1848-49 FEVER AT WESTMINSTER 329 



perfectly frantic at Smithfield, and R. says it is 

 high time the thing was properly looked into.' 



How badly the Commission on Drainage, &c, 

 was needed we can see from the following entry : — 



May 8. — ' Mr. Rigaud, house master at 

 Westminster, here. The state of things round 

 about Dean's Yard is something terrible. The 

 school is broken up in consequence of the fever. 

 The Dean is ill, the Canons, the masters, and boys 

 — some boys are dying. Mr. Rigaud's little girl 

 and their good old negro butler fell early victims 

 to this attack.' 



' 22nd. — The Westminster fever business dis- 

 cussed at the Commission at Gwydyr House 

 to-day.' 



Many and strange were the remedies pro- 

 posed : — 



* R. busy reading an extraordinary paper, 

 which, had been sent him for his opinion, treating 

 on a cure for cholera. It is a quackish concern, 

 but Lord John Russell and Lord Lansdowne were 

 taken in by it. R. is much disgusted with the 

 thing, and has written his opinion pretty plainly.' 



The drainage at Westminster was improved 

 early in the autumn. ' On September 21, R. was 

 again at Gwydyr House, and found that much has 

 been done with regard to the drains at Dean's Yard. 

 The huge ancient sewer is filled up now with 

 rubbish, and everything has been carefully over- 

 hauled.' 



