The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-22 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

Yesterday a commission of lunacy wes opened at
the Swan Hotel, Walham-green, to inquire into the
state of mind of Charles Richard Harrison, Esq., an
inmate of Dr. Philp's establishment, Kensington
House.

Mr. Alexander with Mr. Bloxam attended as coun-
sel for the commission • T. W. Giffard to watch the
proceedings on behalf of the alleged lunatic.
Mr. ALEXANDER stated that Mr. Charles Richard
Harrison was the son of a merchant, and was forty-
two years of age. Upon the death of his father he
came into considerable property, and married his
cousin. He was brought up as a timber-merchant,
but instead of following up that vocation he became
extravagant and gave himself up to farming pursuits
and field sports ; he took two farms at Guildford,
in Surrey, of 1,000 acres, and kept up his sporting
stud at Hockton, Hull, and got a notion in :his head
that all his property could be disposed of to the Hull
Dock Company. In the autumn of 1845 he became
exceedingly wild ; he was placed in Moorcroft House
Asylum, near Uxbridge, kept by Mr. Stilwell,
and there he threatened the life of Mr.
Taylor, a surgeon, and having been foiled
in his object, he became morose and sullen,
and it was necessary to administer food by the means
of the stomach pump. In May, 1846, he effected
his escape from Moorcroft House, and visited Guild-
ford, where Mr. Taylor, the surgeon, resided. He
was again placed under the protection of friends, and
continued in Osborne Wick House, in Yorkshire,
which was kept by a member •f the Society of
Friends. On the sth of February, 1847, he again
made his escape, and was discovered at Leeds, armed
with a brace of loaded pistols. By stratagem he was
prevented from doing any mischief, and his person
having been secured, he was removed to Dr. Philp's
establishment, Kensington House, where he had be-
come more composed, and it was to be hoped, for the
sake of the unhappy gentleman himself, that the in-
fluence Dr. Philp exercised over him would continue.
Dr. Philp, physician of St. Luke's Hospital, and
superintendent of Kensington House Asylum, stated
Mr. Harrison was a suicidal patient, and that he
frequently spoke of the Emperor of Russia, and
talked of seeing angels and visions, and was decidedly
of unsound mind.

Sir Alexander Morrison having given similar tes-
timony, the unfortunate gentleman was introduced
into the room. He is a flee man, and of military air,
and wears a full moustache.
The jury found Mr. Harrison insane from the 11th
of January, 1846.
The unfortunate gentleman's property was stated
to be about 12,0001.

HE MURRAIN AMONG CATTLE.

- -
At the monthly meeting of the Highland and Ag-
ricultural Society of Scotland, held at Edinburgh,
on Wednesday last, the secretary read a communica-
tion from the Board of Trade to the effect, that the
Epizootie, which was thought to he disappearing,
had broken out with greater violence than ever among
the horned cattle of Wallachia, and that three-
fourths of those which had been spared from last
year's visitation were filling victims to it. The
secretary said, that though the communication just
dreisatdanhtadcoruenfetrreyn,ctehetoditrheectosrtasteeoonfeei the epidemic
it tobe theirina
duty to submit to the public all information conveyed
to them on so important a subject, in regard to which
Professor Dick, who was present, had promised to
give to the meeting the results of his experience.
Professor Dick thenm rose and made the following
statement, which give as of great interest to
the public
at represent:—Professor Dick stated that
Pleuro-Pneumonia was still prevailing with great vio-
lence, and varied with the weather. It existed at pre-
sent to great extent in East Lothian, as well as in Aber-
deenshire and throughout the north. He was informed
yesterday by one of his pupils, who is in practice

at May b: le, in Ayrshire, that there lo's only been
occasionally a solitary- case for fifteen miles round,
during the last twelve months. He consi-
dered its origin and propagation to be atmospherical,
and attributable to influences to which man and the
loyver animals were equally exposed; in illu;tration
of which the Professor referred to the existing epi-
demic in the form of influenza, under which he him-
self was evidently h.bouring, and in consequence of
which the public schools have been partially closed.
The disease consisted of active inflammation in the
lungs, and in the pleura which covers them and lines
the chest. It was attended with great danger,
particularly when the pleura was principally affected;
and such cases generally were fatal, unless the
proper remedy was immediately applied ; because
when that membrane is attacked by inflammation,
being what is called a serous membrane, it very
rapidly proceeds to pour out serum and lymph be-
tween the lungs and ribs ; the chest fills with water,
and the animal sinks and dies rapidly. Man, and
all the domesticated animals, are liable to the disease,
although they may not he equally affected at the
same time. Horses, as well as dogs, during the pre-
sent Epizootie, have been less affected than cattle.
The disease is not, generally speaking, so fatal in
horses as in cattle, because horses, being under con-
tinual notice, were better attended to; the symp-
toms were at once noticed, and they were seldom
l.).st. The same would be the case with cattle if
properly ]coked after; but too little attention is paid
by the breeders and rearers of cattle to the health
and comfort of their stocks and the symptoms of
their diseases ; they, at the same time, are not so
much under the immediate observation of their
owners, and the symptons are not so distinctly marked
as in the horse. Irdeed, the early symptoms very
readily escape notice, because they are obscure.
To illustrate the treatment required, the Professor
referred to a case in Lanarkshire where he had been
called on for advice ;—his instructions to the smith
or farrier on the property were, that ho should bleed
whenever he observed any cough or alteration on
the milk or feeding, clean out the bowels by laxative
medicine—say llb. of Epsom salts, nitre, tar-
tarate of antimony in large and repeated doses ;
repetition of the bleeding ; blistering the sides, and
even firing, if necessary. After the inflammatory
action has been subdued, tonics should be adminis-
tered. By following this course the smith has ac-
quired a local celebrity. It was sufficiently simple if
adopted at an early stage of the disease ; but if it bas
made a certain progress, no reasonable hope of success
can be entertained.