The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-26 00:00:00

EXECUTION FOR THE MURDER OF MR.
POWELL.

On Saturday last, the 20th instant, the extreme pe-
nalty of the law took place on Patrick Woods, whose
case had stood over from last assizes, on an objection by
his counsel, which the twelve Judges overruled. The
wretched man said to the people that he was innocent
of the murder of Mr. Powell, that he was seven miles
off when the murder took place ; he forgave his prose-
cutors, his judge, and his jury, and died protesting his
innocence. After having delivered these few words he
seemed",to be suffering intense mental agony, and was
moving from side to side, not knowing what he did. He
sunk down before the full of the drop, in the centre of
which he was placed by-the executioner. In a few mo-
ments the bolt was drawu, and the wretched man ceased
to breathe."
THE WEATHER --GREAT DISTRESS.

The weather thii week has been very, severe. Snow
has fallen in considerable quantities. The mountains in
the neighbourhood of Dublin are covered with snow,
and the cold is very severe. From all parts of the
country we learn that the winter has set in with great
severity, and several of the mails have been detained
past time, owing to the heaviness of the roads, which, in
some places, have been blocked up with snow-drift.
In Ireland there is a very general, and, we fear, un-
fortunately, a too-well founded apprehension, that in
some parts of the country a famine will exist, owing to
the lateness of the harvest and the premature setting in
of the severe weather. A gentleman who arrived in
Dublin the other day assured us that not one-half of the
potato crop, on which the poor people mainly rely for
subsistence, would in some parts be saved—in fact, that
in a great many districts the potato crop saved would not
last over February.
Such being the case it is lamentable to contemplate
the consequences. The sufferings the poor will be forced
to endure—sufferings, alas ! with which they are
,al-
ready too familiar—ought to engage the attention of the
Government, and some means adopted to alleviate them.
—Dublin Monitor.
THE POTATO CROP.

On Sunday night last the weather assumed all the
severity and harshness of mid-winter. A great quan-
tity of snow has since fallen in all parts of the coun-
try from which we have heard, .and there has been
smart frosts at intervals. This change in the weather,
occurring at a much earlier period than usual, has
come upon the farmers by surprise. This is the season
for potato digging, which must, of course, be more or
less impeded by the state of the ground, and the
sowing of wheat must also be prevented.—Dublin Even-
ing Post.
We had a heavy fall of snow last night, which was
followed by an intense frost, rendering the streets and
roads almost Untravelable. We do not remember symp-
toms of winter to set in at so early a period for many
years."—Cork Reporter of 'Thursday.
" The weather, since our last, has been almost unex-
ampled in severity for the season. One of the heaviest
falls of snow we have remembered for along period oc-
curred on Wednesday. The Dublin, Cork, Kerry, and
Waterford coaches and cars have been many hours be-
hind time—in some cases five and six. The Dublin mail,
due at half-past nine o'clock this morning, did not reach
until twenty-five minutes to two o'clock."—Limerick Re-
porter of yesterday.
"KiLcuLLEN.—I regret to say that the poor man's
harvest (potatoes) is not only a poor crop, but great
. quantities are yet to be dug out in this neighbourhood."
—Leinster Express.
Doctor Murray has forwarded through Sir John
Power, Bart., trustee, his usual subscription of 10/. to
the O'Connell Compensation Fund for the present year.
James Power, Esq., M.P., has subscribed 10/, his annual
contribution to that national measure. A similar sum
has been given by . ".0 Resident of Catherine's Parish,"
Dublin. Fifty poundshas been received by the Secretary,
from friends of O'Connell in Edinburgh.
We have only room to admit the following additional
good news from the provinces. Jatnes Delahunty, Esq.,
writes from Waterford :—The collection for the Na-
tional ,Fund here to-day, amounts to between 3001
and 4001. exceeding last year's products. Waterford
will ever be true to the man who has rescued the
people of Ireland from " thraldom and slavery."
At Clonmel about 20e/. has been contributed, as
per letter from Charles Bianeoni, Esq. From Bel-
fast, the Treasurer, Hugh Magill, Esq., announces that
170/. will be realised. Enniscorthy produces, we be-
lieve, 80/. or 901., as notified by Patrick White, Esq.,
treasurer. Thurles, too, exceeds last year, and will pro-
duce a similar amount to the foregoing—so writes Martin
Quinlan, Esq., treasurer. William O'Donnell, Esq., an-
nounces that Carrick-on-Suir has, at this early stage,
furnished near 801—and the consort district of Carrick-
beg and Newtown will, on the 28th, discharge its duty
with like liberality. We learn from Patrick Dowdall,
Esq., that Newry, has, under the auspices of the vene-
rated Right Rev. Doctor Blake, commenced the work
with eminent success. This is also stated as regards the
purely patriotic union of Kilsaran, county of Louth, by
the highly respected pastor, Rev. Thomas Loughran—
and that of Ferns and Kilbride, county of Wexford, by
the excellent Catholic Rector, Rev. James Roche.

Thus the work goes bravely on at all points ; and of
this new proofs will be given day after day in the most
substantial form from the parishes of every county,
diocese, and province of the kingdom.—Dublin Paper.

ROYAL MEDICO-BOTANICAL SO-

CIETY.

On Wednesday this Society held the first general meet-
ing of its twenty-second session, at the Chambers, in
Sackville:.street, Piccadilly. H. Cook, Esq., jun., in the
Chair.

The SECRETARY read the minutes of the last meeting,
and informed the members that several valuable presents
of seeds, exotic plants, and foreign medicinal preparations
had been received from various Correspondents, amongst
whom were conspicuous their Noble President Arl
Stanhope, Mrs. Burnet, and a Professor of the University
of Prague, whose name we did not catch. The thanks
of the Society having been voted with much applause to
the several contributors,
Dr. SIGMOND was called on, as Professor to the Insti-
tution, to offer some observations to the assembled mem-
bers and visitors upon the opening of the new Session.
The Learned Professor thought the occasion would be a
fitting one to take a comprehensive view of all that had
been done since the formation of the Institution, that is,
within the last quarter of a century, to add to the magni-
ficent science of which that Society was the cultivator;
and to the noble profession to which he had the honour
to belong. Yet, to go through even a brief account of
all that had been done for the promulgation of light and
s thealleviation Of dis ase, would occupy far more time than
the occaSiom 411-of.-_, : He would observe, that although
many. 01* plans Which were now laid aside, because
past experiehee left a doubt upon their utility ; yet a
drab mitilit come when they should be discovered to pos-
sess principles and ingredients of important benefit to
man. `Chemistry had done much to bring into use the
beneficial properties of medicines, of which, before, the
value was unknoWn Or uncertain. This was especially 1
the case in respect to alkalies produced from American
vegetables ; for instance, the various species of the ge-
nus cinchona. This genus was of peculiar interest to the
botanist, and to the „lover of mankind. He could not
dwell upon the difficulties-which originally were thrown
in the way of its introduction, both by the medical pro-
fession and the public. Even . Sydenham Encountered
great difficulties in his attempts to apply the remedy to
be derived from cinchona in a safe and beneficial form.
Whilst the medicine was efficiently used upon the Conti-
nent, the great Cromwell was allowed to die of inter-
mittent fever, because the mode of administering it was
unknown in this country. Sydenham, since that time,
discovered that the interval between the fits was the time
to administer the medicine, when the patient appeared
to require none, whereas its administration during the
fever was dangerous or fatal. When that product of
cinchona called " quina," was first introduced ignorance
of its actual properties produced the new disease to which
the name of " quininism" was given. It also produced
painful neuralgic disease and tic doloreux, which quinine
cures.—(Hear). He passed then to " morphia," and
" narcotine," two principles obtained from opium—the
former was the exciting, the latter the sedative, prin-
ciple. The former abounded most in the opium of
the East Indies, the latter in the Turkish opium';
and this was so well known by the Chinese, that
they always selected the Indian drug. Opium was
a most beneficent medicine when properly used ;
and the old pharmacopoeia contained many excellent
preparations of it, which we understood him to prefer
greatly to morphia. The Learned Professor then re-
lated the history, and discussed the properties of prussic
or hydrocyanic acid, which, under the regulations of the
Apothecaries' Hall, requiring that all persons should
sell it of the same strength, was now used with the great-
est advantage. He next came to "strychnia," an alkali
derived from " nux vomica." The nut itself might
be administered in certain forms with benefit,
but the extract was the most ferocious poi-
son known ; and he warned all his friends against
its use. Even Magendie, who recommended strychnia,
acknowledged, that upon the application of the drug ex -
ternally, or rather. enderndcally, the patient in one
second dropped dead; so instant was the working of this
terrible poison. Even those. who touched a person la-
bouring under the 'effects of the drug were affected by it,
RDA felt as it were an electric shock pass through their

also d. .. f;---1115-1 use7another'7-7---------7
bodies. Ire isapr (ATI the o new-
alkali called " aconitina " an 4 of another " veratrina."
But of Croton oil be spoke hi rii,ch terms. Dr. S. win.-
spoken at some length Aptitelitio to be
41.
conferred upon science' 6y three new oc p4ie es, the
Botanical, Pharmaceutic, and ;chemical, concluded an
eloquent address =lli warm and repeated plaudits.
The death of the late
,pstizetkedEellow of this Society,
Ir. Iltutcock.ww,a4erpar4 communicated to the meet-
ing, amidst E. ~
;Itti,‘ .14pr,9*jons of regret, and promises
of assistance.td Ae Apil,y, of .the gentleman.
After some routkucmkusiness, the meeting adjourned
to the Bth of December.. : .