Ditto with the Wind No.of Days on which No. of Days when Of the dry Days westerly, (deficiency the Wind blew from no Rain, Snow, or there were, with thes. N. calm or va the Eastward, at the Wind easterly, at riable,) Mist, at Ditto with the Wind westerly, (deficiency No.of Days on which No. of Days when of the dry Days I find I have omitted to remark, that it is understood the winter has been unusually severe in Russia. It will be curious if the ice opposite to the coast of Siberia has remained unaffected by the causes which have detached the ice on the same parallel on the opposite side of the pole. But, if it has loosened, and come into contact with the Siberian coast, so as to be fixed in the great bays eastward of Nova Zembla, or in the White Sea, the climate of Russia will become more severe during the winter, though the summer heat, owing to its inland position, may not be affected. It may also be found, that the loosened ice has blocked up Bhering's Strait, which is narrow, and the only outlet for the floating ice on the side of the pole opposite to us. If this has happened, the prospect of a passage to China by the pole will be remote. Edinburgh, March 1818. EURUS. P. S.-I have just been informed, that two captains of Greenlandmen, while in Davis's Strait last summer, observed a pretty broad current 8° or 10° warmer than the water on each side. The particulars of its breadth and direction I have not heard. The appearance of such a current, if true, will be a most interesting event. STATE OF EDINBURGH IN 1619. [The following Proclamation of the Privy Council of Scotland, will enable such of our readers as feel any interest in the improvement of the "Gude Town," to estimate the progress it has made in the important article of tidyness during the last two hundred years.] Act Anent the Burgh of Edinburgh. FORSAMEKLE as the burgh of Edinburgh, quhilk is the chief and principall burgh of this kingdome, quhair the soverane and heich courtes of Parliament, his Majesties Preuie Counsall and Colledge of Justice, and the Courtis of Justiciarie and Admiralitie ar ordinarlie haldin and keipt, and quhairunto the best pairt of the subiectis of this kingdome, of all degreis, rankis, and qualities, hesa commoun and frequent resorte and repare, -is now become so filthie and vncleine, and the streittis, venallis, wyndis, and cloissis thairoff so overlayd and coverit with middingis, and with the filth and excrement of man and beist, as the noblemen, counsellouris, servi VOL. II. touris, and uthers his Majesties subiectis quha ar ludgeit within the said burgh, can not have ane cleine and frie passage and entrie to thair ludgeingis; quhairthrow thair ludgeingis ar becum so lothsume vnto thame, as they ar resolved rather to mak choice of ludgeingis in the Cannongate and Leyth, or some utheris pairtis about the towne, nor to abyde the sycht of this schamefull vncleanes and filthiness; quhilk is so universall and in such abundance throuch all the pairtis of this burgh, as in the heitt of somer it corruptis the air, and gives greit occasioun of seikness: and forder, this schamefull and beistlie filthines is most detestable and odious in the sicht of strangeris, quho beholding the same, ar constrayned with reassoun to gif oute mony disgracefull speiches aganis this burgh, calling it a most filthie pudle of filth and vncleannes, the lyk quhairof is not to be seine in no pairt of the world; quhilk being a greate discredite to the haill kingdome, that the principall and heid burgh thairof sould be so void of pollice, civilitie, ordour, and gude governement, as the hie streittis of the same cannot be keipit cleine; and the Lordis of Secreit Counsall, vnderstanding perfytelie that the said burgh, and all the streittis and vennallis thairof, may very easilie, and with litill ado, be keipit and haldin cleine, gif the people thameselffis wer weill and civillie disposit, and gif the Magistratis tuk caire to caus thame, and everie ane of thame, keip the streittis foranentis thair awin boundis clein, as is done in vther civill, handsome, and weill governeit cities: THAIRFOIR, the Lordis of Secreit Counsall commandis and ordanis, be thir presents, the Provest and Baillies of Edinburgh to tak and set downe sum setled and solide ordoure and course how the said burgh and the cloissis, wyndis, and streittis thairof may be haldin and kepit cleine, the middingis, and all uther filthe and vncleannes removed, and tane away, by appointing every neichbour of the toune to keip the streittis foranent his awin dwelling cleane; and that no nichtbour lay thair middingis, souppingis of thair housis, nor na uther filthe, vpoun his nichtbouris boundis and hie streittis, vnder some ressonable paines, to be imposit and exactit of the contraven❤ B aris; and that the saidis Provest and Baillies appoynt a constabill for every elosse to sie thair ordinance putt in executioun, and the contravenaris punist, be exacting of the saidis paines from thaine; certifeing the saidis Provest and Baillies gif they be remiss, or negligent heirin, the saidis Lordis will tak thame to thame, and, accordinglie, will tak such ordour heirin as they sall think expedient.—(Reg. Sec. Conc. Mar. 4. 1619.) OF OBSERVATIONS ON THE PREVALENCE cases of continued fever, dismissed cured; and 46 deaths, or somewhat less than 1 in 15. It further appears, that more than half of the whole, or 353 of these cases, occurred during the last four months, from the 1st November 1817 to 28th February 1818, of whom 25 died, or rather less than 1 in 14. * In consequence of a representation from the physicians some time last autumn, the managers of the Royal Infirmary directed the opening of some additional wards for the reception of fever cases; by which means AND they were enabled to admit every fever patient who offered, until about the middle of December, when the house had become so crowded, that they were under the painful necessity of daily refusing applications for the admission of fever patients. On the 1st of January 1818, the total number of patients in the Infirmary was 236; and for a considerable time they greatly exceeded that number, while the average daily number of many years has been under 170. In a work of Dr Ferriar's of Manchester, published in 1810, it is said, "It is well known that a nervous fever of the worst kind is rendered endemical in Edinburgh, by the practice of mewing up families in small subterraneous dwellings, where the contagion is constantly reproduced." Though there may not be reason for the above assertion to the full extent, it is believed that, in all large towns, fever exists always more or less among the poor; and it is probable, that the principal sources of it in Edinburgh are the lodging-houses, which, for some time past, have been more than usually crowded by an afflux of strangers in quest of work, by the cellars and other damp, il ventilated, and dirty abodes of the poor, and by their incautious or unavoidable intercourse with each other in infected places. It also appears that the fever has of late been more prevalent than usual, not only in Edinburgh, but in many other towns and places of the British isles; and the immediate and chief cause of this greater prevalence of fever seems to be, in addition to its contagious nature, the want of employment, and consequent distress in respect of food, and other circumstances connected with health. Though these different evils cannot be entirely done away, they may be lessened; and, though little that is new can be said on the subject, it may be useful to exhibit some of the leading points with a view to stimulate the magistracy, the benevolent, and the rich, to further exertions. From the 1st of January 1817 to the 28th of February 1818, a period of 14 months, there appear on the register of the Royal Infirmary, 654 A representation having been made to the Lord Provost with regard to the extraordinary prevalence of contagious fever among the poor, and the inadequate accommodation for them in the Royal Infirmary, his Lordship called a meeting on the 17th of January, at which were present, besides the magistrates, some of the managers of the Royal Infirmary, members of the Destitute Sick Society, &c. when it was agreed that the Lord Provost should write to Lord Sidmouth for leave to occupy part of Queensberry-house barracks as a temporary fever hospital. Permission was immediately granted; and the managers of the Royal Infirmary, who undertook the charge of this new establishment, exerted themselves so much, that it was opened on the 23d of February 1818; and from that to 28th February, 34 patients were admitted. The fever wards in the Royal Infirmary were opened about the year 1794; and it may here be observed, that hospitals for fever or infectious diseases, or fever wards in hospitals, in point of utility, exceed all others, those for accidents that require immediate surgical aid perhaps alone excepted. The benefit derived in other cases consists in removing disease, and is confined to the patient himself; but in the case of contagion, the evils prevented are much greater than those remedied, though the latter may attract more individual gratitude. A fever hospital, however, unaided by external measures of prevention, will answer the intended purpose of arresting the progress of fever but very imperfectly, when the discase prevails much. In October 1817, the Society for the Relief of Destitute Sick circulated a printed notice, that they had made arrangements, with the view of checking the progress of contagious fever in Edinburgh, by holding out inducements to poor people affected with fever to go to the Infirmary, by purifying such houses, bedding, clothes, &c. as are infected, &c. Notwithstanding, however, of their meritorious exertions, the fever seemed to continue to spread, even previous to the Infirmary being so full as not to be able to receive all those whom the Destitute Sick Society wished to have admitted. It has, indeed, been imagined, that the establishment of a fever institution would immediately arrest the progress, and ultimately eradicate the disease. But the circumstances, evils, or abuses, which produce and propagate the disease, cannot be rectified by the activity of individuals, or the succours of any charitable institution now existing; and the history of the state of fever in Dublin and Cork, in which fever institutions, on an extensive scale, and under the best management, have existed for years, proves, that this desirable result does not necessarily follow. There are various difficulties which oppose messures of prevention from being effectually carried into execution, and which can only be obviated, at least to a certain extent, by the interference of the magistracy and police. In a fever institution, there is a double object in view, viz. the curing of the patient, and the freeing his clothes from infection,—and the external measures of prevention, which chiefly consist in the early removal of the infected person to the hospital, and in the cleansing and purifying of the habitation, furniture, and clothes, of the person or of the family from which he has been removed. With regard to the internal measures in the hospital, it is sufficient to observe, that the expediency or necessity of hospital dresses is evident; for without them we cannot be sure that the patients, when dismissed, do not carry infection along with them. The managers and physicians of an infirmary cannot well take an active share in conducting the external measures, but they should act in concert with those who do. The advantages of an early removal of an infected person are obvious. When not adopted, the infection spreads in the house, and, instead of one person, it may be necessary to send a whole family to the hospital. The neglect or difficulty of carrying this object into effect, must further contribute much to extend the contagion, by the intercourse of friends and neighbours with the infected family. In order to forward these views of early removal, not only has admission into fever hospitals been made as easy as possible,-and the only circumstances required to entitle a patient to be admitted have been manifest poverty, the close and crowded state of the habitation, and the disease in question,-but patients have been sought for, and even rewards offered for their discovery, on a general system of municipal policy, for the ben fit of the community. That the earlier the period of the disease at which they are sent to the hospital, the greater will be the chance of recovery, is an additional and strong argument in favour of an early removal. Besides the various groups of private dwelling houses, where the contagion has been communicated from one family to another, there are a considerable number of lodging houses in different parts of the town, which are crowded, dirty, and ill ventilated; and where, by a succession of new comers, occupying the places and beds of their predecessors who have had fever, the contagion is kept up. As one poor creature dies, goes away, or is driven out, he is replaced by another, who soon feels the consequence of breathing infected air, and of other wise being exposed to infection. No measures of prevention or purification are taken by the masters of these houses,-ventilation and cleanliness are altogether neglected;-indeed, in many of the houses of the poor, ventilation can be very imperfectly performed, and they are in general very averse to practise it. Another cause of the spreading of contagion may be mentioned, the poor, when in distress, are frequently obliged to sell their clothes, which being saturated with contagious effluvia, are bought by healthy persons, and used without having been purified. In respect to the lodging houses and other unwholesome dwellings of the poor, it will be sufficient to state what was proposed and done at Manchester, in circumstances similar to those now under consideration. The attention and uneasiness excited on the subject of fever in 1795, appeared to several gentlemen in Manchester, who had interested themselves in the state of the poor, to offer a favourable occasion for forming a Board or Committee of Health, which, in various points of view, might prove a measure of great public utility, and a principal object of which should be to diminish the frequency of epidemic fever. Respecting lodging houses, it was thought, that, if they were licensed, and brought more immediately under the notice and control of the civil magistrate, many of the causes of fever might be prevented. They might be visited by proper officers frequently, and regular reports of the names, occupations, conduct, &c. of the lodgers, as well as of the state of the houses, with regard to infection, be laid before the magistrate. It would not be difficult to ascertain at what point the want of cleanliness becomes dangerous, and, as far as scouring and white-washing can remedy that defect, the hazard might be prevented; but difficulties would attend the efforts of the inspectors to preserve the heds and bed-clothes in tolerable order. Wretches are so frequently received into such places in a state of extreme filthiness, that cleanliness and comfort could hardly be expected to be maintained in them by the exertions of the most active benevolence. A principal advantage, in a medical view, of having these lodging houses under some regulation, would be, the power of clearing an infected house of its inhabitants, on the representation of the inspector, and of keeping it empty, till all necessary methods of cleansing and sweetening it should be employed. The state of dampness, want of ventilation, and dirtiness of the cellars and other abodes of the poor, is another extensive and permanent source of evil. It is needless here to enter into a more particular detail of these circumstances, as they are sufficiently known to many benevolent individuals, who, in various ways, attempt to relieve the distresses of the poor. I shall only say, that, when fever is once introduced into such lodging houses and such dwellings, it can hardly fail to continue and spread, unless recourse be had to such means of prevention as those above noticed; and that the efficiency of these means will be in proportion to the zeal and punctuality with which they are executed. As, however, the poor are, for the most part, quite insensible of the advantages to be derived from pure air, and personal and domestic cleanliness, and too often their situation and distress are such, that they cannot practise them, if they were willing, it is to be feared that the purification of a house will not unfrequently prove but a temporary measure. It is almost useless to observe, that it would be highly beneficial, if it were possible, by any means, to effectuate a general and permanent improvement of the dwellings of the poor. We may at least attempt to prescrve them in a more wholesome state, by inculcating, on every occasion of interference, the necessity of ventilation and cleanliness, as well as of temperance and general regularity of conduct. Upon the whole, it appears that much may be accomplished by the joint operation of a fever hospital or fever wards, and the external means of prevention, in checking the progress of contagion, and diminishing the frequency of fever; but the remarkable exemption of London, Manchester, and other places from fever, for a succession of years, cannot be entirely ascribed to the establishment |