G.—No. 3.

REPORT OE COMMISSIONERS UPON MATTERS

8

fore be almost certain to communicate itself to the other young women. Nor, as far as we can ascertain, did the surgeon warn, the people that the disease was of an infectious nature; while the appearance of the woman Olson at her death must have been such as to startle even the most apathetic into taking some precaution against possible infection. Erom the several witnesses examined we have endeavoured to extract what their own ideas of the disease were, with a view to test the treatment adopted and the steps taken to arrest its progress. We find that many, both of the passengers and crew, entertained the idea that the disease of which the adults died was small-pox. The foreigners thought these cases were small-pox, and several witnesses, McDonald, Spring, and Gulden, speak directly as to their having told the surgeon so; but he appears uniformly to have considered the cases as measles of a malignant kind. The surgeon himself admits that some of these persons did tell him it was small-pox; but none of the witnesses can say whether they told the captain so, and this is borne out by one of the cabin passengers (Mr. Baclknd), who states that he never heard that it was supposed to be small-pox, although the nature of the disease was frequently discussed. The captain states that he relied on the doctor's opinion as to the nature of the disease, and distinctly avers that the idea of small-pox never suggested itself to him. Notwithstanding this assertion, after witnessing the appearance of the lad Spring, and having heard a description of the symptoms in several other cases, and of the appearance of the convalescents, it seems difficult to believe that a person of ordinary observation could have any doubt as to the nature of the disease. Allusion was made by several witnesses to a disease they called " foreign measles," and it is said the surgeon so called several of the cases, but he does not allude to it in his evidence, his journal, or his report as such. We have had evidence that there is a disease known in the north of Eurojoe as " Rothelm," a co-existent form of measles and scarlatina. Dr. Johnston however states in his evidence that the symptoms of the disease on board the " England " do not bear the characters of "Rothelm." We have been at a loss to trace the origin of the disease with any degree of certainty. It is clear that it must have been brought on board, either in the person of some of the passengers, or in clothing. We direct attention to the evidence of several witnesses who speak distinctly as to the appearance of a Danish emigrant —a man named Claus Petersen Maii—who was observed to have scabs on his face within a few days after the voyage commenced. Some of the witnesses noticed him at periods varying from two to four days after leaving, and it is certain that very early in the voyage these scabs were observed by several persons, and were commented on. He himself says in his evidence (page 23, Appendix), that he passed the inspection at Gravesend, having then nothing the matter with him; that when about seven days at sea, scabs appeared on his face containing matter, and that he showed them to the surgeon, who said they were caused by foul blood. No remedy appears to have been given, and the surgeon states that he does not remember to have seen him, nor is any entry of his name or of any treatment to be found in the surgeon's journal. It is of course impossible for us to say from what disease the man suffered, although we are strongly disposed to believe, from the description given by himself and others, that he had a mild attack of small-pox. In any case these facts remain : that he had an eruption on his face containing matter, and similar in appearance to those observed in other cases on board; that on either side of the bunk where this man slept, there occurred the two first and only fatal cases of small-pox 'tween decks. 111. —Treatment of the Emigrants. (a.) Their Treatment generally. Under this first head we have to remark that, as far as regards the treatment of the emigrants from the time they left their own country prior to their arrival in London, there is nothing to show that they were badly cared for in any particular. Evidence will be found, both from Norwegians and Danes, to the