THE DAY. A MORNING JOURNAL OF LITERATURE, FINE ARTS, FASHION, &c. CARPE DIEM. GLASGOW, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 7, 1832. MEMOIRS OF A PAISLEY BAILLIE. MY FIRST ASSEMBLY-THE DANCE ITSELL. Was neer in Scotland heard nor seen Sic dancin or deray: Neither at Christis Kirk on the Green, Or Peblis at the Play. THE eventful day of the ball at last came round in due order of nature, and an unco ganging up stairs and doun stairs there was in our bit self-conteened house. Wife and dochter were putting on and putting aff this and the other thing, Tummas was like to drive doun the roof of the parlour trying his new steps in the toom garret abune, and, when unwittingly I turned up my face to consider where the din could come frae, a lump of plaister, as big as the croun of my hat, fell right in my face, and dung the fire frae my een like sparks in a smiddy. smiddy. Sic things in a weel regulated family, canna be tolerated in ordinar cases, but as this was a day expressly set apairt for enjoyment, I owerlooked the faut, and took a turn twice round my garden, to cool my blude, and see gif ony robin redbreasts were hirplin' and chitterin' about; for ever since the melancholy death of the babes in the wood, one has an uncommon sympathy for thay wee considerate creatures, on account of them theeking the perishing innocents with leaves, as is set furth at length in the auld ballat. As ye may jalouse, there was few in our house could tak ony denner that day, but for my pairt, I may say I took my ordinar pick; mair be token, we had singed sheep's head, trotters conform, and a very sponsible looking chuckie, as tender as could be, the whilk fare is no to be despised as times gang. After denner, I comforted my stamack with a leetle brandy toddy, and sooked it off hooly and fairly, being nowise concerned, like the rest of the household, anent either dress or looks, on the approaching grand occasion. The fack is I had made up my mind frae the first, to appear in the samen dress as that in whilk I had the honour to visit his late gracious Majesty, at his palace of Holyrood, where I can assure you I was as civilly entreated as the first of the land, no excluding the Lord Provost of Glasgow, tho' he and his touns folk tried to put themselves desperately far forrit; but the King saw thro' them brawly, and kent a spoon frae a stots horn, as weel as the maist of his liege subjects. Tummas, in the course of the forenoon, being doun the toun trysting a pair of new dancing pumps, his auld anes being a wee thocht bauchlet about the heel, as weel as worn clean thro' at the neb, where the big tae presses, forgathered with Mr. Frazer of the Town's-house, and was on the eve of striking a bargain with him anent the hire of a noddy, when wha should drap in as luck would have it, but the individual secretar of the Stewards of the ball, really a weel favoured young gentlemen as needs be, and he set things to right at ance by mentioning, that if ony leddies were of our party, that a noddy would call for them at a proper hour. Noo this is what I call really genteel, and particularly obleeging, and ere mony days gang ower, I maun hae the secretar to denner, as sure as my name's Peter. Preceesely as the clock chappit ten, a noddy and a pair of horses drew up at our door, and out came the hail byke of us as clean and trig as gin we had been falded by in a bandbox. Its a fack, my heart lap to my mouth when I saw our gudewife buskit and bedinkt in a real fashionable new silk goun, and with a beautiful spreading umbrella, shaped cap, transparent as a butterflies wings, and ornamented with gumflowers and other conceits, as natural as the life. I was just about to take her all up in my arms, and gie her a bit smack on the cheek, she looked sae bonny, but na-away she spouted into the noddy, with her good-natured "hout awa' gudeman," "behave yoursell before folk," as the sang says, "do you ken that you would birze my balloon sleeves out of a' shape." Dochter Jess was very modestly attired in a nice pink-coloured robe, the fashion of which I cannot weel describe, and her hair was done up in the most approved London style, by Mr. Moore the perfumer, whose fingers, no to mention his legs, running about frae morn till e'en, I'm guessing were gayen gair. It did me good to look on Tummas, he was sae straucht, slim and perjink, tho' I thocht quietly to mysell the lad was looking mair like a sodger than a saint, but let that flee stick to the wa', seeing that his auld faither was in fack drum major at this march to Vanity fair. Into the noddy we got at last, bag and baggage, and up streets and doun streets, dunting and jingling we brattled like mad. Shooting out my neb at the window, I could see chaises and noddies fleeing about in a' directions like sae mony fiery comets, which was a very enterteening and enlivening sicht; howsumever, some wandeidy weans cried "whip behind! whip behind!” and quick as thocht, scringe cam the driver's whip alangside the noddy, and in its waganging gave me a skelp athort the chaftblade, that was smarter than it was welcomer, and keeped me from poking out my head again, till the steps were let doun. Without further misadventure we drave up in graund style to the Inns' door, and, lang or we cam there, we could hear distinctly the sounds of music, dancing and gilravitching of all kinds, and baith my bairns were just beside themsells for fear they had lost all the fun. But I quieted their apprehensions on that score, by remarking, that it was not likely that anything very particular would take place till we arrived, seeing that the stewards had expressly sent a carriage for the accommodation of our party. And tho' I wasna eleckit a steward, they kent fu' weel that it couldna be in my nature to tak umbrage at unintentional negleck, and bide awa frae the ploy like some conceity bodies, that bizz, and fiz, and spit fire like a peeoy, in spite and vexation whenever they are no made the tung o' the trump, and happen in ony way to be owerlooked in the making up of the lists. About the door there was an uncommon crowd of men, women and weans, curious to see us alicht, and for a time, I could not see a spot where to pit a foot, unless I made a straucht step forrit, and making a virtue of necessity used the first head in my way for a stepping stane. Seeing our dilemma, a police offisher at the outer door, wha had recognized me, immediately cleared the road, right and left, in a twinkling, with his baton, crying all the time, "Mak way for the Baillie, ye born deevils ye-mak way can ye no for the Baillie ?" and by his exertions we all got safe and sound within the porch, and without any of the women folk getting their braws the least soiled or crumpled. It's needless to tell you ony mair about Willie Tamson the town-offisher, standing at the ball-room door, in his new stand of scarlet claes with halbert in hand. Whenever he got wit of me, wide open flees the muckle door as if by magic, and in I gangs gallantly supporting my wife on my arm, while Tummas cleekit with his sister. No having been in the room for this many a year, in fack, to be plain, no since the Pitt dinners and Waterloo dinners were given up, there cam a stound to my heart, to be shooled in as it were all of a sudden into a most spacious hall, and amang perfect hatter of unkent faces. But just as I was in a kind of swither whether to march forrit to the head of the room, or slip quietly doun upon an empty furm near the door, up comes ane of the stewards, and taking my loof in baith his, shook me heartily, saying with a very kindly laugh, "Oh! but ye're lang o' coming, Lang, lang, lang o' coming; Right welcome, Bailie Pirnie." And then the Lord Provost and other gentlemen gathered round me, and in the twinkling of a bed-post, I seeing mysell after all amang kent friends and no frem faces, cracked as crouse as if I had been in my ain house, laying doun the law anent domestic obedience, ower my third tumbler of double nappy. Then A scene of greater splendour, beauty and magnificence, saving and excepting, always, the royal doings at Embro,' I never witnessed in my life. I am sure there was full twa hundred gentlemen and leddies, and every ane seemed happier than anither. there was a perfect sea of waving plumes and sashes, and ribbands, and artificial flowers, and sic a variety and tasty combination of brilliant colours, I'll be bound to say, I never saw equalled in the best India shawl pattern, that ever came thro' my hands, and that's no few, as the feck of my friends ken. When I was in a bewilderment of delight, looking at the fine swanlike shapes of the young leddies that were gliding up and down the room, like sae many beautifu' intelligences, or speerits from a higher world with e'en glancing like diamonds, and feet sae wee and genty, that when they touched the floor the sound of them was nae mair heard than if it had been a feather lichting in the water, all at once there burst furth, just abune my individual head, a particular fine concert of big fiddles and wee fiddles, horns, trumble-bumbles,* trumpets and what not, which was quite soul stirring to hear. At first, I thocht this might be out of compliment to me, and, not to be unceevil, I graciously bowed to the company; but I fund I was mistane, for it was naething mair than the music striking up for a quadrille, and, as I live, wha did I see standing up in a set, but baith my childer, son and dochter, as prejink and genteel, or I'm far out of my reckoning, as the best born that was there! The pride of a faither's heart, on sic an occasion, naebody but a paurent, that likes his offspring weel, can possibly conceive. Fashions in music and dancing have suffered great changes since my young days, Mr. Day. I cannot say that I understood either the figure of the dance or its music; but they were pleesant eneuch. The quadrilles are graceful and dreamy-like motions, but they dinna bring the colour to ane's cheek, and gar the heart's blood gush, like a mill dam, frae head till heel, like the Scotch reel or Strathspey. And then there's nae clapping of hands, and whirling round, and crying "heuch, heuch," when the dance warms, and the fidler's arms are fleeing faster than a weaver's shuttle, and they, themselves, lay down their lugs to the work in dead earnest. Being a gay noticing kind of a body, I may observe that, in general, the leddies had the heels of the beaux in the matter of dancing. A good wheen ofthe latter, though they might slide backwards and forwards, and gee awa to this side and that side, with a bit trintle and a step weel eneuch, seemed of *We suspect the Baillie means Trombones.-Ed. of Day. ten in a kippage to ken what to do with their shouthers and their arms, and their heads. The upper and the douner man did not move in accordance, something like a bad rider that gangs wigglety wagglety, clean contrary to the motion of the beast he is on the back of. But the feck of the leddies carried themselves like queens; frae head to heel they moved as a graceful and complete unity; and oh! Mr. Day, had ye seen as I saw, their bonny modest faces glancing past ye, radiant with the sweetest natured smiles, and their countenances presenting every variety of fine outline and expression, ye wuld have exclaimed with me, and Burns the poet : "All nature swears the lovely dears, It's no for me, ye'll be saying, Mr. Day, an auld man and a married, to be speaking in sic a strain of young ledies, and all the fligmaleeries of a ball room, so I'll try to contain my feelings and proceed in a calm course, like a patient historian. After the quadrilles we had country dances; but, so far as I observed, neither the Haymakers nor the Soldier's Joy formed a part of the entertainment, though there were a good number of gentlemen connected with the agricultural interests of the country present, and a fine show of strapping officers from the barracks, under the command of that excellent gentleman and good soldier Major Robertson, of the gallant 25th. The scarlet coats of the officers, with the great bobs of gowd on their shouthers, had a fine effeck, and contrasted nicely with the silks, and sattins, and muslins of the leddies, and the blue and black coats of the gentlemen civilians. Unless ye had seen the sight yoursel', it is out of the power of language to describe the liveliness that a sprinkling of red coats gives to a dance. Some of the officers danced with their lang swords at their side, and I was looking every minute for ane or twa couping heels ower head, but they keeped their feet unco weel considering all things: nevertheless I shall be bauld to mak this observe, that it is desperate difficult to gang, let abee dancing, with an iron spit hinging at ane's side. But, abune a', I thocht I could see the swords sometimes come deg against the tender shanks of the leddies, and a lick across the shins frae cauld iron is sair to bide. Our yeomanry cavalry never dance with their swords on, and the foot soldiers should tak a pattern and example from them thereanent, from this time henceforward, and for ever. The country dances blawn by, then cam waltzes, and the leddies and their partners gade round and round about like teetotums, at sic a frichtsum rate, that, really, I lost my presence of mind for a time on seeing our Miss Jess as forward as the lave, and twirling and sooming about like a balloon on fire. She was driving doun the room with a tall grenadier officer, and, seeing her whirling round him and better round him, I cried, at the highest pitch of my voice, " For Gudesake, Jess, haud fast by sash or shouther, else ye'll for a certainty flee out at the winnock bole like a witch, and break your harn pan on the hard causey!" There was an unco titter amang the leddies, and my wife sidling up to me, telt me to hauld my whisht and no to mak' a fule o' the lassie, for she was just under the protection of a mercifu' providence like the lave. Be that as it may, I confess I was glad to see the waltzing at an end, and our Jess again anchored on a furm, peching and blawing, but safe and sound, lith and limb, and as red in the cheek as a peony rose. About this time some of the principal gentry made up parties for playing at cards, and ithers gade to the adjacent to weet their thrapples, for the stour kicked up by the dancers was like to mak' the maist of us, onlookers, a wee hue hearse. Some of us had brandy toddy, ithers scaudit wine-while anither class contented themsells with sma' stell whisky, made intil toddy. When I appeared in the adjacent every ane was louder than anither in praise of my fine family, and, with faitherly pride, I telled my friends that I spared na expense in giving my bairns a good education, for which I received an approving nod from some gayen influential quarters that shall be nameless. No having served an apprenticeship either to the tailoring or millinery line, I'll no pretend to give an account of the leddies' dresses, or the gentlemen's costume. In general, I may say, baith were very becoming. Some leddies were tastily, but plainly put on, others were gorgeously bedecked, looking like Indian Empresses, or Princesses of the Blood Royal at least; some had caps and others had naething but their bare heads with a bit simple flower, or sic like chaste oruament stuck among their clustering ringlets. The newspapers give but a faint idea of the Toutin Assembly,* but, tak' my word for it, it was in every respect uncommon pretty and creditable to the toun, beating, by farand awa ony thing seen in the kingdom since the King's ball at Embro'. Anent the music, I shall say, Kinnikame played his pairt with great birr. In fack, I fand my auld timmers like to dance in despite of mysell, and noos and tans I cracked my thooms like a whip, for a gush of pleesant rememberances conneckit with the scenes of early life, when I mysell figured at "penny reels, bottlings" and "washing o' aprons" came ower my heart with a fullness that even amounted to pain. I wasna then as I am now; but circumstances have nothing altered the naturality of my heart, or gart me feel ashamed of the pourtith of my younger days, or turn up my neb in scorn at the innocent recreations and pastimes, whilk were then within my reach. It would be weel for the hail tot of our prosperous men of the world, did they think and feel like me, on this and many other important subjects. But I'm spinning out the thread of my discourse, I fear ower sma, and least it should break, I'll just wind And up my pirn, and hae done with a remark or sae. first, I will say, that frae beginning till end, frae the A to the Zed of this uncommon splendid concern, it was every thing that a good and charitable heart desired. Gaiety, elegance, good humour, and unsophisticated taste, went hand in hand throughout the night. Every one seemed anxious to please, and bent upon being pleased. There was nae upsetting, nae unpleasing distinctions keepit up farder than what correck feeling, and a due regard to the conventionalities of good society required. We were in short, Mr. Day, as it were, all chicks of ae cleckin, cuddlin close and cozily under the expansive wings of kindliest sympathy and godlike charity. All human enjoyments have an end, and sae had our assembly. About three o'clock in the mornin', the company began to lift, and the room to get thinner and thinner. In a wee while afterwards, a flunkey cam up to me and my wife, and telt us that our carriage was waiting at the door; whereupon we bundled up our things like douce sober folks, and gade our ways doun the stairs, thro' the lobby and intil the chaise; but there being only three insides, Tummas had to take an outside, on the box alang with the driver; but he was weel wrapped up in a camlet cloak, with a red comforter about his neck, besides, his mother insisted that he should row her shawl ower his head, just to keep his teeth frae chitterin', but whether he did sae or not I cannot say. Hame we got at last without ony mischanter. My wife was quite delighted with the entertainment-she is a real feeling and sensible woman, and when we were in the coach and began talking about our twa bairns, their first appearance in public, she could scarsely speak, for her motherly affection and pride were gratified to the full, but just tenderly squeezing my hand, she said, "Oh, Peter, this was a nicht!" and I had just time to reply "Deed's I, my doo," when the coach drew up, and the hail lot of us alighted at our ain bourock.-Your's, till the morn. PETER PIRNIE. * QUERY, Tout ensemble.-Printer's Devil. SIR THOMAS MUNRO. THE following graphic picture of the daily habits of Sir Thomas Munro, from the pen of the Rev. G. R. Gleig, just published, cannot fail to be interesting to many of our readers, who, at one time, were acquainted with their gallant and distinguished towns man : Sir Thomas Munro rose early, generally at dawn, or a few minutes after, and was in the habit of spending the first two or three hours of the day in the open air. When at the capital, or at his country-seat of Gindy, he rode on horseback for a couple of hours four mornings in the week; the remaining three he gave up to the natives, by walking constantly in the same path, and entering freely into conversation with such as threw themselves in his way. On these occasions he was wholly unattended, except by a couple of peons, or a few of his old revenue servants; and the people, aware of this, as well as of the extreme affability Το of the Governor, met him at a particular point in crowds. every one he listened with patience, receiving their petitions with his own hands, and promising to examine and reply to them; and in no single instance is he known to have neglected an engage After spending some time ment thus voluntarily contracted. thus, he returned home, dressed, and devoted a brief space to reading and writing, when he adjourned to breakfast, which was served up punctually at the hour of eight. As the interval between sunrise and the ringing of the breakfast-bell was given up to receiving the personal applications of the natives, so was the period of breakfast itself, and about an hour after its conclusion, devoted to a similar intercourse with Europeans. The table was always spread for thirty persons; and such as had business to transact, or personal applications to make to the By adhering Governor, were expected to partake in the meal. to this arrangement, and steadily refusing to waste so much as a minute in useless chit-chat, Sir Thomas Munro was enabled to withdraw to his own room usually about half-past nine, where till four o'clock he remained employed in public business and inaccessible, except under very particular circumstances, to all intruders. Four was his hour of dinner, except twice a month, when large parties were invited to the Government-house at eight o'clock; yet even these were not permitted to interfere in any respect with the earlier arrangements of the day. At half-past five or six, according to the season of the year, he drove out, for a time, with Lady Munro; after which he again withdrew to his own room, and applied to business. At eight, tea was served, when he joined his family; from the conclusion of this repast till he retired for the night, which occurred about ten or half-past ten, he remained among them. But even this short period of relaxation was not As soon frittered away in unmeaning or unprofitable idleness. as the drawing-room was cleared, one of his aides-de-camp, or gentlemen attached to his household, read aloud either the debates in Parliament, in which he took at all times a deep interest, an article in one of the Reviews, one of Sir Walter Scott's novels, or some other late publication. Thus was every moment of his waking existence spent in endeavours to promote the welfare and happiness of others; and his own happiness, as a necessary consequence, received, though on his part almost unconsciously, a daily, I might have said, with perfect truth, an hourly increase. Such was the manner in which Sir Thomas Munro spent day after day, as often as he remained stationary in one place: his mode of acting, while prosecuting the journeys, of which notice The morning's march was has been taken, was not dissimilar. always so regulated, as that the party might reach their ground in sufficient time to permit breakfast to be served at eight o'clock, when the routine of conversing with such European functionaries as chanced to be near the spot was continued. Four was still the hour of dinner; but the period set aside at Fort St. George for carriage-exercise was now given up to hearing the complaints of the natives. Whilst the family sat at table, multitudes of Hindoos and Mussulmans were seen to collect round the door of the tent, anxiously expecting the moment when the Governor would come forth; and when it arrived, the eagerness to address him was It very such as to occasion at times considerable inconvenience. seldom happened that the charmana, or audience-tent, proved sufficiently capacious to contain the whole of the applicants. Sir Thomas Munro was accordingly in the habit of walking abroad to some open space, where he stood listening to all who desired to address him, till Nature itself appeared sometimes in danger of giving way. He never retired from these audiences otherwise than jaded and fatigued, as well from the excessive heat of the atmosphere, as from the continued exertion which he found it necessary to make. ORIGINAL POETRY. CUPID'S DART. From the German. Cupid shoots with barbed dart— WEST-COUNTRY REMINISCENCES. On a sacramental occasion some years ago, in a parish not above fifteen miles west of this western metropolis, a neighbouring clergyman, more famous for his gentlemanly deportment and agreeable conversation, than the extent of his stock of sermons, being called to assist at the solemnity, again ventured to preach an old and favourite lecture on the "parable of the ten virgins." The minister of the parish, noted for the keenness of his satire, and, with a view of hinting to his friend the impropriety of so often preaching to his people this favourite production, on their return to the manse, thus addressed his friend-" Weel, John, my man, that was a good lecture ye gie'd us the day, but they virgins o' yours are growing ower auld noo-they're getting auld maids man -ye maun really gi'e them up." A worthy friend of ours the other day, alluding to the advancement of education and the rapid strides of the "march of intellect," related to us the following instance in proof of the remark :— A Paisley cork, who had been induced, by the "soft persuasive tongue" of one of our "Glasgow drummers," to venture on a small consignment to his constituent's establishment in South America, was relating to his crony that he had just had advices of the arrival of his goods, but that, on account of the dulness of the market, his friends wrote him they were obliged to keep the goods in a place they ca'd statu quo. Do ye ken whare 'tat is-for I canna see't on a map." LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. A THIRD Volume of Sir Jonah Barrington's "Personal Sketches of his Own Times" has just been completed by the author. MR. LEITCH RITCHIE and MR. ROSCOE have in preparation a book to be entitled "Legends and Traditions of the Castles of England." It is to be published by subscription, in twelve monthly parts, with engravings. It is proposed to comprise, not only a genuine narrative of the fortunes of the English Castles, but, in a more particular manner, the events of what may be termed their private history, founded upon legends and traditions. CHARLES COLEMAN, ESQ. has in the press, "The Mythology of the Hindoos, with notices of various Mountain and Island Tribes who inhabit the two Peninsulas of India and the neighbouring Indies." MISCELLANEA. WHY is Liston like a portionless beauty?-Because "his face is his fortune." THE FIRST STEP.-Il n'y a que le premier pas qui coute: "The first step is the only difficulty." This proverb was oddly applied by a lady, who, hearing a canon in the company say that St. Piat, after his head was cut off, walked two entire leagues with it in his hand. "Yes, Madam, two entire leagues"-" I firmly believe it," answered the lady; "on such an occasion the first step is the only difficulty." FEMALE QUARRELS.-The spretæ injuria formæ is the greatest with a woman. A man of rank, hearing that two of his female relations had quarrelled, asked, "Did they call each other ugly?" —“ No.”—“ Well, well; I shall soon reconcile them." ELEGANT COMPLIMENT.-A French officer being just arrived at the court of Vienna, and the empress hearing that he had the day before been in company with a great lady, asked him if it were true that she was the most handsome princess of her time? The officer answered, with great gallantry, "Madam, I though so yesterday." BEAUTIFUL PROVERB.-Proverbs not only present "le bon gros sens qui court les rues," but sometimes are expressed in elegant metaphor. I was struck with an oriental one of this sort, which I met with in some book of travels: "With time and patience the leaf of the mulberry-tree becomes satin."- Walpole. IGNORANT NAIVETE.-An old officer had lost an eye in the wars, and supplied it with a glass one, which he always took out when he went to bed. Being at an inn he took out his eye, and gave it to the simple wench who attended, desiring her to lay it on the table. The maid afterwards still waiting and staring, "What dost wait for?" said the officer. "Only for the other eye, Sir." WHEELER INSECT.-The wheeler insect is a curious microscopical object. Take a little dust of rotten timber, and a drop of water; by and by the insect appears, two horns arise on its head, and then a wheel, the velocity of which is surprising. It sails among the dast, as if amidst islands. The wheel seems intended by function to draw in numbers of smaller insects, its food. PREJUDICES. Our passions and prejudices ever mislead us. There is a French ben trovato on this topic. A curate and his wife had heard that the moon was inhabited; a telescope was borrowed, and the lady had the first peep. "I see," said she, "I see two shades inclining towards each other: they are, beyond doubt, happy lovers."-" Poh!" said the curate, looking in his turn; "these two shades are the two steeples of a cathedral." LEGAL PUZZLE.-A president of the parliament of Paris asked Langlois, the advocate, why he so often burdened himself with bad causes. "My lord," answered the advocate, "I have lost so many good ones, that I am puzzled which to take." Low CUNNING.-It is a special trick of low cunning to squeeze out knowledge from a modest man, who is eminent in any science; and then to use it as legally acquired, and pass the source in total silence. THE DAY, A MORNING JOURNAL OF LITERATURE, FINE ARTS, FASHION, &c. CARPE DIEM. GLASGOW, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1832. CHOLERA. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE OPERATIVE CLASSES. On a late occasion we presented our readers with some plain and practical rules for the prevention of Cholera, and for the proper treatment of an attack of the malady, until medical advice could be procured. These instructions, however, were principally intended for persons of the upper or middle ranks of society, who can always command such instant and long-continued medical attendance as cannot possibly be enjoyed by individuals of the operative classes. Many of the precautio ns, too, which were then advised, cannot be within the reach of all persons of the latter description; nor even, if they were attainable, would they be as well adapted to their constitutions, and to their habits of life, as they are to those of the individuals for whom they were expressly written. It becomes necessary, therefore, to re-model the instructions, and to adapt them to the peculiar necessities of the working classes. They, it is obvious, from all past experience, will be the principal sufferers when the disease shall appear amongst us, and every individual among them who does not now, while his mind and his body are yet unharmed, calmly and decidedly make his determination as to the course which he will pursue, should the malady unfortunately attack himself, or any of the members of his family, neglects an important duty which he owes to himself, and to those whom Providence has placed under his care, as well as to the community of which he forms a part. Let each one, then, we most earnestly entreat, inform himself on this important subject-let him come to a deliberate decision, and let him make known the result to those around him, that, when the moment of danger shall arrive, not an instant may be lost in taking the necessary steps. Some will, perhaps, flatter themselves that they may be among the number of those whom the pestilence will spare. This, there is no doubt, may possibly be true, nay, it is probably, true; because, in most places hitherto affected, those who have been seized with the malady have borne but a minute proportion to the whole population. Yet, were every one to act on such reasoning, no preparation whatever would be made, and many would necessarily fall victims to their ignorance of the proper measures to adopt, and to their unwillingness to submit to the restraints and privations which are absolutely necessary for obtaining the means of relief. HOSPITALS. No one requires now to be told that Cholera is an infinitely more fatal disease than any which the present generation has yet witnessed; but, we fear, it is not so generally known, that it differs from other maladies, as much in respect to the treatment which it requires, as in regard to the fatality which attends it. When a person is affected with fever, with dysentery, or with inflammation of any important organ, he may, provided he can command a comfortable bed-room, and the requisite articles of diet, and medicine, be treated in almost any situation, with a reasonable prospect of suc cess. The medical attendant, by examining the symptoms, once or twice daily, can give such instructions as will, in the hands of persons of ordinary intelligence lead to a favourable result. But, in the malady with which we are now threatened, the case is widely different. The symptoms which, in other diseases are extended over several days or even weeks, are here confined to a period of as many hours, and the treatment, to have any chance of succeeding, must of necessity be condensed in a similar proportion. In short, during the first twelve hours of a serious attack of Cholera, the unremitting and laborious exertions of a fully qualified medical person, as well as of several well instructed assistants, is absolutely indispensible for giving the patient that chance of surviving the disease, which the medical art is capable of affording. It must be evident therefore to every reasonable person that, should the Cholera make its attack upon us as suddenly and as extensively as it has done upon other communities, all the medical persons that our city possesses, would be insufficient to afford the requisite attendance, to one half of those who would require their aid, unless arrangements were made for collecting the diseased, so that one medical attendant might suffice for directing the treatment of many. In a word, the institution of Cholera hospitals is the only possible contrivance, by which the actual supply of medical attendance can be rendered adequate to the probable demand. Were it even possible to obtain a medical attendant for each individual case, the dwelling of an operative could not afford the numberless applications and conveniences. which are requisite, nor could the assistance of relatives, or of neighbours, (even if it could be procured,) prove as efficient as the practised exertions of welltrained hospital assistants. We rely therefore with confidence on the usual intelligence of our operatives, who, we doubt not, will at once perceive the propriety of removing to the nearest hospital, without a moment's delay, such of their friends or relations as may be seized with Cholera. On the promptitude with whichthis measure is adopted, depends the safety not only of the diseased person himself, but likewise of the other members of his family, as well as of the community at large. PREVENTION. While the Cholera prevails, all persons should observe the strictest moderation both in eating and drinking. They should carefully avoid fruits of all kinds, such as apples, oranges, &c. raw or half-boiled vegetables, such half-decayed fish as, being unsaleable in the market, are frequently hawked amongst operatives, and, in general, every article of diet which is known from experience to loosen the bowels. Every person who can afford it, should have for dinner, some fresh butcher meat, or some good soup made without green vegetables, together with good wheaten bread or well-boiled potatoes, and the beneficial effect of this diet will be further increased, by the daily addition of one single glass of whisky made into toddy. No one who values his life, should, on any account whatever, exceed this quantity of spirits, and even this quantity should not be taken till mixed with hot water; for nothing is more clearly proved, by all the past history of Cholera, than the important fact, that drunkards are of all others the most liable to its ravages. fact in every place where the disease has yet appeared, it has in the first instances singled out those who were addicted to the abuse of spirituous liquours, as its vic In |