The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-09 00:00:00

AMATEUR DOCTORING.

INQUINT.—(THIS DAY.)
This forenoon Mr. Rickards, the deputy-coroner,
held an inquiry at the New Globe Tavern, Brierly-
street, Bethnal-green, respecting the death of Alfred
Hugh Jessop, aged two years.
The proceedings created great interest throughout the
district in consequence of the father of the deceased, who
was a shoemaker, having acted as doctor to his own child.
The lint witness called was

said that her husband was a
shoemaker. The deceased was two years and ten month■
old. He had always been healthy. Last Tuesday week
be was taken ill, and her husband would not call in a
doctor, but treated it himself. He was suffering from
measles.

Coroner—The father was a almemaker, and he prescribed
for his child. What did he know about medicine! Was
not the child suffering from inflammation of the lungs, as
well as niesales?

Witness—Yes. My husband eared the boy's sister. He
gave simple herbs, but I do not know the name of them.

Coroner— He gave penny royal, Cayenne pepper, saffron,
and vinegar. Your husband is one of those stupid men
that think they can manage better than a doctor. Is not
that so'

Witness—Yea, tar,

Coroner—A man tempering with life without knowing
anything about it is just like a mongol's' g to steer a boat
on tbu ever without having received proper training. He
is sure to do the wrong thing. Tins man's child might
have been saved if it had had proper treatment.
Witness—He idolised the boy. On Tuesday the child
screamed violently. its cries were frightful. I could not
bear to listen to them, and while the child wee dying I ran
from the room.

Airs. Julia Simpson, the landlady, said that she was a
name. She had advised the father to alter his treatment
of the child, but he refused to do so.

Coroner—Wu he an herb doctor!
Witness—He read Dr. Coffin's books.
Coroner—That's the worst of it, these self-opinionated
men read a little and imagine more.

Witness—l advised a doctor. and said that mustard
ought to be applied to the child's chest, but the father
said, "No, I know best."
Mr. Jessop was then formally cautioned, and the
coroner sail that he stood in an awkward position, for if
the jwy took one view of the case, he would be sent to
Newgate.
Witness—l cannot criminate myself, for I acted accord-
ing to the book. I put it in in evidence. I did everything
that the book told me to do. It is called " The Family
Medical Advisee" It is headed, "This is the Medicine
of Nature." It is written by John Skelton, physician,
surgeon, Ac., author of " A Plea for the Botanic Practice
of Medicine ; Botanic Record and Family Herbal. It is
through our ignorance that plants are despised. Published
by the author, at 105, Great Russell-street."
Coroner—That's the book. Now, did it never strike you
that you had luistaktu the disease for which you treated
the child
Witness—No.

Coroner—Burn that horrible book.
A juror—Tbe authors of such works ought to be
prosecuted.
Dr. Bemis said that the child had died from inflamma-
tion of the lungs, and not from measles. The treatment
was improper, and the wrong medicines were given. The
worst of those books was, that people after reading them
mistook one disease for another.

The jury returned a verdict of Death from inflamma-
tion of the lungs, and the jurors severely censure the
father for not calling in medical advice."
The father—Are you going to pay me my expenses
Coroner—No. Yon ought to be horsewhipped ; and if
I had the power I would do it.

THE LINVOLNARTRE "COLOUR BALL."—This
far-famed ball—formerly called the " Stuff Ball," in
consequence of its visitors in olden times being com-
pelled to appear in woollen stuff, the then manufacture
of Lincolnshire—was held in Lincoln last Wedneadsy, in
the County Assembly Rooms, the property of Mr.
Henry Chaplin. This annual assemblage, now called
the " Colour Ball," owing to the adoption of any par-
ticular colour which the lady patronesses may think
proper to select, was originally patronised by the
Duchess of Ancester a century ago, and from that time
it has been attended by the die( of the county. On this
occasion the colour was cerise.

THE PRISONER NAGLE.—There is a sound legal
reason for the postponement of the trial of Nagle to
which we adverted a day or two since, and we are
happy to say, that neither in this instance, nor in any
other that we are aware of, can any suspicion of faltering
rest upon the Attorney-General. If there be any
hesitation about the vindication of the law and of the
national independence, it is not, we believe, fairly charge-
able upon the administrators of the law. Nagle was ascer-
tained to be a born American citizen, and as such could
not be indicted for acts committed outside the Queen's
jurisdiction. The first overt act of treason that could be
laid to hie charge was hit landing in arms on our shores,
and as that took place within the county of Sligo, it was
proper that he should be tried there.—Dublin Erening

--
THE PRICE OF MEAT IN DOVER. We have
every reason to believe that nearly all, if not the whole, of
the butchers in this borough have resolved upon at once
reducing the price of the various kinds of meat Id. per lb.
This announcement will, we doubt not, be most welcome
to every householder; and it is to be hoped that this
yielding to a just demand will lead to still fat ther reduc-
tion ; for, by comparison with the wholesale prices, the
retail charges will still be enormously high. The present
reduction, therefore, we trust, will be but anticipate's' of
• further decline, and be thereby preventive of a renewal
of public complaint—Dorer Chronicle.
THE TORIES IN 1865.—1 n Mr. Disraeli's mani-
festo to the electors of Bucks. May 20, 1865, he wrote :
—" Only a few nights ago the House of Commons, im-
patient of protracted mystification, reflected the candour
of the community, and declared by a vast majority
that tee franchise in boroughs should not be louvred, and
that the principle (the lateral) upon which Lord Derby
wished to extend it was the just one. The efforts of the
conservative opposition during the last six years have,
tlur, fore, been neither insignificant nor fruitless." The
leading members of the conservative party spoke substan-
tially to the same effect in 1866 ; and all, rank and file,
loudly, eagerly, vociferously applauded Mr. Lowe, when
he employed his famous metaphor of getting behind the
north wind to illustrate the absurdity of supposing that
we should find • better set of voters in a lower class.
Great stress was laid on the danger of swamping by mere
numbers ; and the few tory members who expressed them-
selves favourable to reform, especially insisted on some
principle of selection which should eliminate the bad
elements of the constituencies. Mr. Disraeli advocated
the payment of rates on this ground. Sir Edward (now
Lord) Lytton, in a brilliant speech which was loudly
cheered throughout, urged that the new franchise should
be, in the first instance, confined to . those constituencies
in which the prevalence of skilled labour tends to create
a superior clan of artisans, and in which their numbers
alone would be some safety against the bribes of a candi-
date." Lord Elcho actually went the length of objecting
to the 71. franchise, on the ground that it was supported
by members (whose names he read) who had formerly
signed a resolution in favour of an occupying and rating
franchise. In May, 186.5, Mr. Henley, addressing his
constituents, had said :—" I have not been able to make
out why a man who rents an 8/. or 6/. or W. house should
have a vote. I cannot see it. I have therefore come to
the conclusion, if there is to be a change, we should go
back to our old system of household franchise. That Is my
opinion ; and being of that opinion I am not in farmer of a
change." He objected to a change because that change
must be household suffrage ! On May dl, 1866, Sir Boon-
dell Palmer, after quoting this plumage, went on to say
that, although he saw no reason why a 71 franchise should
not last as lung as the 10/.franchise had lasted, he believed
that they should come eventually to household suffrage,
and might as well come to it at once. Thereupon advan-
tage was taken of his alleged indiscretion to assert that
household suffrage was the real—though concealed and
most reprehensible—object of the cabinet. Well might
Mr. Leathern exclaim :—.* Why, every man among them
has committed himself at least a hundred times, by argil-
mints, illustrations, pleasantries, fervid declamations,
poetical perorations, bursts of prophetic wisdom, end
abuse hurled with the strong arm of sincerity at the heads
of the advocates of household suffrage." Well might he
I add that, if (as their leader intimated) they had meditated
household suffrage since 18.19. " the life of that puny has
i been a Using well sustain i 4 lie, a lie eight years long."—
Fruser's Magazine for November.