The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-14 00:00:00

East Loud,

fort Industrial

Exhibition.

The ceremony of closing this exhibition, which
during the last month has been held in St. Mary's
School-rooms, Whitechapel-road, took place on
Saturday. The comparatively brief period during
which the exhibition has been open has been suffi-
ciently long to insure the entire success of the under-
taking, the receipts from visitors having been suffi-
cient to meet all expenses without the undesirable
necessity which has arisen in other cases of making
any demands upon guarantors. The close of the
exhibition was only hastened by the fact of the
school-room being now required for their ordinary
The articles shown were of more than ordi-
nary interest, being the productions of hard-working
men and women inhabiting some of the mc t
Sdensely
populated districts of this metropolis, and who car-
ried on their labours of love under specially disad-
vantageous circumstances. Although rewards were
given for excellence in trade productions, as well
as for specimens of skill and ingenuity in pursuits
foreign to exhibitor's ordinary business, yet it was
curious to observe that the majority of articles shown
were the results of the producers' industry at times
when their daily labours had ceased, and applied in
a direction wholly different to that of their usual
working hours. It was pleasant to find that a char-
woman had gained a silver medal for the excellence
of a knitted quilt, and that an engineer's apprentice,
aged 151 years, had obtained a similar award for the
model of an approved oscillating engine ; but it was
strange to find policemen exhibiting—one a violin and
carved walking-stick, and another an oil painting ;
shoemakers and blacksmiths, in large numbers, send-
ing oil paintings and drawings, entomological col-
lections, admirably arranged and classified, and
other specimens of patient industry and intelligence.
Two lightship-keepers had sent work-boxes, tea-
caddies, and other articles of cabinet-work, while a
mariner and a waterman had devoted their leisure
hours to the production of elaborately designed rugs.
A cheesemonger's assistant showed a model of an
improved fire-escape, and an ingeniously conceived
apparatus for preventing suicides, and finally
adapted for Gravel-lane bridge—a spot frequently
selected for attempts at self-destruction ; and plans
for improved communication between guards and
drivers on railways, models of calculating machines,
locomotive engines, and public buildings were
numerous. The closing ceremony was to have taken
place under the presidency of the Earl of Shaftes-
bury (who opened the exhibition on the 12th of
July), but in consequence of the funeral of his
mother, which was fixed for Saturday, his Lordship
was unable to attend. Mr. Ayrton, M.P., was in-
vited to preside and to distribute the awards to the
successful exhibitors. The Rev. G. H. M'Gill, in-
cumbent of Christchurch, Whitechapel, chairman of
the committee of management, gave a brief out-
line of the financial results, and stated that the
receipts from visitors had been sufficient to defray
all expenses and to leave a small balance in hand.
The cost of the 30 silver and 100 bronze medals to
be distributed had been met by contributions from
the Marquis of Westminster, the Earl of Shaftes-
bury, and other guarantors, who had kindly sub-
scribed for the purpose. Mr. Ayrton, M.P., then
addressed the meeting, and said that although it
was gratifying to find that the exhibition had been
a financial success, it was equally gratifying to
notice the large number of persons who had derived
pleasure from visiting it. He trusted that the
records of the exhibition would be preserved, as they
would afford an instructive lesson to some persons
who thought the working classes did not require
increased opportunities of visiting the national col-
lections. It had been his lot on many occasions to
press upon the managers of our great national ex-
hibitions that great injury was done to the working
people by those exhibitions being kept open during
their industrial hours, and closed during their hours ,1
of leisure, when alone they could visit them ; and it
was only in the last session of Parliament that he
had induced Mr. Gladstone, who was one of the
trustees of the British Museum, to declare that he
would consider whether the great national institu-
tion could not be made available for the great bulk
of the people. The efforts of those who had pro-
moted this exhibition might be of some service, in
showing to the trustees of the British Museum the
advantage that would accrue from opening that
building in the evening ; for when it was seen how
many thousands had paid their 2d. to visit a local
collection of comparatively limited extent, no one
could doubt how great a benefit it would be to the
working masses of the metropolis if the British
Museum was open to them at times when it was
within their power to visit it. (Hear, hear.) The
secretary then read a report, from which it appeared
that upwards of 40,000 persons had visited the ex-
hibition during the month of its existence, thelargest
number in one evening being 2,336. There had been
1,100 morning visitor at 6d. each, and 1,000 child-
ren, belonging to 11 different schools, had been ad-
mitted at a charge of Id. each person ; 400 inmates
of workhouses had also been admitted at a similarly
reduced charge. The chairman then proceeded to
distribute the medals, which were handsomely de-
signed and admirably executed, and the proceedings
were closed with the customary votes of thanks.

uses.

RESPITES.—The capital sentence in the case of
Thomas Cockcroft, convicted at the Leeds Assizes
of the murder of his sister by blows and kicks, arising out
of a quarrel between them, has been commuted to penal
servitude for life, on the recommendation of the presiding
judge, who has expressed to the Secretary of State his
concurrence in the recommendation of the convict to mercy
by the jury.—Hughes, sentenced to death for murder at
Middlesboro', last assizes, was respited yesterday morning.
FIRE AND NARROW ESCAPE.—Shortly after 12
o'clock last night a fire broke out at a house in the
Hatcham-road, Old Kent-road, in the occupation of Mr.
Mead, chandler's shop-keeper. It appears that Mr. Mead
had been sitting up reading, or at his bookg, when he fell
asleep, and on awaking found the place on fire. He
instantly alarmed his wife, who, with the chil-
dren, was in bed at the time, and all managed to get
out of the burning place in safety. In a few
minutes from the first alarm the house was a mass of fire,
and, in fact, may be said to have burnt itself out, for it
was a considerable time before any water was obtainable ;
and when it was obtained there was a very inadequate
supply, a circumstance which caused a great deal of alarm
amongst the inhabitants of the surrounding houses, the
more especially so as there are some large factories and
saw-mills adjacent. It was stated that Mr. Mead was
unable to save a particle of property.

ARSENIC.—Tho Abeille Miclicale contains an in

teresting article on the medical appliances of this
deadly poison. The author, Dr. Papillon, of Saujon, Cha-
rente-Inferieure, maintains, in allusion to a paper by Dr.
Wahn, addressed to the Academy of Medicine and advo-
cating the same views, that arsenic, instead of being a de-
bilitating drug, is, on the contrary, a strengthener, endow)
of the best remedies in cases of caohexy in marshy dis-
tricts, king's evil, lymphatism,chlorosis, and even consump-
tion. Against this opinion there is an opinion of Dr.
Briquet's, which consists in measuring the pressure of ar
terial blood after an arsenical injection into the veins. As
the pressure appears to diminish, Dr. Briquet infers there-
from that arsenic exercises a depressing influence on
the animal economy. But to this our author replies
that any drug whatever, even iron, the greatest strenghtener
known, will cause weakness, and even death, when so mis-
applied againstt the laws of nature. On the other hand, he
contends that he has seen pale, sallow, weak, and thin pa-
tients use iron, vegetable tonics, and cod-liver oil for months
and years without the slightest benefit, and those same
patients acquire appetite, strength, flesh, and a healthy
complexion on taking daily doses of a few milligrams of
arsenic. He denies that arsenic may momentarily act as
a stimulant, though when absorbed it ultimately debili-
tates ; and he declares that he hos caused arsenic to be
taken daily for years together, and always found it induce
regularity in the nutritive functions. He adds that he has
himself for the last five or six years been taking a daily
dose of two milligrams of arseniate of antimony, and that
to this practice he attributes not only the cessation of pal-
pitations of the heart with which he was afflicted, and
which prevented his sleeping on his left side, but alsoe
a considerable improvement in his general health and
d have
once of violent headaches which he used
once a week for 24 hours at a time. Dr. Devergie,he
fur-
ther observes, has admitted the tonic qualities of arsenic,
practitioner, c,
but only in the beginning ;
according to this a
induces
continual use of this remedy,
debility. To this
Dr. Papillon replies that arsenic is generally administered
under the form of Fowler's drops, or of Asiatic pills, with
variable proportions of arsenious acid, the doses increasing
progressively. In this way the body gradually receives
more arsenic than is necessary, and it then of course acts

live every other tonic, which by excess loses its strength-
ening power, and becomes debilitating; but the dose of
two milligrams may be continued with impunity for any
number of years without any other effect but that of stimu-
lating and renovating the vital powers.—Galign,ani.