The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-03 00:00:00

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.
An interesting subject has been chosen and is now
being discussel by the chemical lecturer of this in-
stitution ; it is that of the chemistry of food. Nothing
can be mere important than an inquiry into the
functions by which man is enabled to recruit his con-
stitution and renovate his wasted energies. This in-
quiry must also be interesting, Who is there who
would not wish to understand the nature of this
necessary requisite to health and comfort, food ? The
lecturer started by first of all leading his hearers to
comprehend the importance of respiration, and the
operations that were carried on during its action.
Respiration, he stated, was nothing more than com-
bustion, and the whole source of animal heat. The
constituents of food he classified under two heads—
elements of respiration, or heat affording constituents,
and elements of nutrition, those necessary to the
formation of flesh, muscle, &c. Amongst the
former were classified fat, gum, sugar, and
many similar compounds, daily consumed in articles
of diet ; the latter class comprised those substances of
more complex natures generally containing nitrogen,
as fibrin, caseim, albumen, and blood, &c. After
briefly adverting to other points, the lecturer more
particularly directed his attention to bread as an
article of food, pointing out the nature of flour, the
processes going on during its preparation for our
tables, and ended by enumerating and showing the
modes of detecting various impurities sometimes
found in flour and bread, placed there by the frau-
dulent vender; amongst these were mentioned chalk,
gypsum, and other foreign matters common to
flour, known as seconds and thirds, and which had, in
some instances, been known to produce serious con-
sequences. The lecturer was listened to throughout
with great attention, the audience seeming highly
interested in this important subject.

RATING TILE POOR.—At the recent petty sessions
at Buckingham the following persons appeared on sum-
monses, to answer the complaint of the overseers of Lil-
lingstone Dayreli, for nonpayment of poor-rates,
amounting to sums varying from ninepence to one shil-
ling and sixpence, viz.:—John Gregory, Paul Stone, a
worn-out labourer of. 80, henry Henson, George
Henson, John Hickinbotham, and Thomas Hunt. They
all pleaded inability to pay. Sume had large families,
and had been short of work, and others had been ill.
Notwithstanding this, the officers pressed the cases
against the parties, although it appeared that those in
work had but Bs. per week. The magistrates, in order
to avoid the issuing of distress warrants to take away
the little furniture of tho poor men, adjourned all tho
cases.

SMITH O'BRIEN'S CAPTOR.—William Hulme died
suddenly on the 27th ult., at the White Chimnies, near
Leek, aged 28. The deceased was the captor of Smith
O'Brien, fur which he received the Government reward
of 5001.
ROBERT WHARTON, ESQ.— We are sorry to an-
nounce the sudden death of Mr. Wharton, a barrister on
the northern circuit, and a judge in the county courts.
The Learned Gentleman was taken ill whilst on circuit,
and died on Saturday last, at his hotel, in Richmond.--
Leeds Mercury,
IRON HOUSES FOR CALIFORNIA.—Mr. Thomas Ver-
non, of this town, has this week taken a contract for ten
more iron dwelling-houses, all of which are to be
shipped for the gold regions within two months.—
Liverpool Courier.

CAUTION TO POULTRY BREEDERS.—Perhaps it
may not be generally known that if chickens, fowls, or
ducks, cat a quantity of new vetches, it will inevitably
cause death. A case of this kind occurred a short time
ago at Mr. Thomas Lane's, of Radford, in this county,
which swept away a large quantity of young fowls. Mr.
Lane had been threshing some vetches with the machine
and the straw being very good, was put on two weggons
to be drawn and made into a stack, but a heavy rain
falling in the meantime, which penetrated through the
loads, it was obliged to be thrown into the yard. The
straw bad some looose vetches mixed among it, which
were made soft by the rain, and of which the
fowls partook plentifully, and this caused the death
of upwards of 100 of them. On examination after death
their gall bladders were found to be much swollen and
surcharged. Old vetches are not supposed to bedee-
terious.— Worcester Chronicle.
MODEL IN WAX OF QUEEN VICTORIA--" We have
just seen," says a correspondent, " a beautiful miniature
cast in wax, of our gracious Sovereign in her coronation
robes, modelled by Lady Ross of Balnagown, and declared by persons familiar with her Majesty's' face and. figure to be a striking likeness. It is a perfect gem,
and would du credit to a London artist."—lnverness
Courier.

ENTHUSIASM.—We are told that the infant daughter
of a gentleman employed at the works of the Britannia
Bripge was taken to the Britannia Rock, the other day,
in the middle of the Straits, where she was christened
Britannia Ann Stephenson, in compliment to the bridge
and engineer. We remember a worthy builder, who,
having erected a chain bridge some ten years ago, with
similar feeling, but less tact, christened his little daughter
Suspension Maria.—Builder.

It should become our study to narrow as much as
possible the neutral ground which stretches its quag-
mires IntweLn truth and faltchocd, so that the bounda-
ries of these discordant potentates may be defined.—
Eliza Cook's Journal.

CHANGE or FORTUNE.—On Thursday morning
last, a poor man named Wynne, residing in Lower
Bridge-street, in this city, received intelligence of a
long absent brother being at the point of death, under
whose will Wynne was constituted heir to an estate itt
&QUO Ayres, ygued at 12,0001,—Glicpter Courant.