The Sun.
London, England, 1838-09-03 00:00:00

DEATH ACCELERATED BY MORI

SON'S PILLS.

(From the Nottingham Review.)
On Wednesday an inquest was held at the house of Mr.
George Brewster, the sign of the Shakspeare Cottage, at
New Lenton, to inquire into the death of Anthony Ibbotson,
formerly a well-known exciseman of that place.
Mary, wife of the said George Brewster, deposed that de-
ceased lived next door to her, was apensioner, about 64 years
of age, and during the last three weeks had lived quite alone
in his house. About eleven o'clock on Monday morning last
she went into his house, and saw him sitting in a chair, look-
ing dreadfully ill ; asked him how long he had been ill ; he
replied since ten o'clock. Made him some gruel, and at-
tended to other matters for his comfort ; by his desire left
him alone, as he said he would knock for her when he wanted
her. Saw him again that night at eight o'clock, when he
complained of great pain in the lower part of his bowels.
On Tuesday morning, about seven o'clock, he got up
and came down stairs, but he said he was very bad.
Made him some broth of a rabbit, received from his
daughter, which he drank ; he then appeared very bad, and
smoked his pipe : he afterwards vomited as much as two
quarts of green fluid, and then lay down again; that was about
twelve o'clock. Asked him if his daughter should not be sent
for; wrote a letter to request his niece to come, as he said she
could best be spared. He gave witness's daughter half-a-
crown, to buy two boxes of Morison's pills with, as she re-
turned from the post-office, and while she was gone, witness
took him a cup of tea, which he drank, and she again left him.
On her daughter's return with a packet of pills, and threepence
in change, she went to him again, and found him with a little
stool close by his bed side, on his knees upon the stool, as if at
prayer, and his head on the bed, lying on his arms; called in a
neighbour, and lifted him on the bed, but he was quite dead.
He had vomited a quart of greenish matter or fluid, and lay in it;
this was about seven o'clock in the evening. He was a
penurious man, and was under no proper medical treatment.
He was in the habit of taking Morison's pills; had heard him
speak very highly of them. On Monday, he told her he had
taken ten pills, and that he ought to have taken twenty. He
was much emaciated, and suffered great pain. He was pos-
sessed of a little property, and witness was one of his tenants.
He told witntss that he thought his illness came on with
painting his tenant's house last week.
Mr. R. Davison, surgeon, said that he had examined the
body of the deceased, and had found no marks of external
violence; upon opening the body, he found the stomach and
bowels in a highly inflamed state, with a quantity of thin
yellow fluid, and upon examining the fluid, he found it to con-
tain a certain quantity of aloes, but principally gamboge,
which are two medicines of a very violent and drastic nature, and
such as, in his opinion, were highly injurious to a person of
the emaciated and delicate constitution of the deceased.
Witness was also of opinion that the inflamed state of the
bowels and stomach was the cause of his death, 1'
whether the medicines caused the inflamation he could not say,
but such medicines would cause and increase inflamation,
and were an improper medicine to give him. Upon examina-
tion of the pills they were found to contain gamboge and
aloes, which were the same ingredients which he detected in
the stomach. The powder contains, amongst other ingredients,
cream of tartar, or tartaric acid and cinnamon, but he could not
state precisely without making an analysis of the contents. The
examination was made in the presence of Mr. Marriott, sur-
geon, and assistant.
Verdict—' That the deceased died from natural causes,
but that his death was accelerated by taking Morison's pills."
(We are, informed that the deceased was so preposessed in
favour of Morison's pills, that, during his life, he may be said
to have taken pecks of them.)

--- -
APPOINTMENT OF SHERIFFS IN IRELAND.—
The evidence of the Right Honourable John Doherty before
the Lords' Committee, on the appointment of Sheriffs in Ireland,
which we have transferred from the columns of the Evening
Mail, is both amusing and instructive—amusing because of the
round-about way which the Learned Judge took to convince
the Committee that they knew far more about the matter than
he did—and instructive because we have now high authority—
the authority of no less distinguished a gentleman than the
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas—for believing that " the
morrow of All- Souls falls on the same day in Ireland as in
England." Judge Doherty is quite certain of this point, but
on every matter connected with the inquiry, including the ad-
vice which he gave the Duke of Northumberland—who, by-
the-bye, was one of the first to travel out of the Judge's lists
—he appears--indeed he admits himself—to be profoundly
ignorant. Chief Justice Doherty is certainly afflicted with a
very treacherous memory.—Southern Reporter.
LEITH HARBOUR COMMISSION.--On Friday,
the Leith Town-Council appointed Robert Liddell, George
Thornburn, and John David Hope, Esqs., Commissioners
for the management of the affairs of the harbour and docks.—
Scotsman. _ _ _ _ _

An inquest was held on Friday in Lambeth on the
body of a yeung man, named Thomas, who fell overboard from
a wherry, in which he and a friend were rowing, near Vaux-
hall-bridge. Verdict—" Accidental death." The Jury strongly
condemned the practice of young men unacquainted with row-
ing going upon the water in vessels so lightly built.
FIRE ON BOARD TAE OCEAN STEAM-SNIP.--
A fire broke out yesterday afternoon in the engine-room of the
Ocean steam-ship, just arrived from Calais, and now lying off
the Custom House. Fortunately the fire was extinguished
without doing much damage. Nothing certain is known as
to its origin.

It is not generally known that letters and news-
papers may be posted at Kensington for Devonshire, on Sun-
days—a bag being made up at that office, a convenience which
the Devonshire public owe to the good offices of Earl Morley.
SWORD FISH.--On Friday last, as Smalley, a
Boston fisherman, was pricking for butts, near Corporation
Point, he observed a sword fish knocking about, nearly
aground, and lost no time in hauling it into his boat. The fish
weighed about nine or ten atone, and the sword measured up-
wards of a yard in length.—Boston Herald.
On Friday evening last, as Mr. James Burn, a most
expert angler, was casting the line at length in the Medway,
near Farleigh Bridge, in expectation of taking chub, he ac-
tually caught, in succession, no less than six remarkably fine
perch with the artificial fly. This we consider as without a
precedent, even in any of the fly-fishing excursions of Father
Walton.—Maidstone Journal.
The body of an elderly gentleman was found on
Saturday morning, in Hampstead fields, with the head nearly
severed from the body and a razor lying near. The body
awaits a Coroner's inquest, This makes the third suicide in
these fields within a week.
On Saturday the body of a youth (name unknown)
was Picked up in the River off St. George's-stairs,
sey, and taken to Horselydown Church
to await a Coroner's
inquest. Deceased wore striped trowsers and black waistcoat pl
and had neither coat nor hat. Ber moenrcl,;