The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-08 00:00:00

street, and extinguishing the contigu us street lamps. By
means of numerous engines the fire was confined to the shop
wherein the explosion took place, belonging to a fringe-
maker, gamed Loughton It is feared that more than one
life is lost. The body of a girl about 15, supposed to have
been passing by at the moment of accident, was picked up
on the opposite side of the street, and mast have been blowu
across the road. The whole of the right side and back part of
the skull were shattered. The dress of the deceased was a
light blue cotton frock, and her condition apparently that of
a servant. Up to half-past 11, when the reporter left, the
engines were kept in full play upon the burning premises by
many of the Royal Horse Guards B!ue, brought from the
neighbouring barracks by the violence of the report.
INQUESTS, YESTEILDAT.—SCICIDE IN A HOSPITAL.
—At the London Hospital, be.ore Mr. Baker, on the body
of tVilliain Ruck, aged 45, a hawker. The deceased was a
man of very intemperate habits. Snme time since he was
attackedHospuil o
i withr. . a fit, cwi admitted into the London

on the lid inst.; his elbow was found to be contused.
Erysipelas ensued, and, on the afternoon of Friday last, he
was first observed to be delirious. About five o'clock the
following morning he suddenly jumped out of bed, opened
the window, and, before he could be prevented, threw him-
self headforemost into the garden. He expired shortly
' That •

afterwards. The 11117 returned a verdict, ' . the de-
ceased destroyed himself while in a state of unsound mind,"
and strongly recommended that a small fastening shou:d be
placed upon the window to prevent patients committing
acts.---ALLEOED POISONING 01, AN INFANT
At the Greyhound, Clapham-road, be:ors Mr. W. Carter,
concerning the death of a female infant.—Anna Peach, the
wife of T. Peach, a warehouseman, stated that the name of
the deceased was Fanny England ; it was illegitimate and
eleven weeks old. Witness had charge of it since it was
three weeks old, and it died on the 31st ult. The isifint was
doing very well up to that day (yesterday) fortnight, when
she took it to see its mother, who had obtained a wet
nurse's situation in a clergyman's family, who were
going into Oxfordshire on the following Wednes-
day. During her stay there the mistress told the child's
mother to give witness some baked &ale, as. she shou'Al not
want it again. It was a hard substance, and resembled a
lump of chalk, and she had to serape it with a knife. She
gave the deceased some mixed with milk several times whilst
at the house, and she became very much relaxed. On her
return home, after she had again fed the child, it became
sick. Witness afterwards applied to Mr. Sipper, a surgeon,
and he gave her some medi:ine. Witness got a woman by
direction of the doctor to give the child the breast occa-
sionally, and gave it at other times prepared oatmeal. It
was gaining strength up to Sunday evening week, when wit.
ness having no oatmeal used the baked flour again. The
deceased vomited as before, and wen very sleepy. On
the following day the deceased became much worse.
Me Slipper was sent for, and saw it at half-
past two o'clock, and promised to send some medicine,
but none having come at five o'clock she sent fir Mr. Jonas,
who ordered a warm bath ; and whilst this was being pre-
pared the child was sited with a fit and expired. Had
given it that warning a tea spoonful of syrup of rhubarb,
which she obtained at Mr. Jone..a. Lice children, four in
number, had eaten some of the baked flour; it did not do
them any harm She bad 7e. per week with the child. The
mother 1341 leen three weeks at her house, and she appeared
very fond of net child.—Mr. T. Slipper, surgeon, stated that
on that day week he saw the deceased child. It was then in
a comital state, and he said something had been riven to
produce that state. The last witness said "not anything."
At four o'clock the same afternoon he heard the child was
dead. Oa Thursday, Mr. Peach called on him for a
certificate. H 3 arid he was not satisfied of the :a-
tm(' of thy child's death, and could not giant
a certificate without first making • poet marten examination.
He opened the bddy, and found the coats of the stomach
wet, very soft and blanched, and the intestines were in a
similar state; there was no morbid disease. He tested the

contents of the stomach, and being led to suppose that a nar-
cotic kad been given, he went to Mrs. Peach for the syrup of
rhubarb. She at that time gave him a lump of baked fl .ur.
The syrup was devoid of laudanum, or any other narcotic,
but upon tenting the Hour he found it to contain a consider-
able quantity of morphia. He found morphia in the con-
tents of the stomach. He shoal 1, however, require the ser-
vices of an eminent analytical chemist, and at present he had
been unable to obtain them. The examination; so far as be
had gone on with it, was so suspicious, and the analysis re-
quited to be made was of so delicate a character, that he must
ask for a few days to daps* before the investigation was rc-
sumid.—The i was then adjourned fur a week.