middle of thick woods, and placed in the centre
of infected countries, have altogether escaped the devastating
calamity!"--"The island of Kristofsky, placed in the centre of the
populous islands of St. Petersburg, communicating with each other by
two magnificent bridges, and with the city by thousands of boats, which
carried every day, and particularly on Sundays, a great number of people
to this charming spot. The island of Kristofsky, we say, _was preserved
completely from attacks of the cholera_; there was not a _single_ person
ill of the disease in three villages upon it." He continues to state
particulars, which, for want of time, cannot be here given, and
adds--"To what is this salubrity of Kristofsky, inhabited by the same
sort of people as St. Petersburg, to be attributed, fed in the same
manner, and following a similar _regime_,--communicating with each other
daily, if it be not to the influence of the superb forest which shelters
it? The firs, which are magnificent as well as abundant, surround the
houses."[15] He notices that the town is low and humid, and that "it is
made filthy every Sunday by the great numbers who resort to it, and who
gorge themselves with intoxicating drink." In a third letter I shall be
able to furnish further extracts from this most interesting pamphlet.

[Footnote 14: I am aware that very lately certain memoranda have been
referred to from the surgeon, but this is merely an expiring effort, and
of no avail against the official Report drawn up.]

[Footnote 15: As these most remarkable circumstances have not appeared
in the statements of our Russian medical commission, we must either
presume that the Duke is not correct, or that those facts have _escaped
the notice_ of the commission.]

In a letter lately inserted in a newspaper, the greatest injustice
is done to the Board of Health by the comments made on their
recommendations for the _treatment_ of cholera--_it is not true_ that
they have reccommended _specifics_, and I must add my feeble voice in
full approbation of all they have suggested on this point. Let the
public remark that they most judiciously point at the application of
_dry_ heat, not baths, which always greatly distress the patient, and,
indeed, have sometimes been observed (that is, where the coldness and
debility are very great) to accelerate a fatal issue. Of all the
arrangements to which a humane public can direct their attention, there
is nothing so essential as w