"In the meantime the cholera has made its appearance in London, at Rotherhithe, Limehouse, and in a ship off Greenwich. In all, seven cases. These are amongst the lowest and most wretched classes, chiefly Irish; and a more lamentable exhibition of human misery than that given by the medical men who called at the Council Office yesterday I never heard. They are in the most abject state of poverty, without beds to lie upon. The men live by casual labour, are employed by the hour, and often get no more than four or five hours' employment in the course of the week. They are huddled and crowded together by families in the same room, not as permanent lodgers, but procuring a temporary shelter; in short, in the most abject state of physical privation and moral degradation that can be imagined. On Saturday we had an account of one or more cases. We sent, instantly, down to inspect the district and organize a Board of Health. A meeting was convened, and promises given that all things needful should be done; but, as they met at a public-house, they all got drunk and did nothing. We have sent down members of the Board of Health to make preparations and organize Boards; but, if the disease really spreads, no human power can arrest its progress through such an Augæan stable." And no doubt but that, according to their lights, at that time, they did all they could to prevent its spread, but sanitary science was in its infancy--water and food were not analyzed as now. Chemistry and medicine were very far behind the present date, and as to "bacilli," they were never dreamt of. But they could set apart a day for a "general fast and humiliation"-- "For obtaining pardon for our sins, and averting the heavy judgments which our manifold provocations have most justly deserved; and, particularly, for beseeching God to remove from us that grievous disease with which several places in the kingdom are at this time visited." And they chose Wednesday, March 21st.