The Sun. — London, England, 1856-05-19 00:00:00

't'Aitrb labition SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock. THE RUGELEY POISONINGS. TRIAL OF WILLIAM PALMER. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT (THIS DAY). FIFTH DAY. This morning there was more than usual excitement outside the Court. Long before the hour at which the Court sat, a large crowd had assembled outside to watch the arrival of persons engaged in the proceedings. The interior of the Court was also more crowded than be fore, mostly by the medical profession, it being known that the proceedings would commence with the exami nation of Dr. Taylor. Mr. Baron Alderson did not take his seat this morn ing, and Lord Campbell and Mr. Justice Cresswell alone proceeded with the case. The prisoner looked rather pale, and during the day a strong nervous twitching of the lower muscles of the face bespoke the intense anxiety which he endured. Tho jury having reassembled, The Attorney-General called Professor Taylor, who having been sworn, said—My name is Alfred Swaine Taylor. lam a Professor at Guy's Hospital, and a Fel low of the College of Physicians. Lord Campbell—Let your statements be slow and distinct. The Attorney-General—You are I believe lecturer upon medical jurisprudence at Guy'S Hospital l I am. The Attorney-General—And author of a work upon poisons ?—I am. The Attorney-General—Have you atnong.t your studies upon the nature of poisons turned particular attention to that of strychnine ?—I have. The Attorney-General—lt i, I believe, the produce of nux vomica ?—lt is. Attorney-General—And nux vomica contains, I be. lieve, besides strychnia that which is called brucia ?—lt does ; mix vomica contains about 12 of brucia to 6 of strychnine, and the impure and not properly prepared strychnine contains more or less brucia. Attorney-General—So thet unless you know the purity of the article, you may be misled as to the strength of the strychnine ?--You may. • Attorney•General—You have, I believe, tried various experiments with strychnine upon animal life ?---tI have. Attorney-General—Have you ever witnessed an in stance of its action upon a human subject have not. Attorney-General—l❑ how many instances have you tried its effects upon animal life ?—Ten or twelve. Attorney-General—What class of animals?—Rabbits. Attorney-General—Have you found the symptoms produced uniformly the same ?—Yes. Attorney-General—What has been the quantities you administered I—From half a grain to two grains. Attorney-General—Have you found half a grain suf ficient to destroy life?—Yes. Attorney-General—ln what manner have you admi nistered it ?—Solid. Attorney-General—And also liquid ?—Yes. Attorney-General—Were the effects between that which you gave solid and that given fluid different ? They were. Attorney-General—How long was that given in a fluid state before it took effect ?—A very few minutes. Attorney-General—And how long that which you administered solid ?—That which I gave solid in the form of a pill or a roll did not produce any effect from six to seven minutes. Attorney-General—Do you find the time of its taking effect influenced by the strength of the dose ?—Yes, and also by the strength r of the animal. Attorney-General—How does it operate upon the sys tem to produce the symptoms ?—First by absorption in the blood. It then ; circulates through the body, and especially acts upon the spinal cord. Attorney-General—Suppose absorption to have taken place, how long is it circulating► through tiro body ? The supposed circulation of the blood is once in from three to four minutes. Through the whole system it would be about four minutes. The circulation in the blood of a rabbit is quicker. The absorption in a rabbit would be quicker. The rapidity of the absorption also depends upon the state of the stomach receiving it as to whether there is much food to prevent its coming in contact immediately with the coats of the stomach. I think it must be first absorbed before it will act upon the nervous system. Attorney General—Describe the symptoms which it produces—The animal for the first five or eight minutes does not appear to suffer, bat runs about as soon as the poison acts. It suddenly falls on is side, and is seized with a trembling of the whole of the body. Attorney-General—What first causes the trembling ? —A. general motion of the whole muscular system, aris ing from the poison producing an involuntary contrac tion. Upon this taking place, the fore arid hind legs are stretched out with the head drawn back, and the body is bent in the form of a bow. The jaws are closed and the eyes are prominent, and protruding after a short time ; there are slight remissions of symptoms, and it then ap pears to be quiet. The slightest noise or touch pro duces convulsions or spasms, and the animal shrieks or screams as if suffering great pain. The heart beats very violently during the fits, and after a succession of those fits it dies quietly. Sometimes it does not die quiet, but appears to die during one of these spasms of the heart. Attorney-General—What are the appearances after death I—ln some instances, they appear to dif fer, but in general the animal is in a strictly rigid state throughout. In one instance the animal was so stiff after death that you could hold it horizon tally by taking hold of its hind legs, as I now bold this book (taking up the Testament). It remained in that state for a week. In the case of an animal killed the other day by strychnine, it was flaccid at the time of death, but became rigid about five minutes afterwards. The witness, in answei• to other questions, said—l have opened the bodies of animals thus destroyed, and found no appearance of the stomach, being congested and in one or two eases, found congestion of the mem branes more than duo to the gravitation after death. The congestion, I think, is due to the succession of fits the animals had. In three out of the five cases I found no abnormal change. The heart in all the cases has been congested. By th.' Lord Chief Jastioe—The right side more especially. By the Attorney• General—l have seen, years ago, a case of orditary tetanus, but I have not had much ex- perience. Isaw a, case of tetanus in the human subj .ct last Thursday week, in St. Thomas's Hospital. It did not end fatally; the person recovered. I have heard the symptoms of Mr. Cook described. Those symptoms ap- peered to me precisely the same as those which appeared in the animals I have described. The animals have died at variable periods. One died in 13 minutes an I one in 17. Symptoms appeared more rapidly when the strych- nine bad been given in a fluid state. De&h takes place in about 17 minutes. The experiments I have made lately have been confined entirely to solids. Tee symp toms appeared in the first case in 7 minutes, and the anim a l died in about 13 minutes. I❑ the nest casesymptoms appeared in 9 minutes, and death occurred in 17 minutes ; in the third, 10 minutes and died in 13 minutes; in the fourth, in 12 minutes and died in 22 minutes ; in the fifth, in q 0 minutes and died in 23 minutes. The poison would take longer to act on the human subject. The pill aructure would require to be broken up in order to bring the /3014011 in contact with the mucous membrane of the stomach. In the case of the rabbits I have destroyed, I have administered the poison in the form of pills. I don't think we can draw any inference between the death of the annuals and th. human subject, because the circulation and absorption are entirely different. There would be a difference between one human subject and another. The strength of the dose would also make a dif: ference. In the experiments nil le upon the ani- male I have reproduced the strychnia• The prin. cipie of extraction consists in putting the stomach and its contents in alcohol mixed with a email quantity of sulphuric acid to dissolvA the strychnia, We then get sulphate of strychnia, if any be discovered. Having got the sulphate of strychnia, the liquor is filtered and gently evaporated, and then an alkali added—carbonate of potass. It combines with the sulphuric acid, and so produces the strychnia, if present. _Besides this mode of ascertaining the presence of strychnia, there are other tests. Strychnia has a strong bitter taste. Another test is that strychnia is nearly soluble in water ; it is soluble in acid and in alcohol. It is precipitated Loy acid when it has been dissolved in them. 1Y44 colour test is applied . to the evaporations. mixture of strong sulphuric acid and hi-chromate of potase produces a blue colour changing to a violet, then purple, and passing to a red. These colouring tests are very fallacious. When we have separated strychnia in its crystaline state, we have recagnised the crystals by their form and their chemical qualities. You may produce all foe symptoms by introducing strychnine into 3 punctured wound; it operates iu that case more quizkTy. I There are other vegetable substances which will exhibit similar results after the colouriug tests. A mixture of sugar and bile will produce the purple red tint. A sub stance called phyrozantin produces precisely similar colours as strychnine. I have known cases occur in my own laboratory of persons thinking that they had stryohnia when it was only phyro-zantin. A small quantity of salacine added gives this mixture a bitter taste. Vegetable poisons are more difficult to discover than mineral ones. In the rabbits I have destroyed I have tried to discover the strength of the strychnia in four distinct cases. I was assisted by Dr. Rees. I applied the process I have just de scribed. I endeavoured to reproduce the strychnia if present, and then applied those colour) , tests I have mentioned. In one case by the colour tests I had given two grains of strychnia, when it was discovered by the colour test in the other ease I had given one grain. I attribute the absence of strychnia in some of the cases to its absorption into the blood, and therefore it would be no longer in the stomach. It is in great part changed in the blood. In some cases there would be a retention of some not absorbed there being an excess of what was required to destroy life. Supposing the minimum dose given I should not ex pect to discover any if it was required to destroy life. There is no process by which I am acquainted with of detecting strychnine in the tissues. Half-a-grain has destroyed life, and supposing it to be absorbed in the system by circulation, I should find in the blood, assum ing that it be 251 b. in the human subject, there would be 1-50th of a grain to 11b. of blood. A physician in Ca nada died i❑ 20 minutes from a dose of half-a-grain. I believe it undergoes a partial change in the blood. I have never heard of its being separated from the tissues in a crystalised state. The crystrals are peculiar in form. Tney present themselves in the form sometimes of octahedra and quadilateral prisms, terminating in four-sided pyramids. There are other organic substances which crystalise in a similar manner. After Cook's death I received a brown stone jar from Mr. Boycott covered with bladder and tied and sealed. It contained the stomach and intestines of the deceased. I experimented on it with a view to discover poison. We sought fir varnous first, prussic acid, oxalis acid, morphia, strychnia, veratria, the poisons of tobacco and hemlock. We only found small traces of antimony. The parts sent UR to experiment on were the most unfa vourable that possibly could be to find strychnia, from the stomach having been cut completely from end to end, and all the contents gone, and the fine mucous surface in which any poison, if present, would be found lying in contact with the outside of the intes tines, all thrown together. On the surface of the mucous membrane of the intestines there was feculent matter. No doubt, in its journey up to London, it had been shaken in every possible way ; the contents of the intestines were also gone. If this poison had been in the system I should have expected to have found it in the contents and on the mucous membrane. At my request other parts of the body were sent—the liver, spleen, and the two kidneys, and in addition a small bottle of blood, 11b. weight—it was unlabelled, giving us no idea from whence it was taken. We analysed all the liver and kidneys for mineral poison, and discovered in one eighth part of the liver antimony. •We analysed the left kidney and the spleen—they all yielded antimony, but the quantity was less in the spleen than in the other psrts. Tae blood also yielded antimony. It was re produced or broul,ht out by boiling the animal substance in a mixture of hydro-chloric acid and water, and cop per in a state of foil and gall was introduced into it whilst boiling, and the antimony appeared on the sur face. We applied various tests to it—both the esta blished tests and others. [The professor handed in a small quantity of the antimony so produced.] It is im• possible to say with precision when the antimony was taken by the subject, but it must have been within a few days. The longest period I have known antimony found in the blood after the person has I ceased to take it is eight days ; antimony within my own knowledge has got into the blood in the quickes t time in 13 hours. I found it in the liver, the boy hav ing died within 19 hours after taking it ; it was a snub dose, and was not the cause of death; It was about five or six grains of antimonial powder. Antimony is given in tartar emetic. It acts as an irritant and produces vomiting. Repeated doses would, notwithstanding the vomiting, leave a portion behind and that would find its way into the system. It is often given in minute doses with impunity, and it might be given so as to produce symptoms that would produce death if continued. I heard from the servant her description of Mr. Cook's vomiting both at Rugeley and at Shrewsbury, as well as the accounts given by Mr. Jones and Mr. Gibson, and it was such as that which would be produced from anti mony ; antimony is partly soluble in fluids, and does not affect the colour of the fluid in which it is mixed, if used in small quantities; a quantity sufficient to produce sickness would net affect the colour of toast and water, brandy, wine, or broth. I should think the antimony found in the deceased must have been given within three weeks of death—there was no evidence of any having been given within a few hours of death. By Lord Campbell—lt might have been administered within a few days of death—in fact within 18 hours of death. ExaminMion continued—Antimony to cause sickness would not be perceptible to the taste. A large quantity taken might leave a tickling or choking sensation for a time. In the analyses we made we found no trace of mercury. If it had been taken recently to the extent of two grains, I should have expected to have found some trace of it in the liver. If he had taken any for a syphi litic affection, I should have expected to have found it, and if taken within a few hours of death, I should have expected some traces of it would have been found from its slowly passing through the body. Three or four grains taken then, I should have expected, would bare been traced. I recollect finding it on the liver on one occasion 24 hours after being taken ; half a grain had been taken daily for four days previous to death. I have heard the evidence relative to Mrs. Smith's death ; that of Agnes Sinnett, Mrs. Dove, and the gentleman about whom Dr. Moore gave evidence, and I coincide with them in opinion that the three former died from strych nia. Mr. Cook's symptoms were of a similar character to those referred to. As a professor of medical science, I know of no other disease to which Cook's death can he attributed than that it arose from strichnia. Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shea —The term trace means a small quantity ; but I do not use it in that term now. Too whole which we found was about half a grain. That monk] not cause death. The tests are use , ] fur antimony after obtaining the deposit by boiling the animal matter. Nothing but arsenic orantunony would de posit upon the copper. We found no sublimate of arsenic. We next us--d the test of sulphuretted hydrogen, and after 24 hours there was a deposit of a reddish colour, like sul- phuret of antimony, and was soluble in hydro-chlorin acid. He then described the tests employed, which produced a deposit, which, upon being dissolved in hydro-chloric acid, converted the black precipitate into antimonial acid. An inaccuracy in the Leg pro cess or badness of the instrument might affect the experiment. The antimony which I found might have been taken 3 weeks before. I should think anti- mony gets quicker out of the body of an animal than a man. lam acquainted with the works of Orfile. He was one of the must esteemed ehemist4. He maims mention of a deg in whose 13 ,, dy after it had lived 4 months, was found to oontaieantimony, but that dog took 45 grains. That was a large dose, and some of the dogs died who had taken the dose. I never knew of a case of such a quantity being taken. We cannot o!early tell when it gets out of the body. I was first applied to about this body upon the 21st of November ; it was by Mr. Warrington. I did not know GArdn.r. I have not had any previous clqe4 at Hugeley. Mr. Steveaß and Boycott brought in the jar with the contents of the stomach. I wrote a letter in answer, giving my opinion of the cause of death. The letter was here read, and went on to state that the contents of the stomach did not give the pre- sence of either strychnia, prussic acid, or opium ; but that the deceased might have died from the effects of anti- mony. A man will vomit upon first taking anti mony—part will go out by the bowels and part by the urine. Orfile inclines to the opinion that in from 4 to 17 hours it passes out from the urine. I believe I wan justified in coming to the opinion that Cook might have died from antimony. The quantity found in the body does not always prove the cause of death. Any a n timonial preparatio n , taken judiciously or in judiciously, might have given the results of antimony which we arrived at. James's powder, or any such preparation, might have left enough in the system. The accounts w hi c h I received of Cook's death guided me in the Cook, might h ave di e d f rom opinion I came to, that lie, the effects of antimony. Mr. Sergeant Shee—Do you allow yourself to be di rected in the opinion you arriveat byhearsay statements? —A man may die from many sorts of poison 9. The learned professor explained that an account of how a man died would tend to assist and direct him in the analysis, but not influence the opinion of such analysis beyond guiding him in the conclusions drawn, that the isyniptoms exhibited by the deceased had been caused by whatever poison might be traced. I was not at the inquest on Cook at its commencement. Some of the evidence was read over to me. Dr. Har land was being examincel. I also heard Dr. Bamford, 141 Barnes, and Elizabeth eXaMinecll Lad THE SUN, LONDO,N, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 19, 1856. not experimented on the rabbits before I went to the in quest. Five of the rabbits were experimented on 25 years ago. I had a great objection. to destroy life ex cept in extreme cases. My last experiments were mad. after the inquest. I don't consider a rabbit an unfair test ; dogs are not so good. They are not so dangerous to handle. I think the rabbits as good as any animal, as the poison is retained and the effects are visible. attended the inquest and suggested questions. They were pet to the witnesses. I remember Roberts being examined, but I only paid attention to the medical part of the case: I did not hear Roberts say strychnia had been bought, but I knew it had been bought on the Tuesday from Mr. Gardner's letter to me, and it was with that knowledge, and after hearing some of the evi dence, that I gave my opinion. Sergeant Shee—l think, my lord, wa ought here to have the witness's depositions read. The Lord Chief Justice —Very well. The Clerk then read the evidence given by Dr. Alfred Taylor at the inquest held on Mr. Cook. Examination continued—l returned to town imme diately after giving my evidence, and the r risoner was committed for wilful murder. I tlrnight it my duty to abstain from all discussion calculated to influence the public mind. I wrote a letter to the Lancet contradict. ing some statements that had been made. The letter was here read. It was one complaining of certain statements, and also misquotations that had been made from his evidence. The court adjourned for a quarter of an hour. On the jury returning to their box, The cross-examination of Dr. Taylor was then pro ceeded with. The last portion of the letter was strictly correct, and it was still his opinion. The mode in which the result of this trial will affect the accused is of miner importance compared to the interests of 16 millions of persons. He had no prejudice against the man, but he had a duty to the community as well as to the prisoner to perform. I never knew that a likeness or rather a " caricature " of myself and Dr. Rees was taken for the Illustrated Times. Ido not know anything of the person taking the likeness. Mr. A. Mayhew called or. me with a letter from Professor Faraday, and I received him as I should the professor himself. He did not tell me until after the conversation had taken place that he tonneoted with the illustrated Times. I think the information was obtained in a very indirect inenner. After I detected the imposition I desired everything connected with the Rugeley cases might be excluded. I never said to a gentleman named Cook Evans, " I will give them enough strychnine before I have done with them." I never uttered anything so low or vulgar. I most positively deny that I ever used the term, and the person who has instructed you (Sergeant Shee) has very much misinformed you. As regards the effect of strychnia on the human frame, I don't think I ever saw a single case, but I have a knowledge of the subject. Cook was seized with tetanic symptoms after he sat up in his bed. I cannot ref.r to any case in any book were the symptoms exhibited by Cook are described. The beating of the bedclothes by Cook would prove that he was very uneasy from a sense of suffocation. The tetanic symptoms occurred after the beating of the bed clothes. I have heard of one case of tetanus. The patient had a fit like ague. I know of no case whine the patient screnmed before the fit. I have never known a patient scream when attacked by tetanus, but will in ordinary convulsions. I cannot say whether a person affected with tetanic spasms would be affected by the touch ; animals would. I know of a fatal case from strychnine, where a healthy young female had taken strychnine and no effect produced for an hour. The case is reported in medical Jurisprudence. She took a grain awl a half. There is another case, not fatal, where the patient was not attacked for two hour, after the taking the strychnia. Dr. Ceristisson reports a case where death ensued in three hours and three quarters after the ingestion of strychnia. lam of opi nion, that in that case the convulsions did not commence until three hours afterwards. There is another caw, where a female took a very large dose in a state of solu tion, and was some time before she was attacked. Ido not know of any fatal case wherse t the symptoms have manifested themselves so lonk as ari 4 hour and a halt after the ingestion of the poison. The recovery of Cook upon the night of Monday may be attributed to the nature and quantity of the dose. Ido not know that he was well in so short a time. In a case where half an ounce of nux vomica had been taken, convulsions subsided in four hours and a half. It is not so strong as strychnine ; strychnine is the agent. Sergeant Shee—Have you known any other case where, after strychnine has been taken, that the symp toms subsided so soon as they did in Cook's case ?—I do not ; neither do I know any case where the paroxysm subsided for so long a time as they did in Cook's case, from the Monday to Tuesday. I do net think that the dose upon Monday had anything to do with the atttack upon Tuesday. Ido not know of a case where the body hat been pliant after death. The coloured tests cannot be depended upon unless you get strychnine in a tangible form. By the Attorney-General—l have det with cases in my reading where the heart was found empty after death in a human subject. I have met with three such cases. I ascribe the emptiness of the heart to spasmodic action. If the paroxysm were severe and shertl expect to find the heart empty. The rigidity after death in the cases I have seen always affected the muscles of the back. The dura tion of time in which the symptoms would first appear would vary according to the constitution and the absorp tion. One of the earliest symptoms of death by strychnine is the feeling of suffocation. I have no doubt but that that which I produCed was antimony. Supposing antimony was given to prodece sickness, some would be thrown off during the vomiting. I suggested some questions to the coroner, because he did not.put sect as would enable me to form an crpreirOin It was not intentional, but he did not appear to understand the medical bearing of the case. I also observed that there was an omission in taking down some of the answers. I referred to antimony as the cause of Cook's death, as it was the only sub stance found in his body after death. I have been misrepresented as to the possibilities of discovering strychnia after death very much indeed. What I said to the coroner was that strychnia absorbed by the blood could not be extracted as strychnia. Dr. Rees. lecturer at Guy's liospitel—l assisted Dr. Taylor in the analysis. It has been very correctly given. The antimony discovered might have been ad ministered within a few hours or days of death. The amount discovered was no test of the amounreinainistertl. We failed to discover etrychnia. The stomach was pre sented most unfavourably for analysis. Tne stomach had been turned inside out, the raucous surface rub bing against the intestines. The contents, had there been any, must have been mixed among the intestines. This being the state of the stomach it was very difficult to discover strychnia. I agree with Dr. Taylor that strych nia is absorbed before it causes death. I also agree that it is only the excess that is found. I have seen the experiments of Dr. Taylor with the rabbits, and I assisted in discovering the strychnia after the death of the animals. We de stroyed four animals, and failed to detect it in three. The symptoms of death resembled Cook's case; r have heard the detailu of all the oases that have been detailed during this trial, and they are anatagous to the experi ments I have produced in animal life. Cross-examined by Mr. Grove—The etrychnia was administered by pills. The animal is thrown on its back, its legs secured by the hands, arid the mouth opened and the pills introduced. In the four cases mentioned there was no sickness. In the fifth case, which I did not see, a portion was ejected. There was no great putrefaction in the sto mach of Cook when it was received. By the Attorney-General—The presence of antimony was clearly shown. Professor Brandt—l am professor of chemistry at the Royal Institution. I was not present at the analysis of the liver and spleen of Cook, but I had a report sent to me for my opinion. I was present at Guy's Hospital on the 3d of May. We then examined, in the first place, the action of copper upon a weak solution of an timony. We found that there was no action until the solution slightly acidified by the acid and heated. The antimony was then deposited, and I am enabled to state that the deposit was antimony. Cross-examined . Mr. by Greve—The case which I have just alluded to was one made of emetic tartar fur the experiment. It is whit is called Rich's test in reference to arsenic. I only know of three .substances that are thrown down. It was arsenic, antimony, and I believe bismuth. Mercury will deposit without the application of heat, as well as with its application. By the Attorney-General—The tests applied were the proper tests. I have no doubt but that antimony was present. Professor Christison, of Edinbarih University, said—. I have, amongst other poisons, turned My attention to etrychnia. In my opinion strychnia is absorbed in the blood, and by its action on the nervous system proves fatal. I have seen its action on the human body, but not fatal—it was through an overdose being taken. have frequently seen experiments en frogs, cats, dog., and one wild boar. I first direoted , my attention to thiS poison (str3chnia) in 1820, in Paris; It was discovered two years before that date, in that,city. .The doses iti 4iOA of ally experiments bxie been *.4y mill d0ie6,4144 some cases a gixth of a grain. The poison has been in jected into the cavity of the chest by a small incision. A. sixth part of a grain killed a dog in two minutes. I .iave administered it occasionally into the stomach. A. rabbit was used. The animal died, but I cannot now recollect the time. I have seen one of the experiments made by Dr. Taylor. He gave about three quarters of a grain, but a very small quantity was not swallowed by the animal, and the symptoms in those animals, were, speaking generally, a :slight tremor and unwillingness to move ; then fre quently the animal jerks its head backward, and soon afterwards ad the symptoms of tetanus came on that have been so often described by previoas witnesses. Occasionally there is a remission of the symptoms. From the time of the giving of the poison to the coming on of the first symptoms 12 minutes will elapse. Death generally takes place in about 25 minutes. The jaws and neck are affected first, and then the trunk and extremities. I have observed differences in , he same species of animals. Same die in one con tinuous paroxysm; but that is uncommon. I have commonly found a resumption of the symptoms before death, and the animals very generally die quietly; the rigidity is gone, and the body is fleeced ; the ri gidity comes on again soon after death. I have opened the bodies after death, and could never trace any effect of the poison in the stomach,' upon the spinal cord and brain. I never could satisfactorily find anything to trace to poison. The hearts of some animals I have not found empty, others I nave. In cases of overdose by people, I have seen there was a fixing of the retraction of the head, a grinning expression, a slight stiffness of the arms, great alarm in the patient, no convul-ions .f the lower limbs. It would take longer in a large than a small subject. In the case of the wild boar, it was injected into the breast, a third of a grain ; it died in about ten minutes. Nux vomica will sometimes not take an effect for an hour; it would operate :slower in the solid form, and protract the appearance of the symptoms ; it might be mixed so as to protract its operation with a resinous substance, er anything diffi• cult of digestion. Some resinous substances are used for , naking pills. Absorption would take place as soon as the substance of the pill began to, be broken down er digested. We cannot, with our present knowledge, fix the precise time when absorption commences. When we give it to an animal we take care that it has fasted, that it may the more readily take effect, and give it in a soluble state that it may soon take effect. I have seen many cases of tetanus from both causes. Ordinary tetanus and tetanus from strychnine do not differ, but the course is different. Ordinary tetanus proceeds more slowly, and in certain forms it proceeds without any intermission. There are short ones in that from strych nine. I beard the description of Cook on Monday and Tuesday, and I should refer it to strychnine or to the Ig natius bean, snakewood, and'two other plants of the same class as nux vomica, all of whichyield strychninelAs long as one can make any observation upon the sensibility it remains in the animal up to the final spasm which de prives it of consciousness. In animals the heart will contain blood, but it differs in the human frame, but that will depend upon the circumstances of death. When it is spasm of the heart it will be emptied. I should not expect to find strychnia after death unless the excess of the dose taken was great. Vegetable poisons are more difficult to detect than others. I know of one that cannot be detected. Attorney-General— We will not hear it named. Witness—l consider that the state of the stomach in 0-ok's case was not at all favourable to analysis, and there mu't have been a good deal in the stomach to nave found it under those circumstances. Cross-examined by Mr. Grove—My first experiments were made before the colourrd tests were used. I tried , hem once upon the stomach of a man known to have lied from strychnine, and the test failed; Lord Campbell—When was that ? Witness—ln 1851. I employed sulphuric acid and oxide of lead to produce the violet colour. I did not use bichromate of potash, or manganese. The man bad been found dead upon a moor. The witness not having any permanent knowledge of the circumstances of the death the examination about it was not proceeded with. Cross•examination continued —ln my work I leave the question open as to whether it is caused from spasm of the heart or asphyxia. Lord Campbell—Let us know what you mean by asphyxia ?—Suff,cation ,my Lord. Cross-examination continued—ln animals there are found blood in the right cavity of the heart. My book states that the effects continue twelve to sixteen hours. That was written a long time ago, and we have learnt more since. I have known the effects even in a much shorter time in animals operated upon. The touch, unless very slight indeed, brings on a return of the spasms. It has been said by the gentleman who discovered the poison that one part in 80,000 would be enough to impart to the whole a bitter taste. The sub stance of the pill might not he found in the stomach. It might pass off through the intestines and not be found. Re-examined by the Attorney-General—That would de- pend partly upon the dose. The case of the man referred to was in Scotland. The man had been missed for four days, and was found dead. His hands were clenched, his head and body thrown back, and in his pocket a paper of strychnine was found. I found in the stomach indications that he had taken strychnine. I heard the coluured test spoken of by Dr. Taylor, which failed. I do not consider we can rely upon the coloured tests for finding strychnine, especially if it be impure. At this stage the case was adjwurned, and the At torney-General, in answer to Mr. Baron Alderson, who sat during the after part of the day, said that the pro secution would close to-morrow. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMO — NS—(This Evening.) The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour. The following bills were read a third time and passed : —Antrim and Coleraine Roads; Banbridge Junction Railway; Dewsbury, Batley, and Hecktnondwicke Water ; Eastern Union Railway ; Glasgow Ciurt Rouses and Oifices, and the Glasgow Paving. SLIGO ELECTION CO AIMITTEE. The members elected to serve on the Sligo Election Committee were called to the table and sworn. MILITARY BANDS' IN THE PARKS. In answer to a question from Mr. OTWAY, Sir B. HALL said that a few days since he received orders to di-continue the playing of the bands in the parks on Sunday, and that was ad he knew of it. Lord PALMERSTON said he received last week a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury, containing reasons why it was desirable the playing of tlie bands in the parks should cease. He replied that he concurred in the arratigem3nts made for the playkig of the bands in the parks, and that his opinion was, a,,1 is, that it afforded innocent recreation and ainimment, to the inhabitants of the metropolis—(hear)—hut Swing the opinion of the head of the Church, and that of others was against it, he was led to ask himself whether the ad vantages to be derived from it would compensate for the evil of running contrary to the religious feelings of so large a number of the people of this country, and he was bound to believe it would not, and therefore he gave orders for the discontinuance of the bands playing on Sundays, Mr. orwAy gave notice that on the first opportu nity on the house going into supply he should move for copies of the correspondence alluded THE DEFENCE OF- KARS. In reply to a question from Mr. OLIVEIRA, Lord PALMERSTON said that, with regard to granting pensions to those offisers who defended Kars with General Williams, there was no precedent for ex tending such marks of distinction to them. ASSAULT ON MISS ARCHER. In reply to a question from Mr. PEACOCKE, relative to the assault on Miss Archer, on the day of the pro clamation of the peace, by a policemen of the D Sir G. GREY said that every inquiry had been made, and every facility given to Miss Archer to identify the policeman, but she had not been able to do so, THE PARKS AND THE BANDS. Mr. ROEBUCK asked the Prime Minister if it was true that a deputation of the Scotch members had waited on him with reference to the discontinuance of the playing of the bands on Sundays. (Hear, hear.) Lord PALMERSTON said that no such deputation had waited on him. (Hear, hear.) Major REED asked if the order for discontinuing the playing of the bands on Sithdays would extend to garrison towns. Lord PALMERSTON said it related only to the playing of the bands in the parks on Sundays. THE FIREWORKS. In answer to a question from Mr. LINDSAY, Lord PALMERSTON said the fireworks would com mence as soon as t h e e, li g ht and da r k ness " would per mit—about 9 o'clock. With regard to the illumination, that was only a private matter, resting entirely with in diviunals. been completely paid up. He afterwards stated to the house a plan for funding area millions on Exchequer Bills, which had taken effect, and bad been successful. Since that time the balance sheet for the years 1855-6 had been laid before Parliament, and hon. members had seen the receipt and expenditure of last year, and he should recapitulate but little of it to enable them to understand it. The expenditure was 88,428,0001., the revenue was 65,704 ? 000/., leaving an excess of ex penditure 22,723,0001, exclmive of the advance of a million on loan to Sardinia, and the redemption of heri ditary pensions to the amount of 213.0001. The total pay ments beyond the revenue had been 23 936,000/. To cover that there was raised by loans on Consols 19,501,000., Exchequer Bonds, 977,7551., and Exchequer Bills amounting to six millions, making 26,478,0001, and he had therefore to account for 2,542,0001., which was an excess in favour of the Exchequer. On 81st March, 1856, the balance was 5.600 0001., and on 31st March, 1855, was 3,949,0001., subject to the deduction of one million of outstanding ways and means, which had been advanced in anti cipation of the revenue of the succeeding year— leaving, therefore, in 1856, the sum of 2,949,000, which was the real balance. If they compared that with the balance of 1856, they would find the in creased balance of the latter year was 2,651,000/., and a further sum of 100,0001. beyond what he bad to account for. The total expenditure for the two years of war, includin one milion advanced to Sardinia amounted to 155,171,0001. The expenditure for the two previous years of peace, 1852-3 and 1853-4, was 102, 032,0001., and if they deducted that from the two years of war, they would find the excess of expendi ture was 53.088,000/. The revenue from taxation for the two years of war had been 108,018,000/., and the increase of revenue from taxation in the two years of war was 17,182,000/., to which was to be ad led 33 601,0001., money borrowed, which gave a total of 50,786,0001. as compared with the two previous years of peace. To that' amount must be added the surplus of income over expenditure of 5,985,0001., so that the total amount of the expenditure for the past year had been 56 772,000/. If they made a similar eaten laion of the estimated expenditure of the pre ' sent year with that of the year of peace im mediately preceding the war, they would find an excess of 24,500,0001, and by adding the actual expence of the two years, and the excesss of expenditure on this year fairly attributable to the war, they would arrive at a total expenditure of 77,588,000/. on the three years. By the advancement of science they had been able during the war to greatly reduce the expenditure consequent on a state of war, by being ena bled to compress matter into a small compass as regarded time and other matter. The American war lasted sue years, and added 124 millions to their debt. This war the actual hostilities had lasted but twe y ears, and they had had to add but forty-two millions to the national debt, funded and unfunded, the principal additions being to the unfunded debt. The country at the commencement of the late war was unprepared at its beginning for so great a struggle, but from the manner in which the war bad been conducted, the country was now in possession of a larger amount of materials than at its commence ment, and it was not, therefore, to be supposed that the expenditure had been for a temporary pur pose, much of it being in a temporary form. In considering the estimate for the expen diture and the revenue for 1856-7, the pre sent year must be considered for all practical circum stances, and, to a great extent, as a year of war expenditure, and they must not expect to reap the full benefit of a retu' n to the blessings of peace till another year. The original estimate for the army was 34,999,0001., and the reduced estimate presenter! to the house a short time since was 10,747,0001., showing a difference of 14 251.0001. The original estimate for the navy was 19,876,0001., and the reduced estimate 16,568,0001., making a difference of 3,308,0001. The total of the arigiiial estimates, therefore, for the army and navy was 54,874,0001., and the reduced estimates 37,315,000/., making a difference of 17,559.0001. The right hon. baronet next adverted to the treaty between this country and Sardinia, by which we were to ad %ance to that country during the war two millions. One million had been paid, and the other instalment of a million had become due since the signing of the treaty of peace. He had no doubt but that he would carry into effect the spirit of the treaty en tered into wi'h Sardinia, and w, uld authorise the ad vancement of that sum: Including that payment the estimated expenditure for the year 1856 7 eat — funded debt, including new loan, 27,635,0001. ; unfunded debt, 1,250.000/. ; consolidated tend, 1,750,0001., the army 27,747,0001., navy 3,568.000/ , and the civil service 6,800,0001„ making, with the charges for collecting the revenue, 75,525,0001. That sum would cover the eiltire estimated servicee for the year, but inasmuch as it was diffioult, not to say irnpee giblet to make a correct estimate of the expenses that 'night be incurred in bringing home the army and de -1 fraying what expenses that might arise, he should pro• pose at a later period of the session, as a matter of pre. caution, and not from any anticipated increase of the esti mates, to take a vote of creditfor two millions, which would meke the total estimate including the two millions for Sar dn'a 77,525,0001. He then alluded to the total revenue fur the year—confining himself to those taxes, the rates of which had been increased. The inc ,metex for the year at 16d. in the pound, or 6/. 13s. 4d. per cent., he estimated would return a net produce in round numbers of 16,000.000/. I will now pass to the war duties on tea and sugar. The duty on tea now is le. 9d., and it will continue so until 1858, when it will be ls. 3d. per pound, and after that year it will be ls. per pound, and it was not proposed to interfere with these arrangements. It was gratifying to know that during the war there has been a steady in crease in that article. The spirit duties were never in a better state in the United / Kingdom than at the present time both with respect to the draw back in malt for distillation, and they thought they were justified in getting as large a return as possible frees spirits, provided illicit distilation was not increased. The right h inourahle gentle man then read an authority on the subject, bear ing out the above view. The war duty on malt will very shortly cease altogether, as the term from the ratifi cetion of peace will fill in the July of the present quarter. The war duty was at present 44. per bushel, but alter July next it will remain at 2s. B,td., and it was intended to allow a drawback on the entire stock in band, which will amount to nearly 1,000,000/. Tne hon. gentleman having stated the amount of the gross income and ex penditure of the United Kingdom, said it had beet, re solved to keep taxation as it at present existed, and to resort to a loan of 5,800,000/. Teat loan had been bid for this morning at 1081. fur every 100/. in Consols, being a trifle higher than the reserve price, which was set 'lowa at 107/. 10s., and the whole had been taken by the Nlesers. Rothschild. It was an exceedingly , atisfactory thing, Foal was also gratifying, as it eh° wed the coefi• ience with which great operations were entered into in this country. Toe Ale are. Rothechild, this ruorbing, had on hand 4,000,000/., the whole sum eeing transmitted to them either in Bank of England notes or gold, and this sum, taken at 10 per cent., represented a capital of 40,000,0001. The committee, therefore, in examining the 1 ian that had been effected this morning, dud that the terms were as high as herMajesty'eGoverii inent expected on the one hand, an., on tile ()trier that it had been so arranged as to offer a fair remuneration to those parties who had comae forward to lend this capital. The luau will not cover the deficiency for the year, chat being 6,873,000/. ; there will, therefore, re main 1,873,0001., which might be called two mil lions, and it was proposed to ask the committee to confer upon the Government power to borrow that sum on Exceequer Bonds, if the necessity for such a pro eeedieg should arise, and thus the deficieney would oe covered. It was proposed teat Exchequer Bonds should be the securities, in preference to Exchequer Bills, as the Exchequer Bill market was not at present in such a state as wouid render it desir able to raise that sum on those securities. the right bon, gentleman then referred to the extinction of the national debt, and said the best course to pursue was to raise a surplus by taxation, and apply it to that pur pose in preference to relying upon theachetnes of financier,. Parliament applied the principle of the extinction o f loans to all lar g e b o die s exce p t i tse lf, by calling on then, to provide a sinking lurid. It was a mistake to consider that because the annuities were perpetual the debt must be permanent also. There appeared to be an im pression that 'in our transition state from war to peace we ought to consider our fiscal system, but before entering further upon it, he ativerteo to the revision of those duties that took place in 1842, 1846, and in 1853, when all prohibitory and excessive duties were swept away, and the only protective duties left were those of foreign spirits and hops. Stamps were revised in 1850, and that referring to bills and receipts in 1853, and the newspaper stamp last year. The window tax was abolished in 1851, at a loss of 1,170,0001. to the revenue, and the assessed taxes in 1853, at a loss of 290,000/. Tue laud tax afforded of no reduction. For the income tax a plan had 'been suggested for its commutation, but which he hoped would never be carried out. (Hear, hear.) Tue excise duties had for late years been under constant reduction ; alterations had taken place in the duties on bricks, soap, hackney carriages, &c. The reduction of taxation was a matter which rested on the requirements of Government, and not with the Parliament ; and, unfortunately, they were so situated that they could not do without rais ing a large revenue for the expenditure of the Govern. ment, and so long as that necessity existed, he feared it would be impossible for them to avoid imposing certain taxes, and maintain them at rates higher than they would wish. He found that in 1852 the amount levied gave 11. 19s. 4d. co,tribut, d by every individual in the kingdom, according to the population, but if they deduc ed the national debt it amounted but to 19s. 5 In 1854-5 it amounted to 21. 9s. 4d. per head, and deducting the nati inal debt to I/. 9s. 9d Last year it amounted to 31. 55., and ituout the national debt to 21. 54. 41. Amongst the re suctions which it would be destrab.e to effeot ;'cif the finances of the country would pz:ruiltvotild be that on C..}baccu, cu Fredch Cross-examined by Mr. Grove—l did not see the patient during any severe attack. In the animals touch produced the symptoms in a marked manner. The pa tient was at no time that I saw her in a state of insen sibility. On the post mortem examination the lungs were much congested —a small quantity of bloody serum around the pericardium and pleura ; the eeuscles generally were dark and soft ; there was a quantity of blood suffused on the brain ; serum, slightly tinged with blood, was in the men,- brane of the spinal cord. The large spinal vein was much congested, as well as the membranes of the spinal cord. I opened the head first, and a great quantity of blood flowed out—part of it might have flowed from the heart, which rendered it uncertain as to what quan tity was in it at the time of death. I have examined the hearts of many animals that have been poisoned by strychnine ; the right side is generally found to be full. I have seen animals attacked from one to two hours after the application of pure strychnine. I discovered strychnine by all the tests I applied with more or less distinctness. In almost all the cases of animals to which it has been adminis tered I have detected it. In one or two cases I did not. One I had my doubts about. We knew strychnine-had been administered, but we doubted if it had reached the stomach. I Have detected strychnine nearly two months after death, and after decompssitien had set in to a certain extent. Re-examined by the Attorney-General—l have given to a dog from a grain to two gea,ins. Strychnine, acts on the nerves, and is also partly taken up uy the blood and acts on it. It acts partly on the nerves immediately on its getting into the system. It is abserbed. Wnen animal is innoculated with it, it is found under the skin. When taken it is found in the stomach; teat is the excess which has not been absorbed in the system. That absorbed in the system has the effect of poisoning suffi cient to cause death. I speak the facts not theoreticaly. I am not quite sure strychnine will not remain in the stomach and act prejudicially without being absorbed. Suppose the minimum dose that would cause death to be administered I should expect to fail iu detecting it in the system. The phenomena after death would be different in a patient that bad taken a eerie, of minute doses than in one that had taken a full one. By Mr. Serjeant Shee —I am not quite decided in opi nion whether the unabsorbed portion in the system would be changed. I have.nce fact to show it can be changed by any decomposing or fermenting qualities. I don't think it would. I don't know that strychuia, after produc ing poisonous effects, has beau found in the liver and blood as strychuia. Mr. E. Moore, a surgeon, said—l attended with Dr. Chambers a gentleman, named Clutterbuck, for para lysis, about 15 years ago. I had been giving him some small doses of strychuia. lie left me and went to Brighten, but returned and informed me he had taken stronger doses of strych nine. In consequence of that I gave him a stronger dose than I had given him former y. I made up a dose of three draughts, a quarter of a grain in each draught. He took one, eel I was present when he took it. He told ms he had taken three.coarters of a grain at Brighton. After he had taken the draught I memained with him for some time, and I left him as he said he felt quite comfortable. In about three-quarters °fan hour after taking the draught I was summoned to him. When I got there I found him stiffened in every limb, his head drawn back, and screaming violently that we should turn him and rub him. (Sensation.) I tried to give him ammonia, and he snapped at the spoon. He suffered about three hours altogether before I left him in safety. He survived the attack, and (lur ing the whole of the time of the attack he was perfectly conscious. Cross-examined by Sergeant Shee—Efe was about three hours in recovering from the effect of the spasms. The rigidity of the muscles remained for a considerable time. When first attacked with the spasms his head and feet were drawn bank. After he recovered ho thought his paralysis was butter. 11,1 had been taking strychnine for paralysis in mall doses. By the Attorney General —Strychnine excites the action and g i ves m uscular motion. At a quarter past 5 o'clock the learned Attorney- General stated that his next witness was Professor Taylor, but as his examination would occupy several 11 , ,urs he wished to know if their lordships would sit on or adjourn Lord Csuipbcll gild the Court woqld tidjortn. THE BUDGET. The house having resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER sub witted his financial statement to the house. He sa i d it would be in the recollection of the Committee that in a previous statement made by him in February last that he stated the difference between the estimate of the receipts and expenditure, and it would not be necessary now for him to repeat it. (Hear, hear.) It appeared. that the result of the deficiency and excess would be 3,560,0001. and in order to cover it, he subtpittecl a resolution to the house for a loaa iu cowaca tor 'five millialls. The iatrolzents bt4 and fire insurances, but he was afraid it could not be done for some considerable period, without unforeseen c,rcuro stances occurred t,,faciiitato them. The right bon. bat onet said he had made his statement, and relied on the favour of the house in forming an equitable opioi , n thereon. In preparing his plan it had been the study of the Government to arrange a sy • e , n iduitdd to present exi gencies of the times, and relied with cunfideLce on re ceiving the support of the house The right h.i. baronet finished his statement at a quarter to seven o'clock. GENITAL CRIMINAL COURT. —May 17. THE RUGELEY POISONINGS. [The following appeared in part of our impression of Saturday.] Mr. Taylor, a surgeon, living at Romsey attended Mrs. .Smith, and I remember seeing her dead. It was between eight and nine. Tee bady was on the floor. The hands were clenched; the feet were contracted and turned inward. Toe soles of the feet were hollowed up and the toes remarkably contracted, I should sup lose, from spasmodic action. The inner edge ,of each fo was turned up. The limbs were remarkably stiff. By Lord Campbell—The body was still warm. By Mr. Welsby—The eyelids were tightly adherent to the eyeballs. The druggist who made the mixture was Jones. I met him running up to the heuse. I made a post mortem examination three days after death. At that time the contraction of the feet con tinued, but it had gone off somewhat from the rest of the body. I did not find any trace of disease in the body. The heart was contracted and perfectly empty, and all the large arteries leading from the heart were also empty, and the blood was fluid. I subsequently analysed the medicine, and found in it a large quan tity of strychnine, dissolved and undissolved. Tae mixture contained nine grains of strychnine, of which Mrs Smith had taken three, so six remained in the bottle. (Great sensation.) I took out the stomach and bowels, but did not examine the parts sufficieutly to say from the examination the cause of death. That was so very apparent that no cloe examination was made. Cross-examined by Sergeant Shee —A. corpse would stiffen is the position it died in. In this case there seemed to have been great difficulty in laying out the body. The feet had to be tied together. We first exa mined the trunk and then the head. Charles Brextiolrne was the apprentice to Jones, the chemist. Jones is since dead. Mr. Smith's prescription contained a salicine. Upon the shelf beside it was strychnine, and a mistake was made, and strychnine administered. I did not give it ; it was my master, who afterwards com mitted suicide. Jane Witham examined by Mr. Edwin James—ln March last I attended a lady who died. Lord Campbell—You need not state her name. Witness—She first complained of her back, and said, " Come to my back." I could not get to it. There was a twitching. Her eyes were staring and fixed. She first complained of this illness upon 25th February. '.he died the 3d of March. She had five attacks, one a slight one, upon the day of her death. She was first attacked at 8 and died about 11. She had been better and up on the afternoon of her death. She was attacked with twitching of the muscles. She requested that her arms and legs might be rubbed. Cross-examined—It was at the beginning of the at tack she asked to be rubbed. When she asked that her legs were rigid during the intervals. Touching her brought the spasms on. She could not swallow during rho spasms. After death her body was stiff. She was sensiole, but did not speak. The last attack was the most violent one. Geo. Morley, surgeon, attended the lady last alluded to. He was attending her for functional disarrangement. Upon the Monday before her death she appeared com fortable. There was a twitching of her arms which I thought was hysteria. She had another attack upon Thursday. Ups n the morning of her death she ap peared better. She described an attack which she had and shortly before she spoke of spasms, and said she had a shock. I was sent for upon the day of her death, and was told that she was dead. I saw the body upon the following Monday. We made the post mortem exa mination of the body. We found nothing to account for death. The face bore the appearance of anxiety the hands were curved, the feet arched. We used all the usual tests, and in each case detected the presence of strychnine. We applied nitric and prolo chloride of tin, -ulphuric acid, and bi-chromate of potash, liquid and solid. After separation by the chemical analysis we gave the 'ntents of the stomach to two mice, two rabbits, and a Guinea pig. It produced difficulty of breathing, tetaeie ymptoms, rigidity, and an archin?,. The rab bits died one in two minutes, another in about five, the mice in a few minutes. The guinea pig recovered, hut was found dead the next day, and they all exhibited symptoms of having taken strychnine. I tried the same experiments with strychnine, arid produced the same results. PRIZE FIGHT. The fight between Harry Broome and Paddockl! 2001. a-side, which took place this day , h as r esulte ciii the defeat of H arr y B roome, after a well 0 0 battle. TATTER3ALL'S.--(This Evening.) DERBY. 3to 1 agst Wentworth (taken) sto 1 agst F azzo l e tt o ( ta k en an d offered) 7to 1 agt Cannobie (taken and offered) 11 to 1 agst Artillery (offered) 15 to 1 agst Coroner (taken) 100 to 6 agst Prince (taken) 100 to 6 agst Yellow Jack (offered) 20 to 1 agst Vandermeulin (taken) 50 to 1 agst Leamington (taken) 1000 to 15 agst Porto Rico (taken) 1000 Co 15 agst Astrologus (taken) 1000 to 10 agst Pretty Boy (taken) 7to 2 agst J. Sc•at'e lot (take 4to 1) Country 'Vlarxe,t3. _ HADDINGTON CORN MARKET—MA" yl6. 0 WIISAT. i BARLBy 1 OATS. l 1 0 First 73s Od 43s 6d 1 33s Od I 's n , I Second 66 s 6d i 403 9d j 29s 'zu , Third 603 Od. 135 s 6d 127 s Od i ' A 38 8 1 Total quantity of wheat in market, 430 qrs. , 1 62 4 j barley „ 206 qrs. , i7oo', i i i 'JP oats ,; 496 VS. , i is le beans 173 qrs., ' , IP ~ AVERAGES PER IMPERIAL QUARTER. Al grir.ii Wheat, 3/. 6 6 5-12ths 1 Barley, ...21. 2 9 g.p , Oats, ... 11. 710 5 -12 t h s I B eans, 2 1. 4 2 v Of PP DALKEITH GRAIN MARKET—MAT 15 ' or / A N rs. Best. Current. Q4l , 15 Wheat 73 8 01 ...... . 726 Oats 3os Bd. oos Od ........ ,42 2 • 10 264 Barley 42 s 6d oos Od 58 Peas St, beans in Od oos Oct ........ . ABERDEEN—MAY 16. Potato oats 25s Od to sFis 6d }4olbs per bil°lll Common oats 24 s Od t o 24 s 6, 1 Bere 36 s Od to 378 Od I 531bs Barley 36 8 (Id to 37s ,d Wheat, red (sprin g )s6 s Od t o 60 s Od 621bs 0' , white ,- ,5s Od to 70 s Od Oatmeal 19s 0(1 to 208 Od per boll. Flour 53s Od to Ms Od per sack. PROVISION MARKET. OS 10 f Beef, per lb 6(l. to 8d Butte r , p lb. (moat ° os Mutton, per lb 6d to 8d Eggs, p doz. Os 4_ i d t . o nm - 6: 1 Lamb, do., O s 9d t o 0' 10 ' H ens, p pair 3s op ''''..3 6 1 Veal, Der lb 6(l to Os 8d Chickens do..is 6d t ° 3 # v'l Pork, per 5t...4s 9,1 to 5r Od Ducks, do. 2s 6 d, t41 0 t , ~1 Salmon, per lb ......Os to Os Ducklings,doOs Od ' m os ri Grouse, per brace ..... Os to Os Turkeys, each4s 5C1,,t 4 0 P Tallow, p stone, 3s9d to -cs 01 Potatoes, pr peck, D'' Rabbits, each 9d to 10d. t o t i 1 0 „ Butter for exp or t a ti on ( present cure) per cwt.—is, noh Eggs, wholesale pri ce , p er d ozen. .----' RETAIL PRICES. n . 0 Flour, 141 b.... —s Od t o 3 s Ocl I PP 0 -. Barley flour,l4lb.oo if i conO i e j Oatmeal O s Od t o 2 s Od dust, 'Jo ........ Beremeal ....Os Od to i s 10d I A 7 per lb .......... to Peasemeal... Os Od to 2s 1 d Side,. ......................... 4-lb. 10af...8d. 12-Ib. 1 0a f ... 4d . Cheese, per imperial stone, 4s. to 4s 6d. LOCAL SHARE MARKET'S, LIVERPOOL, MAY 17: STneEt EXCHANGE.— The market has been steaul -0 10# and prices were a shade higher than yesterday at the ii r 111 i !lands, 774 6 4 —L on d on an d North Western, losble Manchester, Sh e ffi e ld, an d Li nco l nshire, 29i and Yorkshire, 90-4 c. s—North Eastern, r - k 20A—Ditto, York c a pit a l s t oc k , 28I—Di tto, Leeaglab South Eastern, 24—Aberdeen, 13,; Dutch Blew"' Ss. 9d. p. Great Western of Canada, 26g. MANCHESTER, MAY 17. iV6 , An STOOK EXCIFIANGE.—This m ar k e t h as been "- fv. fair but firm business to. lay, and prices closed *„01/, lows : M anc h es t er , Sh e ffi e l d, and Lincolns hi r e, ''',;oa Midland Railway Consols, 771 A—South Easter r Wer Dovers 211—Lancashire and Y or k s hi re, 91—Great ote ros tern, Birmingham Pref., 9 4 —L on d on an d N or th We BIRMINGHAM, MAT 17. 'so d .NOOK EXCHANGE.—There has been a dull bli o l t io , to-day, and prices were a shade lower than Yes t : Midlands, 77—Great Westerns, 62—Eastera C,,unt 4e4 —London and North West -rn Eighths, 9-16 die. LEEDS, MAY 17. BTOCK EXCHANGE. —The sales this morning f orif the following rates :—Midlands, 77:3 764 764—D ° p r eh 214—North Eastern, York, 214—North Western, 1 —North Eaatern, Leeds, 16/. DUBLIN —MAT 17. STOCK EXCHANGE. —Three p er C en t . Consols, i„ Ditto for Account, 9th Juno, 92 3—Ditto, for nef 1./ count, 9th of Ju ne , 0 N ew 3 per Cent. Stock, giel —Ditto, for Acoount, 9th of June, 93 —Great SonN , and WeAern, 514 $ Mining Company of Ireland , for Grand Canal Co., 3Si—Dublin and Belfast Juinction e w account, Ai—Killarney Junctio n , 91—B an k Stock, -4 ` Dublin and Wicklow, 5i 4. 'VACANCIES, APPOINTMENTS, AND PROMOTIO - CIVIL SEAVIOE.—The Home I) I:).irtinent• _ n o Lord Lieutenancy of the county of Dorset has b t ry vacant by the death of the Earl of Dighy. Inland F, venue Department, Stamps and Taxes Branch.— the Allan has been appointed Surveyor of Taxes to ' of counties of Kirkcudb r i g h t and Wigton, in the rootaro. Mr. Al `Crackan, retired . ; Mr. G. Webb has bee r) 6, moved from Totnes to Bury St. Elmund's ; Mr' B' dDay has been remove d from Hastings to Brentsii Mr. T. M a ltb y h as been promoted from Bury S t " ro• !nand's to Totnes ; Mr. H. C. Strickland has be ev filer rooted from H un ti ng d on to Hastings ; Mr. VT. ,r has bee n promoted from Hexham to Huntingdon Browne, supe rnumerary at W olverhampton, has 'bell promoted to Hexham. C us t oms.— M r, H. Chap' t he has been promoted from the third-class of clerks i n db, legal Quays, London, to be third clerk at PlYT, i ti i be 4 vice Mr. G. Batt en, w h o exc h anges ; Mr. W. S il "T,,to l ; been promoted f rom t hi r d to second searcher at Brli, Mr. J. C. H eaven h as been promoted from fouly e s third searcher a t B r i s t o l ; an d Mr. J. C. Rose h a s promoted from locker of the second class to be suPP r ii tendent locker of B r i s t o l . Th ere i s a vacancy °5O/, fourth-class landi ng - wa it er at Bristol • salary, 1 4 ,0 1 Ireland.--Captain W. Carpent er has been apl , '"lZ, harbour-master of the Port of Dublin, vice Capta o Kemptson, deceased. —Civil Service Gazette. D o {ADVERTISEMENT.} we have read with muc h pleasure ..,90 Barry's report on th e cure o f di seases without medicine Barry's Food, of Indigestion( Dyspepsia), Flatulency, Con 40 tien, Nervous, Bi ions, and Liver Complaints, Cough, Mr 0 Consumption, and Debility. The following are a few 0 :51, which appear to merit th e a tt en ti on of many:—Cure No. 4`'oo, —Miss Elizabeth Jac o b s , o f N az i ng Vicarage, Waltham Beets: a cure of extreme nervousness, indigestion, 0,7., inns, low spirits, a n d nervous fancies. Cure No. 48,3'; of Miss Elizabeth Yeoman, Gateacre, near Liverpool: a cur f. 10 years' dyspepsia and a ll th e h orrors of nervous irritabulo, From the Dowager Countess of Castlestuart : Curs 52 ' 6 ., —Rosstrevor, County of D own, I re l and, 9th Dec.,lBs7libi The Dowage r C oun t ess o f Castlestuart feels inducd, in 0 , interest of suffering humanity, to state that Du Barry e t cellent Revaleuta A ra bi ca F ood has cured her, F t all medicines had failed, of indigestion, bile, fi r re i i il nervousness and irritability of many years' standing. Food deserves the confidence of all sufferers, and ma y be Id, sidered a real blessi ng . I nqu i ries will be cheerfully answer of Supported by testimonials from the celebrated Professerf l ,;. Chemistry Dr. Andrew U re ; D r. Shorland ; Dr. Harve„l' Dr. Campbell; D r . G Att i ker ; Dr. Wurzer; Dr.lugls Lord Stuart de Deci es ; th e D owager Countess of Cast'; stuart ; Countess of Uffington ;• Major-Gen. Thomas IC lll O' and many other respec t a bl e persons, whose health has 15e-a, restored by it, after a ll o th er means of cure had fails In canisters, fibs., lls.; 121b5., 225. ; super-refined, b, ; 2lbs., lie.; 51bs., 225. ; 101bs., 335. The 101bs. 6/1 f 121bs. carriage free, on receipt of post-office order. du Barry and Co., 77, R egen t- s t reet, Loudon; Fortscd,"—; Mason, and Co., Purveyors to her Majesty, Picead' also at 60, Gracechn rc h- s t reet ; 3 3J and 451, Strand; ; Cheapside 68, Ccrnhill ; 19, Bishopsgate-street ; 55, rug-cross; 64, Upper Baker-street; 63 'and. 150, Ol ferv- Street. BIRTHS. Or & SON. ----- On the 17th inst., in Wyndham-place, Bryanston-sclu tirs ' the wife of Win. Scott, Esq. On the 15th inst., a t 20, U pper B er k eley-s treet w est' Hyde-park-square, the wife of John Philpot Curran, 081 " barrister-at-law. OP A DAUGHTER. On the 17th inst., at Lower Tooting, Surrey, Mrs. Prowse. On the 16th inst., at 13, Weymouth street, Per tisba place, the wife of R. S. Cox, Esq. MARRIED. On the 17th inst., at St. Peter's Church, Eaton•sill l4 / Mr. Justice Willes, to H e l en , d aug h ter of the late Tb °, Jennings, Esq., of Cork. • On the 15th i nst., at Higham, Suffolk, Captain T • o f Forbes, R.N. son of Lie u t enan t-G enera l Forbes, R.Alte- Stoke - by-Nailand, Suffolk, to Elizabeth, widow of tb° s ~.",r Lieut. A. C. Dawson, Eiq., R.N., and youngest dauggvi. of the late R. G res l ey, Esq., of 11, Oxford-square, -1-4° don. DIED. On the 17th inst., at Heath-terrace, Lewisham, Tarty, late of Bishopsgate•street, aged 54. On the 16th inst., at Woronzow-road, St. John's - w o a Charles A. G. Si vrac , E sq., o f the Board of Trade, a g e 37. On the 16th inst., i n P or t man - s t reet, S ep ti mus Worrells Esq., late of the Coldstream Guards, aged 68. laea On the 14th in s t. , at Guy's Hospital, Wm. now Arnold, E sq ., o f P ar k-l o d ge, Sydenhaw, late of the S Ont Sea Hous e , age d 73. Oa the 14th inst., at Bayswater, the Itev. Joseph Sa t. A.A., aged 94. Ou the 14th init., at his chambers in the Temple, Chas' Bellamy, Esq., Fellow of St. John's Colle ,, e, Oxford. On the 10th Feb , on b ,ard the Monarch * , in his plegg., from Calcut(s. to England, Major-G enera l Sir Wm. gle n * Sleewan, aged 68. tagDoli ; Printed and Published by lIIIIIIDO YOrINv2, No. Liz, 'crane, !',inter, at Me SOOS "."" Straw), in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the oeentr iliddleE 4 gt Mvaday, May 19, 18.56 c r' . 0 were rat coui h,n.P.IDT.A. co I N 111 14" , e in Lc ep o'clock ii rir!tors of East eral Cou kz t f te rs , o o f r t e h r e ! 4 (s>esziot.),7l I 4It• ALB I , TO-NIG n /411,3 113 ck, and Ti '''s•Larea, 2 z k it GYLL • 9"4t,, 3 ' 1 0V 7 01' Loulet <7e 4 t's new 1 LP S, $ 4 40 , e eYery k kti e , , !tertai 1 %tip', l4lll,l . anA c 1 1) C OVent*: 411!,te gAF -' o,t 4 i r a I l i ° , n t m il I 141411(1,1_1 sea - se. ZAll•t ng ‹ing. -, at J L kiy., I :SLAA DE 11 (41%1'13 41 and ) o jlekTo; kt). 4, hit With himare( to pos(t.Srina;. WPAII, I t 04 f or gar 12 S er ected at ET t Atm IT A N "UAL .10f May. ckLE t l a C om , 4 ral 414 N eat 1 do' y, h N or 4 1) to sale .11 er old 1 14 Ari;ilVers an tre o4B " , PLc„ °f 1 admix t(l an . - -Ette,s N etts, Thr ''kex c —•- c age tp t fa'etil e t eui .In Ne m trß o 4 , w 4 ,r4. 1 ..ER tt!l 4. 14 ° - : 110'4: nrcar ZAFlati r t 4ll ho 4 1 1' "n t• on%'] P owered Itt'r4k Int)c) 4t o rt , chtie r 'itll°4ll(llirTi.iPa IL t INtv i dtz„ f 1 Fir -t I !even, 'I Q 'ear,. ct. 11 , 1 ' 9 2 2 ; 4: 4 a • '• 8 ANT ° fond or ; 14 oaf ins Ak t Late;th'a 1 1 . bc°4lce, Atst:kleids Q 4 31 k te„l \ 4' • • <t• Adat, Eb b e b 4 rita Jarne g - 0 1 r tt IP; the 1 4 'k1 It ? '" 11°e 10 'tint it ti le t Vit a , ittrui ai m c TA fOu r ;her( P