of the cholera, he is sure to be attacked with it, and pretty sure to die.

There were in a particular part of India to which the cholera came, two companies of soldiers; one of three hundred, one of one hundred. The company of one hundred agreed to live temperately and to avoid the night air; and only one man caught the cholera. The company of three hundred made no such agreement, but went on as usual, and thirty of them died.

Let him who reads this page, then, remember, when he lifts the glass to his mouth, that if it raises his spirits for an hour or two, it shortens his life by many hours-that a man who borrows life, and spirits, and strength, from strong drink, is like a man who borrows money, and must pay it back with interest by and bye and if he has unhappily fallen into a habit of drinking much, let him resolve to drink much less; nay, if he is in the habit of drinking ever so little beyond the point of needful refreshment, let him be sure that he had better drink less than that, than drink more. Fewer women have died of cholera than men, fewer children than women, and fewer sober men than drunkards. If a man's natural spirits and strength are habitually exhausted by artificial stimulants, his stock of spirits and strength will be so taken up beforehand, that if the cholera makes a sudden demand upon this stock, even his life must go towards the payment.

We may learn no less, from observing how the cholera has treated people with relation to their habits of eating. On the one hand, a large majority of persons who have died of cholera have been very poor and wretched, and disposed to disease by the weakness which poor living has occasioned. This is no time to remind any of them, poor people, that their poverty has come of their idleness, or that their poor diet might be better if they were not extravagant and not ignorant. No doubt it is often so, and we must do all we can to mend such things. But England is a most kind and charitable country, and in every town throughout the whole island the rich, or those even a little raised above poverty, are giving their money and their time to help the poor. Some are supplying them with good and wholesome food; some are giving them blankets and flannel for waistcoats and petticoats; and some are busy making warm stockings for the little children. The Great Father of all human beings, who hates what is evil, and wishes the happiness of all his creatures-and who, in permitting causes of evil and suffering, gives us faculties by which we can avoid and lessen themwill assist all these kind endeavours; and

if the poor will also exert themselves, and not sit still and expect those who are better off to do everything ;-if they will spend no money in what is not useful;if they will be industrious and temperate; -even the cholera, which has swept away millions of people from the face of the globe, may pass over this island almost harmless, and all its dreadful strength be scattered by the winds over the wide Atlantic sea, and lost there, or driven to the icy regions of the North Pole, where there are no men to be destroyed, and heard of no more. 0

Mode of Treatment.

Rules of treatment laid down in a book are always general. Good sense must still govern their application. But, generally speaking, the best thing that can be done in the first hurry is to get some warm and comfortable drink prepared-hot brandy and water is the best of all-to place a good blanket close to the fire, until it is quite warm-to undress the patient from head to foot, before a fire too-to let him drink his brandy and water, whilst his feet, legs, hands, and arms are briskly rubbed, and then to roll him completely up to the chin in the hot blanket. Even his head should be warmly covered up; only leaving him room to breathe.

In all this there is nothing required (except the brandy) which is not to be found or which may not be managed in any house or cottage. Hot tea. or even hot water, if there is no brandy to be got, will be better than nothing; if the patient can keep it down. But when the cholera is expected, everybody ought to buy or beg a little brandy, and keep it is as a valuable medicine.

When the blankets are warming, and the brandy and water preparing, a messenger should be sent off in all possible haste to the medical man. Every thing depends upon that. Many of those who died at St. Petersburg, died in conse quence of not having medical assistance soon enough.

lightened and brave people to take fright at the cholera, and most disgraceful to run away by hundreds, or to turn robbers and desperadoes in the presence of such an enemy. Many men go into battle again and again, well knowing the danger. Many incur danger by sea and land for pleasure's sake. Surely, then, if the cholera does come, it ought to find us not only well prepared to keep it out, but, having done all we can, if we must fall, prepared to fall as becomes men and Christians.

The danger of cholera, even in its worst humour, will not be long continued. We should, however, know exactly what we are to expect. For a week or two, when it comes near us, there will only be cases here and there, and many will ridicule the fears of the timid. Then great numbers will be attacked and die, some in the midst of apparent health and strength; and then many, including those who laughed at fear, will fly like people bereft of their senses, carrying the cholera with them perhaps into a hundred villages. Those who remain, and take every precaution which has been recommended, will very likely escape, and in another week or two there will be no new cases, and no more danger, except from the return of the runaways, who will come from places to which some of them took the cholera, and where it has not yet run its course.

This view of the danger will convince every thinking man of the duty of consenting at once to do all that may be required of him without running away, or, if he has run away, before he is allowed to come back.

Those who run away should go to single houses, or to tents pitched in the fields; and if those who stay will avoid intercourse with the sick, and submit to, and encourage all the useful measures which the public safety demands, the number of deaths will soon become very small indeed.

Possible Extinction of the Disease.

In crowded and dirty cities, in wretched houses, the abode of idleness and vice; or in countries where ignorance and obstinacy prevent the proper application of medicine, it rages almost without control; indeed, with a violence which threatens to sweep all the people who live in such unfortunate circumstances away from the earth. But when it is introduced into towns better regulated and into houses where it meets with cleanliness and sobriety; and among a people willing to apply whatever science has discovered to be useful, and to aid such application by kind and courageous attentions; there the

319.

discase seems to have lost its ferocious character. The people no longer fly from it to die on the highways and in the desert; it no longer daily consigns hundreds to death; it neither suspends the business nor ruins the confidence of the people; but, being met with fortitude and patience, seems to acknowledge man's power over it, as over the other evils and ills to which he is exposed. It is checked by his skill and his firmness; limited by his knowledge and his care; and we may add, great as its triumphs have been, and wide as has been its course, it will finally be banished from the wellgoverned regions of the earth altogether. First it will disappear from those which it has most recently attacked ;—and in the end, as the blessings of civilization extend themselves to every region on which the rain from heaven falls, or the sun of heaven shines; and as man improves in knowledge, and virtue, and power, and by degrees converts vast spaces now neglected into spots of fertility and happiness, and is himself raised in the scale of creation,- -not the cholera only, but all the most severe febrile diseases, will probably be utterly banished from this globe.

The steps to this end, however, let the reader of the Working Man's Companion remember, are, useful knowledge, the kind and friendly virtues, temperate habits, and a calm and untroubled mind.

Sir,In the London Gazette of the 20th Oct., there is giyen a series of recommendations from the Board of Health, and signed by the President, Sir II. Halford, as to the course to be pursued in case of an attack of the cholera morbus. The advice appears to be contradictory, and likely in one particular, to be productive of very injurious consequences. If this be really the fact, it would not only be conferring a favour on your correspondent, but an incalculable benefit on the community, if those of your readers, who are of the medical profession, would, through the medium of your widely-circulated Magazine, confirm this opinion, and by the authority of their names, counteract the mischiefs that may result from an error, if such it be, which has been so extensively published.

It is recommended that "the patient should be wrapped up in hot blankets, and warmth should be sustained by other external applications, such as repeated frictions with flannel and camphorated spirits." Many other recommendations are added, all with a view to restore and promote the returning heat of the body;

but how are spirits of wine to accomplish so desirable a result? The quick evaporation of a spirit-wash produces a feeling of intense cold, and is often applied to the head for this very purpose in cases of high fever. But is it also true that a mere moistening of the flannel with spirits when aided by friction, will by their stimulating property excite warmth more rapidly than evaporation will reduce it, and that like blowing hot and cold with the same breath, two different results may be obtained by different modes of application? If this be the case-but it appears to me very problematical-how is it that so important a distinction was not noticed in these official recommendations, and that the quantity of spirits of wine which fa milies are advised to provide, amounts to a pint?

To say the least, a dangerous remedial measure has been recommended for adop tion, and, unfortunately, from high authorities, in an incautious and indiscri minating manner.

Yours, &c.,

B. C.

SIMPLE CHOLERA BATH. Sir, I send you an account of a very simple sort of bath, for persons attacked by the cholera, which was communicated to me by a friend some time past. The patient (he is supposed to resort to the bath upon the very first symptoms, when he has all his faculties perfect) places himself upon a chair, with his feet upon another, and a jug of cold water in his band. Under his legs, between the two chairs, is placed a large brick, as hot as it can possibly be made, upon which he keeps dropping the water from time to time. He will soon find himself completely enveloped in steam. Another brick should be ready to be substituted, when the first one gets at all cool. It will be some time, however, before this happens, as the water must be dropped upon it in very small quantities. I think this is a much more simple method than your correspondent, Mr. M'Kenzie's, blanket and tube, which would require some time to prepare and apply, whilst nothing is more quickly heated than a brick. Yours, &c.

OCTAVIUS.

Newton's Appendir to Euclid-Sir, I have earnestly looked over the tables of contents and the Interim Notices of every Part of your Magazine during the last sixteen months-the period that iny knotty Problems from Newton's Appendix have been before the public in the Mechanics' Magazine, course of that time, six communications relative to these Problems have been inserted in your valuable book, only one of which embraces an answer to the second and third Problems.

In the

The

From the papers of the ingenious S. Simple, Kinclaven, and 2, I learn that the first Problemn is insolvable without the aid of 32. I. Euclid. second appears to be possible under very limited restrictions; and the third admits not directly of the application of 23. VI. without some modification in the data. The first two are in the predicament I suspected; and with regard to all three, it is gratifying to me to find, that untutored as I am, I stuck not but where there were real obstacles.

Your last correspondent on this subject, who subscribes his letter A Woolwich Cadet," has entirely lost sight of the stipulated condition of the solutions of the third Problem. If he will take the trouble to 1efer to page 330, volume 13, Mechanics' Magazine,

he will find that the proposer, though destitute ⚫. "able and willing masters," and of any assistance be sides what he derived from his Euclid, and the Self Examinations of Wright, found no difficulty in solv-. ing the Problem independently of 23. VI. under which it is placed by the author. The doctrine of compound ratio, than which, Dr. Simpson says, nothing is usually reckoned more difficult in the ele ments of geometry, by learners, is so formidable that only one of your correspondents has ventured to encounter it. By altering a datum in the Prop. it ap pears to me that he has rendered the problem natu rally dependant upon 23. VI.; and for his valuable solutions of the first and third, and his remarks, I beg to tender him my sincere thanks. My acknow ledgements are also due to S. Simple and Kinclaven for their papers, and I hope that the latter will soon favour me and your readers with his promised solution of the second problem.-Yours, &c., WM. PEARSE, Shipwright, Nov. 15, 1831.

LIST OF PATENTS GRANTED FROM THE 20TH OF DECEMBER, 1831, to the 20TH OF JANUARY, 1832.

John Samuel Dawes, of Bromford, West Bromwich, Staffordshire, iron-master, for certain im. provements in the manufacture of iron. Six months, to specify from December 22, 1831.

John Dickinson, of Nash Mill, Hertfordshire, Esq., for certain improvements in the manufacture of paper. Six inonths, January 10, 1832,

William Sneath, of Ison Green, Nottingham, lacemaker, for certain improvements in machinery for the manufacture of bobbin het lace. Six months December 31, 1831.

Commander John Libou, R. N. for an improved method of constructing capstans. Two months, January 10, 1832.

Moses Teague, of Park End Iron Works, near Calford, Gloucestershire, iron-master, for certain improvements in making and smelting pig-iron. Four months, January 17, 1832.

Elijah Galloway, of Blackfriar's-road, engineer, for certain improvements on paddle-wheels. Four months; Jan. 17, 1832.

INTERIM NOTICES.

Mr. J. C. Loudon's interesting communication on Cottages for Working Men, in our next,

We do not see what advantage is to be gained by the addition to the common hammer, proposed by W. J.

The letter of W. H. S. is a literal transcript of oné which appeared in the Mechanics' Magazine a year or two ago.

S. Y. is requested to send to our office for a letter addressed to hitn.

Communications received from Mr. M'Kenzie-A Country Schoolmaster and no Astrologer-PaddyQ. C. E.-Observer-Mr. Champion- F. H.-Mr. Baddeley-Mr, J. H. Robinson-T.

ERRATUR. In the engraving of Drury's Bellhammer, in last Number, our wood engraver has omitted the rising and abutting shoulder of the lever, upon which the hammer-arni rested; and has altogether done but little justice to the original drawing. It happens, unfortunately, that the engravings for a weekly publication like ours, are seldoni ready til the hour of going to press, when, of course, it is too late to make alterations.

Page 270, 1st col. 10th line from the bottom, for "steerage, "read" stowage."

"

com

COLLEGES FOR WORKING MEN. Sir, I have been a subscriber to the Mechanics' Magazine from its mencement; but I do not know that any article which has appeared in it has given me more pleasure than that of your correspondent, Junius Redivivus, on the subject of lodgings for the working classes in the metropolis and other great cities. I can foresee in the plan of your correspondent a source of the greatest amelioration for that class of our fellowmen; and I only wish that some enlightened and benevolent manufacturer, who employs a number of hands, such, for example, as Mr. Galloway the engineer, would engage a sufficient number of other manufacturers to join and form a Company for the erection of a working man's college for 150 or 200 families.

As I happen to have thought a little on the same subject, I will take the liberty of directing the attention of Junius Redivivus to two inventions of Mr. Frost, at 6, Bankside, which, when he examines, he will find admirably calculated for rendering such a college, and indeed all buildings whatever, completely fire-proof; and that, too, at less expense than the common mode of building with timber floors, stairs, and roofs. I have not leisure at present to enter into the merits of these inventions, but I enclose you a proof of a paragraph that I had prepared on the subject for the Gardener's Magazine some months ago, and which you are welcome to print. I can only say that I consider them of im mense importance; and I feel confident, that if it were not that they militate against the business of timber-merchants, carpenters, and slaters, they would in a very short time effect a complete revolution in the manner of building dwellinghouses, more especially in towns.

It is singular, that so long ago as 1818, I contrived a college something like that of Junius Redivivus, and made out a plan and elevation, which I showed at the time to the late Sir Joseph Banks; but falling into bad health soon afterwards, I forgot the subject, and it did not recur to my mind till I had seen the letter of your correspondent. I have now looked out the plan, and I send it you exactly as it was prepared; thinking you may consider it worth engraving merely as matter of history. The idea

of an inclined plane, which I contemplated, instead of a staircase, would be, I think, an improvement on the plan of Junius Redivivus.

I sincerely hope that ingenious and liberal-minded gentleman will lose no time in perfecting his plan; and in bringing it forward in such a shape as will lead to its being, at a very early period, carried into execution. I am sure that, both as a benevolent scheme, and one for the profitable investment of capital, there are hundreds in this metropolis who would come forward to support it.

Yours, &c. Bayswater, Jan, 7, 1832.

J. C. LOUDON.

I. Mr. Loudon's Plan of a College for Working Men.

The resemblance between the plan of our esteemed contemporary and that of Junius Redivivus is very striking; but at this no one will be surprised who has noticed how often the speculations of intelligent and reflecting men, when inspired by kindred sympathies, run in the same channel. On our front-page we have given engravings of the elevation (fig. 1) and ground-plan (fig. 2) of Mr. Loudon's intended college. nexed to the original drawings is the following descriptive "Outline," which though left by the ingenious author in an unfinished state, will be found sufficiently explanatory of the general principles of construction on which he proposed to proceed:

An

Outline for Economical Dwellings, FireProof, Heated by Steam, Lighted by Gas, and connected by an Inclined Plane. By J. C. Loudon, May 1,1818. The purpose of this paper is to develope an arrangement by which the advantages of steam and gas may be enjoyed by the lowest classes of society, at an expense less, or at least not more than what they now pay for miserable lodgings, or small houses in the unhealthy lanes and courts of the metropolis.

Fig. 1. Elevation of a quadrangular mass of building, divided into 7 stories, exclusive of a sunk story and enclosed flat roof.

Fig. 2. Plan of each story, containing 8 dwellings, marked 1 to 8, with a gal