The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-10 00:00:00

THE MIRROR.

The opening article of the Mirror is entitled "The
Champions of Privilege," and is a regular " smasher"
of Mr. Charles Macfarlane, who, from being a book-
seller's back, has turned cad to the King of Naples,
whose character he admires (Mr. MacFarlane is a
gentleman of peculiar tastes), and whose atrocities he
attempts to justify. This literary flunkey gets a most
unmerciful lashing in the Mirror. It was richly
deserved, and is well laid on. " The Adventures of
a French Republican," by Percy B. St. John, are
continued, and the chapters contained in the present
number are peculiarly valuable, as exposing the in-
trigues by which Guizot, Thiers, Mole, De Mon-
talivet, and Odilon Barrot took advantage of the
simplicity of Lafayette (as they are now endeavouring
to do of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte), in order, " for
a consideration," to escamoter the Republic to the
advantage of the Orleans dynasty. Hargrave Jen-
nings' " Mirror of the Month" is overflowing with
poetry, as is Blanchard Jerrold's dissertation on a
" Man with One Opinion" with quaintness. The
other papers are of more than average merit, and the
present number of the Mirror may be considered as
an improvement upon its predecessors.

THE QUARTERLIES.
THE ZOIST.

The present number of this quarterly journal of
mesmeric science contains a narrative of a cure of
blindness by means of mesmerism, which is, if pos-
sible, even more remarkable than the cure of cancer
recorded in a former number of this periodical, to
which we directed the public attention some months
since. In that case the operator was Dr. Elliotson,
,
and therefore the mesmerism a. in that instance
applied with all the knowledge of therapeutical science
which hard study and long practice cannot but give
i
to the professional man ; but n the present instance
the mesmerism was appliedby a lad, a near ycon-
flexion of a very distinguished prelate, whose rank
and station and high character are such guarantees
her sincerity as to put to silence the sceptics of
who, in
the case of a person of less elevated rank,might in.
dulge in scoffs. The following is the narrative of
this most extraordinary case :
"It is now more than three years since one of the
members of my family undertook to mesmerise a poor
blind woman in our village, with a view of attempting to
restore her sight ; but with the professed and imme-
diate design only of relieving severe pain in the head arid
shoulder, with confusion and giddiness of the brain,
which had long distressed her. She was aged about
forty-five 3 ears, and had been blind twenty-six of these.
She wes horn and bred in our village, and when I first
noticed her sixteen years ago, as " the blind woman," she
was led about by a little girl, one of her nieces. She
could with one eye faintly discern light front darkness,
so far at least as to perceive shadows passing before her;
but she could not judge of their distance, or walk with-
out stumbling over every object in her way, neither could
the discern colour or form. She would mistake a donkey
for a man, the undefined shade being all that she saw.
The disease was called opacity of the cornea.
"She became blind three or four after
birth of her first elift-1, • !''.
caught, partly through the painful rtiLeiiks h:cit nl,-
I'llo women in the neighbourhood had recommended to
her. In the course of a few years after she became

blind she underwent three operations ; one eye " was
cut," to use her own expression, three times; and on om
of these occasions she saw a flash of light before the
bandage was put on. When the last operation was per
formed (which took place she thinks about twenty years
ago), the surgeon advised her never to undergo another,
for that her sight was quite gone.
_ _

H She had t;Vo children ii,f((r she became blind. The
appearance of the eyes was this; a thick, opaque, grey-
ish white substance rested upon them, but in one eye
there was a small spot less opaque, or at least thinner
than the rest, through which, when she held her head in
a particular direction, she could perceive the shadows I
have alluded to.

"When her case was undertaken, the intention of
operating for the benefit of the eyes was not, as I have
said, made known to her ; the expectation of relieving
severe rheumatic pain in the head and shoulders, and
giddiness and heaviness of the head, under which she had
suffered for many years, was the only one held out to
her. Of mesmerism, it may be supposed, she knee
nothing ; but, having implicit confidence in us, and,
being told that we thought we could relieve pain by
placing a hand on her head and then drawing it down
to her feet, she willingly consented to sit down.
"At first she felt only a cold trill run down her
arms;' soon she expressed her surprise that she could sit
so still, being habitually very restless; by degrees she
became sleepy, and, while apologising for feeling so
drowsy, and striving for a few minutes to resist the in-
fluence, she fell asleep. It was efferently a natural
sleep. On awaking, she said that a great weight
had been ris from her head,' and that ‘.the pain was
gone.'
" The mesmerism was continued daily; but still with
the professed intention of improving her health. No-
thing was said about the sight, lest expectation should
lead to disappointment. In the course of a little time,
however, during one of her sittings, she said that she
saw something bright and coloured pass before her.
It was found to be her mesmeriser's ring; and this cir-
cumstance encouraged us to feel and to make known to
her a strong hope that her eyesight might be partially,
at least, restored.

" She was, at this time, mesmerised daily (with seve-
ral interruptions of a day or two) for four months, and
then three times a week for about two or three months
longer, using mesmerised water also to wash the eyes. At
this period the strength of her mesmeriser became ex-
hausted by her exertions,* so that she was obliged to
discontinue them, and I took up the case. By this time,
however, the poor woman's sight was partially restored;
she could see colours in the shop windows and walk into
town unassisted. Her sleep became less like natural
sleep at this time. She saw vivid colours in the dark
when I passed my hand before her eyes, and light
seemed to stream from them. She also conversed freely
in her sleep.
" Since the above period, health and other circum-
stances have serenewhat interfered with the treatment of
our patient. I mesmerised her at first three times a
week, and afterwards twice, with the exception of about
three morals in each year (during which I was absent),
down to the present time—December, 1848—the whole
period being about three years and five months since the
case was undertaken; two years and eight months of
which the mesmerism was going on only twice a week.
During this period the outward manifestations of change
in the symptoms of the eyes were, first that she could
close them, whereas she had never since her blindness
been able to close the lids over them, even during natural
sleep; secondly, that water frequently poured from them
after mesmerising, whereas they used to be perfectly
dry; and, thirdly, that the opaque substance which
covered them, first became thinner over the upper part
of the eye and thinker beneath, and gradually a small
portion of the pupil became visible.
" The present state of the eyes (dated Dec., 1848) is
this:—the opacity of the cornea in one eye has disap-
peared, leaving, at least, only a slight cloudiness in ono
spot, which does not prevent her seeing with it as well
as other women of her age; in the other eye, the opacity
is very much contracted and occupies only a small space
in the bottom part of the eye, leaving the upper part
clear. She surprised us, about eight months ago, by
spelling out the letters stamped on a glass bottle,
which a person present, not much older, could not
read without glasses; and this is the more remarkable,
because she had never been a good scholar,• and had
been twenty-three years without seeing a letter
until a short time previously, when she had
begun to amuse herself, first; with reading the large
letters on the printed bills fixed to the walls, and after-
terwards in a book. She can now work in the common
way, but not thread her needle, though she can see the
eye of it perfectly, which I attribute partly to want of
practice, and that it is a habit so early acquired that we
are not aware of its difficulty when attempted at a later
age. She cuts out her caps, walks into town (four miles)
alone to make her little purchases, and performs all the
ordinary occupations of life. And these things are the
more remarkable in her, seeing that she was extremely
awkward i❑ everything she attempted, and had never
performed for hei self any of those little offices which
blind people are usually taught to accomplish, and had
always a child to assist and lead her about excepting in
her own immediate locality, where the people knew her
and got out of her way."

TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD JOHN
RUSSELL, M.P., &c., &c., &e.
Mr Lord,—Your Lordship was pleased to inform
the Irish Members, " that as soon as the views of
the Cabinet had been sufficiently matured, the Go-
vernment plan should he stated in the House of Com-
mons." I trust your Lordship only means to give a
general outline, and not to attempt entering into the
details; for it would be just as unwise to do so, as it
would have been to have given Sir Charles Napier
instructions how he was to conduct the campaign in
the Punjaub.
Nona who have not studied the question can pro-
perly appreciate the difficulties necessarily attendant
upon carrying out the Government plans, if these
two ends are to be attained : first, that the advances
to.be.made shall employ the greatest number of per-
sons in the distressed unions ; secondly, that such
advances shall be repaid.
I will now enumerate a few of the most important
questions which will inevitably arise. First, to what
extent, and in what manner, should the unions be
parties ? It is clear that enormous benefit will
be conferred on landlords in those districts in
which the Government advances are spent, whose
land is to be benefited by arterial drainage, and upon
what conditions.
Is the work to be performed in those unions where
the distress is greatest and the rates highest ? There
is a premium held out to neighbouring unions to
qualify themselves for such assistance. Is the work
to be performed in those unions where the distress is
least and poor-law light in consequence of the exer-
tion of landlords ? Then the object of Parliament will
not be answered, and the distressed unions will not be
relieved.
Is the work to be performed by Government—by
the union—by landlords—or by individuals contract-
ing with these parties ? Keeping in view the fact,
that the labourers in these unions are in an emaciated
and demoralized condition, in consequence of their
having for some time received the minimum of food
without the performance of any work, the solution of
this question will be no easy task.
It is difficult to estimate the loss a contractor would
incur by employing labourers incapable, or unwilling
to work, but the loss to a union would be fur
greater, and that to the Government immense; and,
then, if you resolve to avail yourselves of individual
sagacity and hopefulness, another important question

arises.
If the works are to be carried on with that rapi-
dity which is one of the elements of success, then
other labourers besides those of the union will be
temporarily required. The work completed, and
then—what ? If, on the other hand, these works are
only to be carried on so as to absorb the surplus
labour in the distressed unions, then the repayment
of the advances will be in jeopardy.
All these questions are most important, and their
proper solution requires a master mind—such the
Government have in Lord Clarendon, and the task is
worthy of his powers. Place, therefore, in his hands
the working of the measures, and success is morally
certain. Attempt to define the details by Act of
Parliament, and prepare for failure—the money of
the industrious classes wasted—the condition of the
Irish people hardly improved—and universal discon-
tent both there and in England.
Employ no commissioners, whether amateur or
paid. Bentham said that Government boards were
only screens. Government commissioners are some-
thing worse ; all the good they can do is far better
done by employees, who, in fact, usually perform
the work.
A careful perusal of these difficulties, and others
which will suggest themselves, will naturally recal
to your Lordship's mind your first project, viz., the
reclamation of waste lands, which Sir Robert Peel
accom-
plished l
re
attendantchose -to defeat. How much easier to be Howcomparatively
oftreeerof the
o difficulties
measu res! w
much more beneficial to the Irish people!
For in the reclamation of waste lands it is not pos-
sible to perform the work in a short period ; every
year requires more and more labour, and that of all
descriptions; the comparatively feeble, women and
children, useless in the formation of railroads or of
arterial drainage, would be usefully employed.
When the railroad is completed, the arterial drainage
finished, will it not be then even as now ? These
cannot be repeated, but a successful reclamation of
waste land would have
been followed to an enormous
extent, and even when completed would still furnish
much employment for the people.
However, truth is just, and will prevail ; and
assuredly the reclamation of waste land will be one of
but in my next
the objects of a wise Government;
letter I will venture to suggest a mode which would,
I think, assist in carrying out Government measures,
e
d, to on
and give to Lord Clarendon the best possible
which to form his judgment.
I have the honour to remain,
Your Lordship's most obedient servant,
Corwar, Ayril, 1849. RIGBY WASON.

• -
She suffered exceedingly in consequence of her ex-
ertions; and I mention the circumstance with the view
Cf clutioning young Tu against undertaking chronic
0"-Y :17;2 m't•ived at the posse,:sion of their.
• ••7,d : Vt'aS h,Jself,
StiluU to health by mesmerism, which the skiliol phy-
sician who attended her was wise enough to prescribe and
kind enough to afford.

EASTER AMUSEMENTS.

THE THEATRES.
HAYIITARKET

The brothers Brough will soon reign supreme
monarchs of the realms of rollicking, side-splitting
burlesques. Planche's burlesques are elegant, grace •
ful, and witty—we enjoy his drawing-room wit and
smile, but for a hearty laugh that shall convulse the
midriff and drive away spleen, commend us to the
brothers Brough. Their new burlesque, entitled The
Sphinx, which Was produced last evening, is a drollery
of the moat mirth-exciting character. True to his origi-
nal nature, Keeley, the perfectly original Billy Black, is
the Sphinx, "a singular being, curious in more ways
than one, of an inquiring mind and an obliging dispo-
sition." His costume, his manner, his complaints, and
his riddles are all rich and unctuous exceedingly, and
when he came forward at the conclusion to speak
the tag he was received with shouts of applause and
laughter. Mrs. Keeley was Mercury, and she acts
the part of Chorus after the fashion not of ancient
Greece, but of defunct Barticmy fair, describing the
peculiar appearance and natural proportions of the
Sphinx after the most approved showman fashion.
James Bland as Adelpates, alias Croon, was the most
magnificent of monarchs; anti Miss Reynolds as
Jocasta, the prettiest of heroines. The CEdipus of
Miss P. Horton was excellent. She sung her songs
with exquisite taste and humour. She is now the
hero, par excellence, of burlesques. No one can
approach Miss P. Horton in this peculiar line. The
scenery, by Mr. P. Phillips, was exceedingly beau-
tiful, the dresses were superb, and the whole was
admirably put upon the stage. At the conclusion,
after the principal artistes had been called on, there
was a loud call for the authors, who appeared and
bowed their thanks. We predict for the Sphinx a
long career of popularity. The burlesque was pre-
ceeded by the Brigand, and followed by the Rough
Diamond, in which Mr. Buckstone and Mrs. Fitz
William made their re-appearance on this, the scene
of their former triumphs. Their reception was
enthusiastic in the extreme. The house was crowded
to suffocation.