2 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 6. 
At this time, when Cholera is again menacing our 
population, and feeling that a consideration of the 
measures for preventing its visitation is strictly within 
our limits, we were about to seek for competent aid, 
timely and trustworthily to warn our readers, when the 
the following, by a Physician, reached us, and, with the 
subsequent contributions promised from the same pen, 
will supply all that we desire. 
“ Whatever thine hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.” 
It is in the power of every one of us to contribute 
something towards the public safety, in tbe present 
emergency, by each exerting himself in his right voca¬ 
tion, and by countenancing and supporting others in 
their’s. Everything depends upon each individual 
taking thoroughly to the part which is appropriate to 
himself. Nothing can be more confusing than bad 
arrangements, and to see medical men busied with 
speculations and theories of drainage and hydraulics; 
surveyors, lawyers, and engineers, inditing prescrip¬ 
tions; clergymen and philanthropists indicting nuis¬ 
ances ; while to constables, policemen, parish officers, 
and strange, raw, medical students, perhaps, is left the 
most delicate office of all—that of making domiciliary 
visits among the labouring classes, in order personally 
to reassure tbe panic-stricken; to inculcate great re¬ 
gularity in living; and, perhaps, to administer medicine, 
or other relief, to a class a step above actual pauperism. 
To the readers of The Cottage Gardener, as a class, 
the following exhortation is earnestly addressed:— 
“The General Board of Health would remind the 
affluent that the opportune supply to their poorer 
neighbours and dependants of wholesome food, warm 
clothing and bedding, and even such remedies (to be 
always in readiness) as their medical attendant may re¬ 
commend [mark this] for looseness of the bowels, is 
charity in tbe truest sense, and may be the means of 
saving many lives. The higher classes should co-operate 
with the clergy who have done so much to promote the 
object of the legislature in the Public Health Act, in 
making frequent visits among the poor, and impressing 
upon them the importance of following the instructions 
here laid down, with reference to which there is a per¬ 
fect accordance between the College of Physicians and 
the Board of Health.”— Notification from tlie General 
Board of Health, Whitehall, Sept. 20, 1853. 
The Notification from which the above is extracted, 
appeared in all the daily papers of Wednesday, Sep- [ 
tember 21st. It is drawn up with consummate skill, 
breathing strongly of science, humanity, and common 
sense. The “instructions therein laid down” should 
be constantly kept in mind by our readers ; and, rightly 
read, they should render all other “instructions” need¬ 
less. Some portion or other of the document will convey 
a hint to every one of us, and it behoves us all to be 
learning our several lessons therefrom. 
Tbe quiet, amiable patrons of The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, living apart from large, dirty, seaport towns, 
revelling in pure, fresh air, may haply beg to be excused 
entering into many details of this subject. Yet, one 
question arises during our garden occupations, or when 
chatting over our dessert—Are we to eat no fruit? 
The cottage garden is a perilous place, indeed, if this be 
really the case ; though I do not recollect that the mor¬ 
tality among cottage gardeners was ever noted as greatly 
above the average. 
Positively “the Board” and the “College” have not 
a word to say against garden produce. In “the instruc¬ 
tions therein laid down,” there is no interdict against 
fruit. Only, we are to eat and drink moderately; at 
moderate intervals; avoiding long fasts. 
There is a large class of articles of food which seem 
to say, “Come and eat us; we cannot wait; pray eat 
us up.” And very nice eating things they are all of 
them, and easily digested. Fruits, vegetables, lamb, 
veal, and tbe like; all prime favourites with the cot- 
| tage gardener, who has them at first hand, aud in 
perfection. Let him eat in peace, only being cautious 
as to quantity, and very nice as to quality. 
It was at one time feared that the labouring poor 
who have not got, all of them, gardens of their own, 
and who too often only get the refuse of the market, 
might, at seasons like the present, glut themselves with 
half-decayed vegetables and faded fruit (to say nothing 
of bad veal, tainted lamb, &c.). This may have been 
the origin of former prohibitions, which led to an in¬ 
teresting discussion between the Board of Health and 
the College of Physicians, the upshot of whieh we now 
see in the removal of the interdict against fruit, and 
consequent sanction of the College to all tbe regulations 
of the Board as now issued, and to which too much 
importance can scarcely be attached. Any personal 
advice, or printed placard or hand-bill, which it may be 
deemed requisite to circulate among the poor, must be 
formed upon this important “ Notification.” 
One other reference to the Notification, and I will 
conclude for this week. Very much devolves upon magis¬ 
trates in the present crisis. It is clearly their mission 
to see that the wise laws made and provided for this 
emergency should be actually put in force; and to in¬ 
struct and urge their officers accordingly. 
As guardians of the poor, their attendance at the 
boardroom is now particularly needed. The utmost 
liberality which the law allows should provide the relief 
now meted out. The medical officer of the board must 
be countenanced and supported; for on him rests a 
great responsibility. From the lists of unhealthy places 
which the law now requires to be made out, and from 
personal inspection, and from his own knowledge, it 
will be for him to certify whether any or all do not 
require measures of daily cleansing: whether certain 
nuisances do not need ]irompt removal; and tbe manner 
in which that removal shall be carried out. Armed 
with the doctor’s certificate, the police will have to see 
that each and all of these matters are attended to. In 
their daily rounds, all cases of neglect and accumulating 
filth must be sharply looked after. There are mauy 
excellent standing provisions of the Highway Act 
habitually neglected in many places. These should be 
strictly enforced by means of the police and committees 
