, and 98 from diarrhœa. In the three preceding weeks the deaths from cholerawere, 198, 157, 182 ; from diarrhoea, 128, 132, 110. Thedeaths during the past week were distributed as follows : 14cholera and 11 diarrhœa in the West districts ; 28 choleraand 19 diarrhoea in the North districts ; 19 cholera and 17diarrhoea, in the Central districts ; 56 cholera and 24 diarrhoeain the East districts ; and 33 cholera and 27 diarrhoea in theSouth districts.

The Provinces (week ending September 15th, 1866). -Lancashire.—Liverpool parish : Cases, 203 cholera, 147 diar-rheea ; deaths, 95 cholera, 3 diarrhœa. Prescot Union: Cases,22 diarrhoea; deaths, 2 cholera. Wigan : Deaths, 10 cholera,8 diarrhœa; 17th Sept., 2 cases of cholera, 3 deaths; 18thSept., 3 cases of cholera, 1 death. Standish, near Wigan :5 cases of choleraic diarrhoea, in the week ending September22nd. Lathom, near Ormskirk : 10 deaths from cholera toSept. 13th, chiefly among boatmen and their families com-municating with Liverpool-5 deaths in one family. Newtonand Haydock townships : Last six weeks, 11 cases cholera, 7fatal, and 95 cases diarrhoea. Southport: 5 deaths fromcholera in suburb known as Little London. Bolton : A caseor two of cholera a few weeks back ; last week, 4 cases inunion workhouse, several in other parts of the town. Chorley :2 fatal cases of cholera. The Salford Union (Manchester) re-turns 475 cases of cholera and diarrhœa, and 4 deaths.

Durham.—Hartlepool Union: 2 cases of cholera, 1 death.Yorkahire.-Thorne Union : 3 cases of cholera, 21 diarrhœa.

Pocklington : 12 cases of cholera, 13 of diarrhoea; 6 deathsfrom cholera, 1 from diarrhoea. Doncaster : 20 cases reportedin the local journals within a period of three days.

Devonshire.—Exeter (St. Thomas’s Union) : 12 cases ofcholera, 60 of diarrhoea; 12 deaths from cholera. NewtonAbbot: 2 cases of cholera, 73 of diarrhœa; 2 deaths fromcholera, 1 from diarrhoea.

Glamorganshire.—Swansea Union : 580 cases of cholera anddiarrhoea, 69 deaths. Bridgend and Cowbridge Union: 27cases of cholera, and 39 of diarrhœa ; 7 deaths from cholera,1 from diarrhœa. Pontypridd Union : 5 cases of cholera, 50of diarrhoea; 2 deaths from cholera.

Gloucestershire.-Bristol Incorporation : 4 cases of cholera,

18 diarrhcea ; 1 death from cholera. Clifton Union : 5 casesof cholera, 293 diarrhcea ; 1 death from cholera.

Bedfords7tire. -Leighton Buzzard : 14 cases of cholera, 37diarrhoea ; 8 deaths from cholera.Kent.-Blean Union : 2 cases of cholera, 29 of diarrhoea ; 2

deaths from cholera, 1 from diarrhoea. East Ashford Union :3 cases of cholera, 16 of diarrhoea ; 2 deaths from cholera.Hampshire. - Southampton : 7 cases of cholera, 64 of

diarrhœa, 4 deaths from cholera, 6 from diarrhoea.

INFANTICIDE: THE COMMITTEE OF THEHARVEIAN SOCIETY.

IT will be remembered that the Harveian Medical Society ofLondon appointed recently a Committee, including Dr. Lankester(the Coroner), Dr. Tyler Smith, Dr. B. Sanderson, Dr. Hard-wicke, Mr. J. B. Curgenven, and others, to consider and report onthe best means of checking infanticide, to report on the causes ofdeath of young children, and the best means of preventing ex-cessive infant mortality, and to suggest some plan for the careand rearing of illegitimate children other than the presentworkhouse system. At a meeting of the Committee on the 21stinst., Mr. Ernest Hart in the chair, a mass of valuable corre-spondence was read, including reports of various homes andinstitutions for the care of orphans, illegitimate children, andfallen women, with commentaries upon the results achieved byeach; letters from upwards of fifty medical gentlemen settingforth the condition of their respective localities in respect of thematters above-mentioned, and detailing the union arrangementsfor these classes, with opinions and suggestions for ameliora-tion. Evidence of the inefficiency of the present bastardy lawswas afforded by most of these writers. Some accounts werereceived of foreign laws and institutions, and it was resolvedto ask the Secretary of State ior Foreign Affairs for full officialinformation on the subject through the various European lega-tions. The evil working of burial clubs, in offering a premiumon neglect, and encouraging insidious child-murder, was stronglyillustrated by two or three writers. But further informationis desired on this subject also. The non-registration of still-born children is almost peculiar to England amongst EuropeanStates. It was stated that certain midwives were notorious for

"still-births," and it was considered desirable to suggest thatparliamentary measures should be taken to compel registrationof "still-born children, "and to require that certificates should.only be received from "certified midwives" and medical prac-titioners. The mortality amongst the children of wet-nurseswas brought under notice, and certain remedies, such as theregistration of wet-nurses, and a State inspection of the con-dition of the children were suggested. It was resolved to askfor precise information from the Poor-law medical officers andworkhouse masters, through the President of the Poor-lawBoard, whose sanction and aid were requested. The Com-mittee will shortly hold a second meeting. and communicationsmay be addressed to Mr. J. B. Curgenven, 11, Craven-hill-gardens, W.

Correspondence.

CERTIFICATES OF LUNACY.

"Audi alteram partem."

To the Editor of Ti3rE LANCET.SIR,—I enclose a copy of the substance of my certificate in

a case of pauper lunacy, and the subsequent correspondence,which you may probably think of sufficient interest for pub-lication. I demur to the statement of the Commissioners that

my certificate was based entirely on communications made tome by others, when it might be seen that I stated as a fact,witnessed by myself, the inability of the patient to account