against Sabbath desecration. While it is true that the rigid practice of all the virtues in the Decalogue will not exempt one from disease in any form, it is equally true that the strictly virtuous are not liable to a long catalogue of maladies which by preference attack the vicious. No one, we are persuaded, will deny that the laboring man who spends his Sabbath with scrupulous regard to its religious obligations, is less liable to those common vices which are the exciting causes of disease, than his neighbor who resorts to places of amusement. Holidays in general are acknowledged to be universally productive of vice and crime among the laboring classes. The source of the evil is not in relaxation from labor, but in the pursuit of those amusements which stimulate the passions, and in the indulgence in intoxicating beverages-the universal stimulus to vice. If these latter agencies were entirely withheld during holidays and Sundays, all observation shows that the amount of vice would be greatly diminished. We may cite facts from our police records which prove this point incontestably. From July 1857 to December 1858 (seventy-six weeks) there was no restraint in this city upon the sale of liquors on the Sabbath, and the following is the comparison of arrests on Sundays and Tuesdays:

Intoxication. Disorderly. Miscellaneous. Total. 2,453 2,580 4,680 9,713

Sundays.

During the five months from July 3 to December 1, 1859, the liquor stores were closed on the Sabbath, and the following are the criminal statistics of the two last days:

Thus it appears that when the liquor stores were open, there were twenty-five per cent. more arrests on Sundays than on Tuesdays; but when they were closed, the arrests were nearly fifty per cent. more on Tuesdays than on Sundays. Another fact of even greater importance was noticeable when the Sunday liquor traffic was suppressed, viz., a steady diminution in the ratio of arrests on both Sundays and Tuesdays is recorded. What the effect of this universal drunkenness every seventh day must be upon the health of the laboring classes, no one will be at a loss to determine. Medical men, however, who are familiar with the habits of the poor, are cognizant of the fact that there is a large increase of sickness on Monday, the results of the previous day's dissipation. During the prevalence of epidemic diseases, the results of Sabbath dissipation are sometimes frightful. Cholera numbers its victims on Monday in a tenfold greater ratio than on any other day. The laboring man of gener

ally good health is thus often unable to resume his employment for several days, even if he be not discharged by his employer on account of his delinquencies. The miseries which are heaped upon a poor family by a Sunday debauch of the husband and father are thus often incalculable. The proposition that the suppression of Sunday amusements, as theatrical performances, concerts, etc., is a measure tending to promote public health, will not be readily admitted as a necessity. There are many philanthropists who compassionate the laboring man in his incessant toil during the week, and desire to render the Sabbath not only a day of rest to him, but of recreation and diversion. It is true that a Sabbath spent in rural scenery, away from the excitements of the jostling, city crowd, may be elevating, refining, and hallowing; but very different is the effect upon the morale of the individual, when the day is occupied with boisterous and exciting city amusements. These scenes are not conducive to rest, or even recreation, but they stimulate the passions and appetites, and lead to the wanton commission of offences. Sunday theatres, sacred concerts, etc., are the very hotbeds of vice in every city where they exist. Prostitution in its most attractive form and exterior allurement here invites the unwary and unsuspecting. One who visited these resorts on Sunday in a neighboring city, says that in some he found the attendance of courtesans serving out lager beer

to customers, and at the same time making their assignations with such as may be inclined thereto. The class of persons in attendance is thus given by another: "A large proportion of their guests are youth of both sexes; but there have been seen in many of them children of tender years, drinking their lager and sharing in their sports. Probably it would be no exaggeration to estimate the number of people gathered in these places on a single Sunday night at fifteen thousand; and the whole number of different persons patronizing them during some part of the Sabbath, at thirty thousand." In view of the facts here briefly presented, it requires no argument to prove that liquor-selling and specious amusements on the Sabbath, tend not less to degrade public morals than to deteriorate public health. The necessity of reform had long been felt by many of our citizens. Grand-juries had also repeatedly directed attention to these fruitful sources of crime and disease, and called for the enforcement of the laws designed for their suppression. Stimulated by these appeals, and the request of citizens, the police commissioners at one time began the work in earnest, and both liquor-selling and theatres on the Sabbath were suppressed in this city. The result, as shown above, was most salutary; the Sabbath was a day of the most perfect quiet; good order prevailed everywhere; and Monday was no longer the day of the largest percentage of sickness. It is

surprising that any one could be found who should petition our Legislature "to repeal an act to preserve the public peace and order on the first day of the week ;" and it is truly astonishing that such petition should find a legislative committee willing to report favorably upon it. As medical men, we protest against the repeal of the laws designed to promote good order and sobriety on the Sabbath. Nearly every State in the Union throws around this day legal restrictions which prevent the disturbance of its hours of repose, and encourage the contemplation of moral subjects. The Legislature of this State should heed the eloquent appeal of the minority report, which certainly meets the hearty approbation of every well-disposed citizen: "In view of the fact that the repeal of any portion of the laws in question would involve a departure from the legislative policy of this Commonwealth for more than two centuries; that it would contravene the known convictions of the great body of good citizens in all parts of the State, as it would be abhorrent to the moral sense of the entire Christian community; that it would encourage a spirit of lawlessness, immorality, and vice; that it would remove the barriers protecting the laboring poor from their tempters to drunkenness and folly -we submit that the bill reported by the majority of the committee ought not to pass."