The Press. — London, England, 1856-03-22 00:00:00

274 THE REGISTRLR-GENERAL'S RETURNS for this week show an increased scale of mortality, the deaths rising from 1,082 the previous week to 1,118 in this. This sudden increase is ascribed to influenza and bronchitis, with other diseases of the lungs. The births for the same period amount to 1,744-242 above the average. THE FAMOUS BOWYER BIBLE was sold by auction on Saturday last to Mr. Heywood, of Bolton, for 5501. This bible was published by Mr. Bowyer in 1800. It consists of forty-five volumes, and is illustrated by at least 6,000 engravings from the works of the first roasters. Its original cost was about 4,000 guineas. The bible was encased in a richly-carved antique cabinet, given in with the books. A FIRE broke out on St. Andrew's-hill, Doctors' Commons, on Wednesday night, and threatened at one time to destroy the whole block of buildings. It was, however, fortunately got under. The inmates of the house escaped in time. MR. ROBERT ORRIDOE, late Governor of Cam• bridge Gaol, met his death by a frightful ac cident on Tuesday even*. Walking down Gracechurch - street, he dropped his stick, and, stooping to pick it up, he either became giddy or had a fit, for he fell forward into the road at the moment a laden coal-van was passing, the hind wheel striking the unfortunate man, crushed over his neck and chest, breaking in the bones and producing instant death. An inquiry was held, but as no blame was attachable to the driver of the van, a verdict was returned accordingly. THE ASSYRIAN EXCAVATIONS 80 long expected have at length arrived quite safe. They comprise about a hundred tons of sculpture, considered the finest specimens hitherto found. There has been much anxiety about these relics, in consequence of the loss sustained by the French nation of a much larger quantity, sunk last year near Ghornat, on the Euphrates, by the Arabs. The same vessel also brings home two living lions from Southern Babylon, procured by Mr. S. Lynch when there, which are about lo be presented to the Zoological-gardens, in Regent's-park. These are the first specimens of that animal brought to England from the valley of the Euphrates. THE VISITORS TO KEW GARDENS during the last year amounted to 318,818 persons. Of their general conduct, says Sir W. Hooker in his Annual Re port : I have in former reports expressed great satisfaction, and especially of that of the middling and lower classes, who come generally in family parties, and whose dress and de meanour are creditable and praiseworthy; and, though im proprieties are now and then committed by persons of these ranks, I have generally remarked that grosser misconduct, rudeness, pilfering, &c., are committed by people appa rently of better education, and a higher grade. During the fifteen years that I had the charge of the Royal Gardens at Kew, there is not one to which I can point with more satis faction than that which is past, on account of the benefits which the public in general have derived from them, both in healful recreation and instruction. V roVlntial. ANOTAIR DE/all from the absence of fences to ma chinery occurred last week, at Messrs. Jackson's Cud worth Bleach Works, Barnsley. A young woman named Catherine O'Brien,employed as a drill cleaner,went too near the machinery, her dress became entangled, and she was drawn in among the shafting. Her shrieks attracted the attention of the " beetler," who instantly stopped the machinery. Every effort was then made to extricate her quickly, but from her clothes being wound round the shafting her release was a work of some time, during which the poor girl lay in dreadful agonies, bleeding profusely. A surgeon was sent for, but he arrived only in time to see the girl die. On examining the body, besides some frightful fractures, the femoral artery was found torn below the knee, and the deceased had bled to death. THE NUMBER OF PAUPERS IN ENOLAND AND WALES, by the late parliamentary return, is stated at 876,655, on Ist Jan., 1856, of which 152,174 were able-bodied adults of both sexes. The expense of relief for the half-year is returned at 1,975,8321. The number of paupers by this last return has increased by 26,202 over the number relieved in 1854-5. AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER, One William Sharp, whose mode of life for nearly half a century, though presenting no remarkable features, was yet re m trkably singular, died the other day at Keighly, ne tr Doncaster. Forty nine years ago this man to ik to his bed, and from that day to the hour he d.ed, on Friday fortnight, he was never known to get out of it. The cause of this peculiar con d ict is stated to have originated in a disappointment i r love. Ho was engaged to be married. The wedding-day was fixed, and the bridegroom, as full health and hope as any man of only thirty years of age, went to the church at the orthodox hour—and waited, for no bride came near him. Her father sternly refused his consent to the match ; and the young man, after fruitless endeavours to soften this THE PRESS. hardened papa, went home to his bed-room, a small room about nine feet square, got into his bed, and never got out of it till the day of his death. At the time of his death his window, it is said, had not been opened for thirty-eight years. During the whole period of this self-imposed confinement he never had any serious illness, the only case of indis position those connected with him can remember being a slight loss of appetite for two or three days, caused apparently by indigestion. Physically he is reported to have done credit to his food ; for, though arrived at the long age of seventy-nine, his flesh was firm, fair, and unwrinkled, save with fat, and the estimate of his weight was 2401 b., or thereabouts. As a matter of course, the curious came far and wide to see this eccentric being, but whenever a stranger was ushered into his den Sharp imme diately buried himself in the bedclothes. About a week before his death his appetite began to fail, his limbs became partially benumbed, so that he could not take his food in his accustomed manner. From this attack he seemed to rally, and not until the evening before his death were any apprehensions entertained that the attack would prove ultimately fatal. THE OXFORD FARMERS' CLUB have agreed to give 10/. for the best essay "On the most complete method of growing a good crop of turnips, swedes, marigold, and other roots, on all descriptions of soils, with detailed expenses, and with a view to leave the land clean at the separation of those crops from the ground." THE LATE DR. WARNEFORD, whose munificent do nations to the various charities of Birmingham will be remembered, bestowed at the same time no less than 23,6501. upon the Queen's College, in addition to nearly 6,0001. more for the hospital and chapel attached. The Rev. Dr. Vaughan Thomas, 8.D., has written, for private circulation only, a very inte resting memoir of his deceased friend. THE FAMOUS KING OF THE GIPSIES, Samuel Cooper, died suddenly the other day from disease of the heart. He was sixty-two years of age. A PERFECT FOSSIL SPECIMEN OF THE ICHTHYO - imbedded at full length in blue lias, was found at Bristol this week. It is upwards of seven feet in length and two in width. THE DUKE OF RUTLAND, a few days since, was presented at Belvoir Castle with the portrait painted by his permission, and at the desire of the duke's tenantry, by Mr. Grant. The ceremony of presenta tion took place in the library, in the presence of several members of the duke's family. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, OXFOR.D, caught fire on Wednesday, and for a short time was in some danger. The fire broke out in the master's room, from the overheating of the kitchen flues. The damage done is considerable. AN EX.PLOSION OF COAL GAS generated in the hold of a vessel, took place last week on board a French collier lying off Bristol. The captain had lighted a match in his cabin, when in a moment a tremendous explosion ensued, the deck was blown up, the bulkheads shattered, and all the crew were more or less severely injured. No life was lost, but the captain was most severely injured. A CONVICT ON BOARD THE WOOLWICH HULKS died last Saturday somewhat suddenly. An inquest was held, and it was discovered that the man the whole of the previous night had been in great pain from strangulated hernia, and begged for a doctor. The officials neglected to send for the surgeon, and the man died. The jury have recommended to Sir George Grey that an inquiry be ordered by the Go vernment into the circumstances of such gross ne glect on the part of the officers of the hulk. DESTRUCTIVE FIRES have occurred this week in a woollen factory at Troubridge and in a windmill and farm buildings at Dover. In no instance were the buildings saved. The woollen factory was burnt to the ground, and loss to the amount of 10,0001. in curred; while the farm buildings and the windmill at Folkestone were completely destroyed. The German Legion at Shbrncliffe did such good service that one farmer presented them with thirty of his own pigs, —ready roasted. rtiant. THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE LEFROY, upon going the Home Circuit, has been presented with the most flattering address from the Home Bar of Ireland, expressive of their undiminished confidence in his eminent abilities and in his undoubted power to dis charge, to the complete satisfaction of the bar, the onerous duties of his high office:— We still view with pride (cbserves the address) in our Chief Justice the same thorough knowledge of the princi ples of law, the same clear discernment in the administra tion of justice, and the same undiminished energy and dignity of character which have always commanded the respect of the bar; and we pray your lordship to accept this our testimony of your lordship's eminent abilities, which were never more conspicuous than during the present cirenit► SATURDAY, The age of the learned Chief Justice, it will be remembered, was stated with marked empha sis by Sir J. V. Shelley as amounting to eighty-two years, by others in the debate upon Sir John Shelley's motion it was set down at eighty-five. We may take this opportunity to state, upon the very best authority, that the Lord Chief Justice Lefroy reached his eightieth year in January last. THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. GEORGE *DOWELL as official manager to wind up the affairs of the Tippe rary Bank, has stopped all the actions against the bank, and brought up Mr. James Sadleir for private examination before the Bankruptcy Commission. A TIPPERARY PAPER gives as an on dit that the case of the depositors in the Tipperary Bank is not at all so hopeless as was at first supposed. A wealthy railway director, a private banker, and a stockbroker of considerable personal property, ar e said to have been shareholders ; and not having transferred their shares within the time prescribed by the Bankers' Act, are therefore liable for tho debts of the bank. ST. PATRICK'S DAY was kept in Dublin with the usual observances. ONE MAN has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of the late Mr. O'Callaghan. gals art 4 V olitt. THE LEEDS POISONING CASE. Tax adjourned inquiry into the cause of Mrs. Dove's death was resumed on Monday. After some discussion, Mr. Morley read out the following re. port, upon the comparative result of experiments made with the spirituous extract obtained from the contents of the deceased's stomach and pure strych nia, with the view of determining the cause of Mrs. Dove's death:— As a further test of the presence of poison in the stomach, and one which as nearly as possible would amount to demonstration, we determined to try whether the spirituous extract obtained from the contents of the stomach, already shown by chemical tests to contain strychnia, possessed really the poisonous properties of the substance, we selected for experiment two rabbits, two mice, and one guinea pig, and, as the most exact method of acting upon such animals with small quantities of poison, we applied it by inoculation through small openings either into the cellular tissue beneath the skin or into one of the serous cavities of the body. One of the mice had a portion administered into the mouth. In each of these five ani mals thus submitted to experiment, the characteuistic effects of poisoning by strychnia were produced. In three of them (two mice and a vigorous rabbit) death ensued respectively in two minutes, twelve minutes, and fifty minutes, from the first introduction of the poison. The symptoms preceding death were, disturbed respiration, general distress, convulsive twitchings or jerkings, tetanic spasm, a peculiar outstretching of the legs, and general rigidity of the body, symptoms which are exactly those commonly produced by strychnia. In the fourth animal, a rabbit, the symptoms were equally well marked and decisive ; but although the animal lay for a time nearly dead, it after wards revived, and eventually recovered. In the guinea pig, the effects were at first much more alight, the spasms were not so strong as to throw it down or entirely disable it, but on the following day it was found dead, with the muscles rigid, and the hind legs extended, as if from the effects of the poison. For the purpose of comparison, we conducted at the same time a parallel series of experiments on other animals with ordinary strychnia. In these animals, the symptoms were exactly similar to those pro duced in the five acted on by the poison extracted from the body of Mrs. Dove. They were, as a aeries, not more severe, and not more rapidly fatal. These animal expert. ments, which add the test of physiological effect to that of the chemical reagents, decisively confirm our analysis; and taking them in connection with the analysis, and with the symptoms observed during life, and with the appear- ances noted in the body after death, they afford, tin our opinion, the most complete proof that the death of Mrs. Dove was from the poisonous effects of the strychnia, and from no other cause.—GEOROE MORLEY; TROXAS NUNNE. LEv, F.R.C.S.E. The Coroner then asked the prisoner whether he wished to say anything in reply to the charge. Mr. Dove replied, " I have nothing at all to say." The Coroner then, pointing out to the jury that their duty lay in simply determining the cause of death, whether by poison or not, and if so whether the poison was taken accidentally or administered designedly and by whom, entered upon a lengthened review of the evidence, dwelling upon every important point, especially the symptoms of poisoning by strychnine and the symptoms shown by Mrs. Dove: — It may be difficult (said the coroner) to say how little strychnine will cause death, what proportion will cause a defined amount of spasmodic action, and how soon after taking it the spasmodic action will come on, and how long it will continue; but its effects during life are well marked and settled. The symptoms commence generally from five to twenty minutes after the strychnine has been swallowed. The patient is suddenly seized with tetrinic symptoms , producing spasmodic contraction of the whole muscular system—the intellect is clear—the body becomes rigid, the limbs are stretched out, and the jaws so fixed that consider able difficulty is experienced in introducing anything into the month—the muscles of the chest are fixed by spa' modie sentrastion—the body assumes the state of Wig