The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-01 00:00:00

Dr. George Corfe, resident physician, Middlesex Hos-
pital, stated, that when deceased was admitted he was
suffering from violent shakings of the whole body, but
perfectly conscious when sharply spoken to. He thought
it was ushering in delirium tremens. There was no one
with him, and there was no one from whom any history
of his sufferings could be obtained. On the Sunday
after his admission he became extremely violent, and
witness being still of opinion that it was a case of inci-
pient delirium tremens, treated it accordingly. On
Tuesday he found that he had been wandering about the
wards, getting into other patients' beds, and in some
cases turning them out. Witness ordered the only dark
room there was in the hospital for eclirium tremens
cases to be got ready. There was no padded room in
the hospital. There was nothing unusual or peculiar
in the room in which he was placed. The floor was
rather dirty, as the plumbers had been there for some
days before. It was not near the deadhouse, as a wit-
ness had stated, but in a totally different part of the
building. On the Tuesday night his hallucinations be-
came very marked. He said the servants of the family
in which lie had lived had all conspired against him to
take away his razors, and had made many serious false
statements against him. Prior to being removed down
stairs he made several attempts to jump out of the win-
dow. On the first night of his being down stairs, he
had the leg straps on, but he got the sheet and tore it
up piecemeal, broke the straps, and got loose, so vio-
lently was he excited. He was fastened down with a
sheet folded four times. It might have coiled up in con-
sequence of his struggles. He suffered no unnecessary
violence, to witness's knowledge.
After some further evidence, and some conversation
with the coroner, in the course of which Dr. Corfe ad-
mitted that there were no means provided in Middlesex
Hospital for the reception of patients labouring under
mania, although cases of deiriunttremens were admitted and
duly treated—he hardly thought it was right to admit cases
of mania—he proceeded to say that,as the representative of
Middlesex Hospital, he did not think that institution
had been fairly dealt with. He should like to know
how it was that the deceased was brought there at all.
He ought not to have been brought from the place in
which the symptoms first appeared.
The Coroner thought that the parties in London, upon
whom the deceased had fallen, had done the best they
could in taking him to Middlesex Hospital, for the
public had a right to expect that in such institutions
there ought to be proper appliances for the treatment of
such disorders as that under which deceased laboured.
Mrs. Woolley, a nurse at Middlesex Hospital, and
Brett and Kirby, keepers at the Marylebone Infirmary,
were examined at some length. They denied that they
had used personal violence to the deceased, but admitted
that they had often heard him falling about in his padded
room, frequently from the top of the walls, eight or
nine feet high.
John Blencowe, one of the attendants of Hanwell
Asylum, received Parsons on his admission on the 22d.
He took him to the bath-room, put him in a bath, and habit-
ed him in the asylum dress. He was marked with severe
bruises on various parts of the body. He whistled while
being bathed, and resisted dressing, but had no objection
to the bath. He refused having any dinner. His face
was greatly bruised. It was yellow and green. His
right leg was so injured that he could not bear his stock-
ing being put on. He did not commit any violence
towards any one.
William Byrne, and John Tipper, the infirmary at-
tendants, confirmed the last witness's statement.
Mrs. Parsons, widow of the deceased, was recalled,
and added to her former evidence, that when she went
to the Middlesex Hospital, five men were tying down
her husband, two being at his head, and three at his
feet. A sheet, twisted like a rope, was tied across his
chest. At that time he spoke very reasonably, and
asked her to take him away. He said they had treated
him so roughly that they would kill him if they con-
tinued it any longer. After this they loosened him all
but his feet, and he became perfectly quiet. Without
these straps and sheets he was perfectly quiet and com-
posed.
Further evidence being adduced, the room was then
cleared, and, after a lapse of about twenty minutes, the
following verdict was returned :
"That the death of the said William Parsons was
caused by a mortal exhaustion, produced by mania and
a natural disease of his brain, and also by a mortal ir-
ritation produced by bruises on divers parts of his body,
caused by fallsin an improperly padded room in the
Marylebone Infirmary. And the jurors further say,
they consider that it was cruel of his master, the said
Mr. Frederick Woodbridge, to send the unfortunate
William Parsons to London, as he did, while the said
William Parsons was in an insane state of mind ; and
they consider that the treatment of the said 'William
Parsons in Middlesex Hospital, and in the Marylebone
Infirmary, was not at all creditable to the character of
those institutions."

The inquiry, whichlasted seven hours, then terminated.

THE CASE OF MISS WAGNER.—LUMLEY V. GTE.—
The curious case of Lumley v. Gye is still pending, and
will be tried at the sittings after the ensuing Michaelmas
Term. It is an action against Mr. Gye for inducing, as
is asserted, Miss Johanna Wagner, the celebrated Ger-
man artis;,e, to break her alleged contract with Mr.
Lumley, who lays his damages at no less a sum than
30,0001. The principal witnesses, including Miss Wag-
ner herself, being beyond the regular jurisdiction of the
English Courts, a commission has been issued to tall
their evidence at Berlin, where their examination an;
cross-examination will be conducted by English_cou;riseey,.
through the medium of a sworn interpreter.d M
ward, Queen's Counsel, has been nameti
esole crOmmi
duties of a
sioner, and will discharge, pro tanto,
judge at a nisi prius trial.. Thet commission is to be
opened at Berlin on the 7th insT.i
difference between
PUSEYIS3I IN LIVERP(Te.r--s--of
'Set. Michael's Church,
the congregation and ministers
li
the Rev. Messrs. Carpenter
Liverpool, has been settled,gr tions favourites) having ar-
and Bardsley (the
t ch"inorgning and afternoon services,
ranged to comitifirc.
ltioerall the evening. The Rev. Mr.
and the Rev.
Po .ish doctrines are not relished by the
Pugh, whose
is not to take part in the services.
congregat"glo