The Sun.
London, England, 1836-08-01 00:00:00

BRIGHTON RAILROAD.

The Proprietors of the Railroad without a Tunnel have cir-
culated the following " Medical Reasons," independent of su-
perior engineering and other grounds, for. recommending the
Brighton Railroad without Tunnels to the adoption of the
public. Extracted from the evidence of gentlemen, eminent
in science and of great professional experience, given before
the Committee of the House of Lords on Tuesday, the 26th
of July :
" Sir Anthony Carlisle, Vice-President of the College of
Surgeons, &c., has been a public practitioner about 44 years.
" The difference of temperature in tunnels will expose
persons in health to the common affection notoriously termed
catching cold, the source of other disorders On
persons of weak constitutions, or who are invalids, passing
through a tunnel will cause more striking and more remarkable
effects Would not permit one of my patients
to go to Brighton by a railway that had a tunnel in it. . • •
Certainly would dissuade any patient from subjecting himself
to such perils lt is impossible to change the
atmosphere in a tunnel six hundred yards long
The air is a commixture, with other gaseous substances : it is
also a damp air.' On cross-examination, 'The transition
Would endanger a person, even during the duration of one
minute. I have known a person become erysipelatic from a
minute's exposure-to the air. I say that in the transit of only
one minute he is in peril, and I would not so expose myself.'
Re-examined—' Sulphuretted, earburctted, and carbonic
. gases, would be emitted from the burning of coke ; and the
vapour of the steam would be condensing, and would keep
the atmosphere damp, with effluvia of passengers, &c. ; so
that a quantity of stationary or stagnant air would remain im-
pregnated with poisonous gases ; it might be with scarlet
fever, or the small-pox.' And there must be a progressive
accumulation of unwholesome or unsafe atmosphere within the
tunnel I know a minute is quite sufficient to
produce cata'•rh I would not send a person with
diseased lungs through a tunnel lt would be a
great public benefit to have a railroad conveyance for invalids
without a tunnel.'
" Dr. James Johnson, one of the Physicians of his Ma-

jesty, of eighteen years' practice.
" The difference of temperature in a tunnel (such as on
Stephenson's line) would be upwards of twenty degrees.
. . . . Would not advise any person of delicate health to
travel through it lt would very often be inju-
rious, because we seldom have a vicissitude equal to that in a
whole day ; and we know that the vicissitudes of tempera-
ture, and drought, and moisture, are the chief causes of pul-
monary complaints, and many other, such as rheumatisms
and erysipelas is sometimes produced by it The
reverberation would be tremendous with a locomotive engine,
and give a very great shock to delicate people
Would not send persons liable to' affections in the heart or
head through these tunnels Would not send
a delicate lady by a railroad of this sort. . . . . Nor a
lady in a state of pregniincy ; would advise her not to go by
it There would be a very considerable inconve-
nience from the heat of the engine, independently of any gas,
or any deleterious atmospl'ere I think it impos-
sible to alter the temperature.'
" Dr. A. Todd Thompson, another eminent Physician, and
high medical authority, Professor of Materia Modica to the
London University, thirty-five years' practice.
" Thinks the change of temperature, "in passing through
the tunnels, would be extremely injurious to persons of suscep-.
tible habits, to dyspeptics, to convalescents from disease, to
persons affe:ned with 1 ti'monary complaints. . . • • • •
Would not, as far his influence extended, permit patients to go
to Brighton by a tunnel railroad.'
" Dr. Augustus Sayer, a Physician of fifteen years' practice.
" For invalids, tunnel travelling would be decidedly preju-
dicial Would produce colds and rheumatic
complaints.'
" John Propert, Esq., a General Practitioner, in extensive
practice more than twenty years.
" The change (of temperature in tunnels) would be trying
to all ; but certainly more so to those who are susceptible, or
to others suffering from any complaint The
burning of coke, or coal, is very prejudicial to health gene-
rally ; but more so when confined within the walls of a tun-
nel A tunnel never could be made perfectly
clear of noxious air, arising from the passage of the steam-
carriage Should decidedly objects to patients
travelling through a tunnel The impression that
might be made by half a minute, or a minute, might be equal,
in a debilitated constitution, to the effect produced in half an
hour Has known instances of persons having
caught so severe a cold from change of temperature that they
have lost their life Would prefer any way to
that by tunnels.'
"'Edward Clervin Griffiths, in exensive general practice
twenty-four years.
"' Would not send invalids to travel by a railroad in which
there were tunnels. _ _ Went through one last year

between Whitstable and Canterbury ; and, from experience,
declares it would be extremely dangerous to a person in deli-
cate health.' . . . . The cold was very severe, and af-
fected the skin and eyes.'
" Other witnesses—medical gentlemen, professors of che-
mistry, &c.—were present to be called, but the foregoing was
deemed sufficient.

" For these very conclusive and irrefragable reasons against
tunnels, on aroad chiefly intended for passengcrs,,it i 3 humbly
conceived that the report of their Lordship? Committee will
be in favour of the line which is free from such cogent objec-
tions."

MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.—On Thursday
evening was married by special licenso, by the Rev. H. Blunt,
at the house of Sir Michael and Lady Shaw Stewart, in Port-
land-place, his Grace the Duke of Somerset to Miss Shaw
Stewart. The bride was splendidly attired. A sumptuous
dinner was given by Sir M. and Lady Stewart to a select
number of the relatives and friends of the families, and in the
evening a few more were invited to be present at the marriage
ceremony ; immediately after which his Grace and his fair
bride set off for Wimbledon Park. Those invited on this
happy occasion were—The Marquis of Queensberry, the Mar-
quis of Hertford, the Marquis and Marchioness of Downshire,
the Earl and Countess of Clarendon, the Earl and Countess
of Morley, the Earl and Countess of Manvers, Lord and Lady
Seymour, Lords Arthur and Marcus Hill, Lord Abinger, the
Hon. Mr. Maule, Lord and Lady James Stewart, Lady Davy,
the Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Scarlett, Lady Pulteney. and Miss
Stewart ; Mr., Mrs., and Miss Alexander ; Mr. Baillie, Mr.
Kneudtzon, Mr. Maxwell.

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CONSERVATIVE
DINNER.--KETTERING, JULY 29.—The members of the Con-
servative Association of this division of the county of North.
ampton dined together at the White Hart, Kettering, in a
spacious booth erected for the purpose. About 300 gentlemen
.of the county sat down to dinner, among whom were the Hon.
Colonel Stopford (Chairman), the Earl of Winchilsea, and
Mr. T. P. Maunsell, M. P. for the Northern Division ; the
Hon. and Rev. Finch Hatton ; the Hon. and Rev. B. Stop-
ford ; the Rev. Herbert Marsh, son of the Bishop of the
diocese ; the Very Rev. the Dean of Peterborough ; Mr. A.
Young, Colonel Cathcart, Mr. Boughton Leigh, &c.

MISERY.—On Saturday, the 9th current, a lonely
woman, with a child in her arms not more than a year old,
called at the house of Mr. Nivison, farmer, and very modestly
craved a lodging for the night—a request which was readily
and charitably granted. The mother herself seemed of the
age of thirty • and her speech, manner, and appearance alto-
gether, plaidy indicated that her's was no common misery, al-
though obviously of those who have seen better days. On
Sunday morning, Miss Nivison inquired of the servant if she
bad seen the poor woman, and on being answered in the nega-
tive, with the touching addition that the child had been heard
crying early in the morning, instantly repaired to where she
s.ept, and found the wanderer dead, with the baby behind her
resting on its face, and fast asleep. —Dumf., ies Courier.