The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-25 00:00:00

SWALLOWING LEECHES.

pinhyAsilcgieanria:nwhthereef:threenseeherseeartlcees
nhasypnro.mß ea publishedjagnesauu'uaafprneacipauerrme
niynt the Abeille Medicale on
aotmchcearurrecohennarsceee:
being as thin as
abound
ds
iresulting
rivers
vferrosma swallowingnd ponds.
sloe
ledciheerso
oann
apt to drink carelessly at the first brook they meet with
pecially in hot weather; and the Algerian leech is peculiarly
eB-
- to escape an inexperienced eye,
thread, end not quite two inches in length, so that at firstas
and soon
for months.
sight they have the appearance of a bit of grass. They
generally attach themselves to the pharynx, and
more seldom to the palate or velum pendulum ; some-
times they will get into the MM. There havedyiwnn. Most of
been cases of their sticking to the bthoerdleeereshoefarithneotlaalrwyanyx,s
and even penetrating into that organ. When they have
IDsvenceell fitoleadeolinillidearapbl
Men who hag gat g leech in the pharynx or fences, be-
le: place,
zot h. e yTrhoeefmya;ttwhoi remain
ei stationaryligtongue
tatongue,
and ()arises
oboamseesenaw,
notare oefvietnbblyapipitetsilgubslotodhe
the patients feel a certain inconvenience within, and a con-
stant desire id stilllbie; but in the beginning the leech is
small
and is tint nide, leg, who tail of the creature some-
times tickler the faster part
coughing, nausea, or reteliiiitt; lf tbe leech is fixed mar
tits larnyl, it Will impede reePittiticati .‘lltl sometimes
produce anemia and
bring on osptiyAff4, In the nose it will cause' CM/tent
but practitioners
bleedingl and did Petite:lt Will complain of as
obstriletiun in his nostril. The hiss of blood, theleigli
of the accident, may
gswmehnaoel
rlaarilenwtnehoaekt
ntia
eweseasir.ii:oli tiff
1,0.6 t,
i:lcia:lpgi
:isnot
ti,sti
ati ii der
iteiale a s
3. ,
e
sornethnes be at fault. The leech Wilt sometimes shift its
place, but it seldom gets out of itself; it nitigt be extracted,
or its extraction effected by remedies. When visible, they
may be got out by a pair of tweeters with curved extremi-
ties ; but where one cannot see, OM MS the risk of tear-
ing the mucous membrane. When the tail of the leech
can be seen, the practitioner must try tired catch it
at once, otherecise the leech draws its tail bad' and
disappears. If the extraction is impeeible, recourse muCt
be had to the remedies employed for detaehitig leeches when
applied externally. The patient is made to drink titeer;ar
and water, or a solution of salt. Gargles, with the same
substances, are also prescribed, and this must be continued
for several days before the leech can be got rid of, and some-
times these remedies are of no avail. Salt may be blown
into the pharynx, or a wet sponge introduced, having salt
sticking to it. If the leech is in the larynx, tracheotomy is
the only remedy. To prevent the soldiers from swallow-
ing leeches,
they are advised never to drink water on a
march without straining it through a piece of linen.

plblielled by
A NEW NOVEL FROM THE PEN OF. LORD
LENNOX, to be called the "Adventures of a Nan of Family,"
will shortly be
meore, 1-luot Blackett.

NOVEMBER 25, 1863,

HISTORY OF THE LITERARY FUND,

(From the Reader.)

In the year 1773 a Welshman, named David
Williams—whose body has now lain buried for
nearly half' a century in the church of St. Anne's,
Soho, but who was then an eager man about Lon-
don, 35 years of age—read a paper to a small club
of literary men of which he was a member, and
which met in the Prince of Wales Tavern, in Con-
duit-street, Hanover-squnre, on the feasibility of
founding an institution which should hold out to
every worthy literary man "the kind and generous
promise that his studies and efforts should not leave
him in misery." The president of the evening
when this paper was read was no other than Ben-
jemin Franklin. Ho rather threw cold water on
proposal. " Common charities," he said,
" spring from common feelings; or if some of them
should require a few ideas and reflections, they may
be easily collected lay ordinary and imperfect intel-
lects; bat an institution for the relief of misery
which is so far from being obtrusive and obvious, so
far from pressing on the senses, that it withdraws
from observation—is an institution whose object will
be ever lost to the common classes of subscribers to
public charities." In spite of this opinion of Frank-
lin, the other members of the litle club thought Mr.
William's proposal worthy of further consideration;
and the subject was adjourned to another meeting,
Franklin winding up the matter for that meeting
as follows :—" I perceive that our friend does not
acquiesce in our opinions, and that he will under-
take this Institution. The event, be it what it may,
will be honourable to him; but it will require so
much time, perseverance, and patience, that the
anvil may wear out the hammer. The anvil did
not wear out the hammer ; for Williams kept to his
idea, talked of it right and left, tried to interest
Pitt, and Fox, and Burke in it, and, although he
did not succeed in persuading them the speculation
was practicable, yet at last got together a sufficient
number of humble men to start the institution. It
was in the year 1790 that the fund practically
began its existence; for in that year it was able to
make a grant of £lO 10s. to one distressed author.
Since that time it has increased steadily to its pre-
sent proportions. In 1801 the late Duke of Somer-
set became its President; in 1837 he resigned, and
was succeeded by the late Marquis of Lansdowne;
and, on the recent death of the Marquis of
Lansdowne, the Earl of Stanhope was elected
to the presidency. During the long presi-
dency of the Duke of Somerset, the Fund had
so grown by accumulated bequests, and by
tho increase of annual donations and sub-
scriptions, as to be able towards the end of his
presidency to expend sums of from £l,OOO to £1,250
every year in the relief of distressed authors, as
against sums of from £2OO to £350 at the begin-
ning of his presidency ; and since that time the an-
nual expenditure has not risen much. The year of ,
greatest expenditure in the history of the fund was
1858, when a sum of £1,840 was expended on 58
applicants. The total expenditure of the fund,
from the year 1790, when it made its first grant, to
the end of the year 1862, has been £57,130 95.,
distributed in the shape of 2,962 grants to persons
of literary merit, whose cases, in the course of these
72 years, had been brought before the society. The
expenditure for last year was £1,475, distributed
among 54 applicants as follows
CLASSIFICATION OF AUTHORS RELIEVED.

Grants.

Class L History and Biography ll £350
11. Biblical Literature
111. Science and Art ......
IV. Periodical Literature
V. Topography and Travels 7 230
VI. Classical Literature and Education 2 65
VII. Poetry
VIII. Essays and Tales
IX. Political Economy
X. Law .......... 1 25
XI. Miscellaneous ........... 2 40

54 1500
Part of grant not applied ...... 25

£1475

Of the 54 persons thus relieved as deserving lite-
rary persons in distress, 36 were males, and 18
females; of which last 11 were themselves authors,
and 7 widows of authors. Of the 54, there wore 22
relieved for the first tame, 9 for the second time, 5
for the third time, 6 for the fourth time, 4 for the
fifth time, 4 for the sixth time, 3 for the seventh
time, and 1 for the ninth time. The lowest sum
granted to any person was £lO, and there were six
who received this sum ; the highest grant was £BO,
made severally to three persons ; the sum most com-
monly granted was from £l5 to £25.
The Fund from which these grants are made
consists of a permanent income from past bequests
of money or property calculable at somewhat over
£l,lOO a year, and of subscriptions and donations
made in the course of the year to the aggregate
sum of about £l,OOO more—the larger portion of
which is always made at the yearly dinner of the
Society, held during the London season, under the
presidency of some distinguished public men. The
entire sum which the Society had in hand from all
sources for last year was £2,360 19s. 3d. ; of this
sum £1,475, as we have seen, was spent in grants
on the objects of the society ; and there remained a
balance on hand for the present year of £289 4s. 4d.
Among the disbursements was a sum of £ll2
Bs. 10d. paid for legacy duty and transfer of legacy ;
so that the working expenses of the society for the
year, in rent, officers' salaries, and incidental items,
amounted to £474 6s. which sum, however,
was not included £149 95., required from the funds
for extra expenses on the annual dinner.