The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-28 00:00:00

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF FLOGGING

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,--lt may seem very bard if I say that the effect of
flogging is not fully appreciated even in my own, the medical
profession. But I have studied the subject, and I beg to
send
you a few mical hints it.
Every lash, likeed every other kind of laceration or cutting,
'r affects the power of the heart. A patient sometimes never
rallies from the effect of a severe accident (such was the case
° with Mr. Huskisson) or a severe surgical operation.
But this is not all. The skin, which some persons seem to
think may be treated like an inorganic substance, has a spe-
cial relation with the internal organs:—
)f 1. A current of air falling partially on the surface is suffi-
s- cient by its action on the skin, and the sympathy of this,
through the ganglionic system, with the internal organs, to
induce inflammation of the lungs or of the heart, or of the
membranes which cover these organs.
le 2. The same event occurs from burns or scalds.
r- 3. The same event occurs fro n flogging.
to It is not the extent of the infliction merely which is to be
t considered •, much depends on the peculiarity of the consti-
tution. The healthy are less affected than the unhealthy,
the sober than the drunken.
But any person may, as the effect of any of the inflictions
to which I have adverted, become diseased—diseased for life,
or diseased unto death ; and no man—no medical person—can
tell, a priori, who is to suffer or who is to escape.
Flogging is not to be treated of, then, as A thing skin-deep.
Many a soldier whom it was only intended to flog has been
slain, unknown even to the inflicter of the punishment; for,
as I have said, the medical bearings of the subject have not
been duly investigated.
It is somewhat singular that those persons who seem to
bear a surgical operation best are precisely those whom it
affects the most, and the most dangerously.
There are besides, what we call idiosyncrasies, or pecu •
liarities, which, besides the fact of ill health, or bad habits,
render an infliction, which might generally be borne with-
out risk, most dangerous
In the tendency to disease of the brain, in disease of the
heart, flogging would be dangerous; and this punishment bas
actually induced epilepsy and tetanus (or locked jaw).
I may refer to the writings of the late Mr. Rose* and Sir
C. Bell,f of Mr. Travers,t &c., for examples of internal dis-
ease, especially inflammation of the lungs, induced by severe
accidents or operations ; but if this be true in regard to the
tissues in general, it is specially so in respect to the skin.
The great fact is, that as exposure to a current of air, so
a burn, and so a flogging, may induce disease—lingering
disease, and death.
I am, Sir (in haste), your obedient servant,
London, July 27. CENSOR.
* Med. Chir. Trans., vol. xlv., p. 251.
t Quarterly Reports, p. 241.
On Constitutional Irritation, vol. I. p. 145.

MILITARY FLOGGING.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin—Having observed a late article in your paper, pro-
posing that a Society should be formed whose object should
be the abolition of corporal:punishment in the army, I would
suggest that they should also exert themselves to ob-
tain for the soldier a greater degree of comfort in barracks,
a better mess than the miserable allowance of three quarters
of a pound of meat (including bone) per day, which, when
cooked, seldom appears more than one third of the quantity
which any person whose means allow him would eat generally
at one meal, and, above all, an adequate pension on discharge,
after having devoted his life to the service of his country in
unwholesome climates. These, Sir, would induce a better
class of men to enter the•army, and by raising the social
condition of the soldier, avoid the necessity of having re-
course to the lash.
As things now exist, men are crowded in their barrack-
rooms—not even a skreen for the married soldiers is allowed ;
the rooms in winter are only lighted sufficiently to make
darkness visible, and the only accommodation for washing
is the spout of the pump.
The late fearful accident at Loodianah sufficiently proves
how much better the ends of economy (putting common
humanity out of the question) might be answered by a trifling
outlay in the first instance.
With regard to the flogging at Hounslow, I beg to state
that the mode of inflicting the punishment which has been
so much animadverted upon, and for which, among other
things, Colonel Whyte has been so severely blamed, is
usual in every regiment in the service.
I have the honour to be Sir, your most obedient servant,
July 26. AN OFFICER.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, JULY 26.—The defects of the boilers
and tubes of the Scourge mortar steamer are to be made
good at Woolwich, and she has gone thither for that
purpose. It is expected the mortar Which she now car-
ries will be removed, and that she will be armed with
gun., as originally intended, and then rejoin Vice-
Admiral Sir W. Parker.
The Eurydice has had her compasses adjusted, and is
to go out of harbour on Tuesday.
The Contest brig was swung yesterday, and will be
ready to go to Spithead on Thursday.
Commander A. L. Montgomery, of the Grecian, has
been promoted to the rank of captain, and Commander
Louis S. Tindal, son of the late Chiet Justice Sir N.
Tindal, is appointed to her. Second Captain Henry
James, R.E., is appointed director of works in this dock-
yard, in place of Captain Denison, R.E , governor of Van
Diemen's Land. This officer is to occupy the quarters of
his predecessor, and the superior apprentices salmi is
to be removed elsewhere, . . _

The Constance, 50, Captain Sir B. Walker, is the only
ship at Spithead, and is kept there until the urydice
and Spartan are ready to have their trial cruise.
The Recruit, bound, and Bullog, fitting at the
ga.34-ill dockyards, are to call at Spithead fey their final
.
Wpm •
SquA.Drtott or EVoLIITIoN.—It is expected the fleet,
under ;he command of Vice-Admiral Sir Wm. rarker,
Cr.d.B., is now at sea. An officer appointed to the
Trafalgar, was ordered to be at Cork on Saturday,
10? would be left behind. c9MlZloclime Sir J. G. J

_ •
Bremer. K.C.8., has shifted his broad pennant from
her Majesty's ship Queen, 110, to her Majesty's
ship Trafalgar. Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker
inti-
mated to the different captains of the ships, and by the!:
the officers were informed, that the various raesse,,+
had better provide themselves with two months' sale'.
as it was probable they would not return to their Toe_
spective ports before the end of September—the oruisitht
and exercising ground, instead of being confined to
the sbiPs,
former limited space, will extend to Gibraltar;
will call off the Tagus, Vigo Bay, Cadiz, and. Gibralls.r„
and all letters and dispatches for the Vice-Admiral sof:
be sent to Lisbon, and a steamer, or one of Vile rnell'u
war, is to go thither occasionally for them.
The officers of the Superb, Rodney, and CanoPus' I.i:
return for the hospitable attention paid to them by.ll'd
numerous families at Cork and the neighbourhood, I;.pe,
given balls and entertainments to some hundred (410,,
and gentlemen, and the sailing of the squadron ould
prevented the St. Vincent, Trafalgar, Queen, Ow
Vanguard, following their example. in a tips
niary point of view, the merchants and tr*",,ins
of Cork had found the sojourn of the Su'rds
most beneficial ; for, exclusive of the thousaned
that had availed themselves of the opportunity afibrtinf
of visiting and witnessing the arrangements of nol,
noble men-of-war, and fitting them out with sea slue
for a month or two, will cause no trifling outlay of moll,
The officers of the squadron speak in high terms of moll ,The
civility and kindness which they had received, and rte
satisfactory to know that the same feeling prevails aii
,705,
all those who went on board any of her Majesty's r
an officer in each invariably attending the parties eve
the store-rooms, decks, mess places, &c. Arotir
Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker will leave the squad
on the termination of the cruise, at Gibraltar, retlihrry
,
ing to his command at Malta. Commodore (Prubarbt-
by that time Rear-Admiral) Sir F. Collier " -
them to Spithead.

DECKED WELLED FISHING VES-
SELS v. OPEN BOATS. that °f
The superiority of decked welled vessels over
tter,
open boats for conducting the fishings in deep
will readily be seen from the following six reasons
tracted from Mr. Dempster's circulars:—
I. By employing vessels with wells fish are °
alive into port, and, consequently, they are wool,
fresher than if they had been a considerable time
teta
which is too frequently the case by the open boat sfs
of fishing.
2. Decked vessels are much safer at sea in bagel
weather than open boats are (when they do halVenths
be caught in a storm), and in all weathers at 0111,08
men ale rendered much more comfortable, as they v-
a berth place below deck, occasionally to rest Os°
selves.
eekl'
8. With decked vessels fishermen remain days, o,„eir
and sometimes months, continually at sea puesuing,:;4,
calling, catching and curing the fish as they are caP;i" At
By this system more of the men's time is emPlelpfery
sea than is in open boats that return to the shore"
one or two days. h the
4. As decked vessels are much more at sea tutbiell
open boat, the fisherman yields a better harvest, no in
enables him to maintain his wife and family at b°,4-000
the same way as any other coasting merchant sLkers
maintains his wife and family. The open boat
~R; ti
being less engaged at sea (so as to make both ends
livelihood meet), they are obliged to call in t-ceed;
sistance of their wives and families to work of e 1 sod
ssa
ing drudgery, such as hawking fish about the street
gathering bait amongst the rocks, &c.
5. On board of decked vessels the trawl net le,•,atieriisil,
much more conveniently than in open boats. P7OOO
trawlers cast their nets in 45 fathoms and upwarrar' .1);
at times catch large quantities of soles and other ue-tniot
tions of ground fish. For example, there is e,„Pt the
-
ground in the Great Silver Pits, situated betwn 100
west end of the Dogger Bank and Well Bank, ab°,ll-bees
miles east of Flamborough Head ; it has late*. tog
discovered that great quantities of soles inhabit 00
quarter, as a great number have been caught siric.„bere"
discovery was made ; the depth of water there,, -forit
the trawlers use their nets to so much advantage, is
26 to 50 fathoms. eage
There can be little doubt but on and around the toe
of the Mar Bank, there are also plenty of soles' doyen
is well worth an attempt. Half-% fel
proper trawlers on and about the Mar Bank Nvntl'noble
soon fathom whether or not there are much
treasures there. led,
6. Decked vessels that use a sail aloft to fur
are much better calculated as nurseries for trtoAisg
o ig
youth to be effective seamen than what an open and
that uses lug sails only, as by moving about des s ",„
jsO
running up the rigging, &c., stimulates activity I'decltt
men kelves warm movin
without e
bp eingthemse overburdened with g clothes asabout is reqttisits
to have on in an open boat in a sitting position. open
N.B.—The only arguments used in favour a tfetsol'
boat with lug sails over that of decked vessels wit" oast
irg rigging are:—Open boats are light, and their igs
and sails being easily shipped and unshipped, then ae
handy for hauling up high and dry on shore wr they
afiaprsehprhloauacniedhkyinifgno for
osptpouorinirlitnagniftaaebi about
etto take
trA
timlensapnrsowfietarbtloythat argument, the decked vessel is of
as fish keep alivee,
open boat cannot with suhfbosroai
nt
ins appearance;naigmhsi.so as as also
when the
several weeks f
minpglooyoeddat conditionss,ea in
a vessel's well, suppose the decked vessel is becathae A
boisterous iree'4l:fen:l
a time, the fish (although confined in prison, as it tveT
are still alive and swimming in their own
arrive
it
natural e
exif.
ment, so that when the decked vessel does
the fish are sent into market as they are demand
taken alive from the well. be
An English cod smack of about 60 tons burder).., of
well contains about 1,900 head of cod. In disposeo
them, her proprietor takes care never to kill more'fft:
day than is demanded to supply the market' do°.
English always kill their cod when taken ontrolti%
water, by knocking them on the head and 17. fish_i/,
their back bone ; they find that by doing so tn'ore
much better for crimping or curing than if they tb
lowed to take their usual time of suffocation
01
open air. °
re
It is by this system with decked welled vessel
a d -
causes the London market to be always so well
gularly gularly supplied.
GOODWOOD RA C14)6
(THIS DAY—BY EXPRESS)

The Craven Stakes.
Dawdle walked over.
ft-
The Gratwicke Stakes of 100 sovs. each, I, t
Sir R. NV. Bulkeley's Joinville
Duke of Richmond's Cuckoo
Mr. Wreford's Wits'-End ...............................

Won by a length. Ten ran.
The Ham Stakes of 100 sou. each, h ft, 's6°. 1
Mr. Bowes's Epirote ......... ... 1

Mr. S. Herbert's Tantivy ............................
_ _

Duke of Richmond's Halo
op'"
WAGES OF WOMEN EMPLOY

IN AGRICULTURE. or,
(From the Somerset County Gazette.) Gatti
At the Guildhall, Taunton, on Saturday, Ann e., l'
to ie
il 0
,
Elizabeth Chard, and Mary Ann
Perry, re cherW
...a at stealing four pecks of peas, growing in a fiweeldbelongyo
farmer Rained Tazewell. The poor women bore eve rt;
of extreme poverty, and appeared to be deeply aflhae ,
position in which they stood as criminals.
oPeriP
It appeared that they had been caught picking tht2
in the broad day. One had a bag, the other a bandit D';o9.
and the other used her apron to carry the property 0 31r'
The following short conversation took place betwe!,., 111'
Allen and the complainant, for whom the prison°—
worked.
Mr. Allen—What does Chard earn a day? She is 5 wiclol6
h I believe. Tazewell—Seven-pence. A f sii,,h,e'
Mr. Allen—Seven-pence? Why I never heard of
low wages. Tazewell—That's what they give in °Yes, °I-
Mr. Allen—Has she any children? Tazewell--
I
One of her sons earns a shilling a week.
teen'
Mr. Allen—How old is he ? Tazewell —Seven
believe. • litei
Mr. Allen—ls Perry a married woman?
her husband gets is. 2d. a day; they have three children i
The poor woman Chard, who had been unabletu,
through excess of grief up to this time, said she often..
.0,
but ls. lOid. a week. That was all she had last weex. 1'
Dr. Warre—Why don't you go into the Uniel3 I
hife would be much better off there.
The other two women declared that they wenic://10
gone into the i
.0
itUvoihnsanehl
qiuloti
naemnhibe,tooyeffbuo
impossible but they
receive
stewhhiavileoryerleikn pwegtaahpisisnedrh)noo.esupodtuttetocrt_ht;oobyfeimstcttaiTai
hsan:yeaepirZbyeraoe:rt -buvfhp:t..e;t:
4iciligi::::
adequatefromT hll
eicould,rrPlundere m Allen—lt
ut
s u
Atrb ttoh say it itis so.
suggestion of their worships, who evinced :IP fedecl,
worthy sympathy with the poor creatures, Mr. VI ott-to
dined to prosecute, and they were discharged, bei"wle
however, tooneatrhlailefot
defray the costs incurred.
Er

UpENl.—Last night
Payne, the
DOeFputyDoß.
Houndsditch, on I
lately residing at 19,
te
body of Dr. John Christian prefi-,:risg:001:11::;
Duke-street, St. Mary Axe. Catirdnt-10;
said that the deceased was her father. He was a doctt,„ e'eppw:
in the Church of England, and also a doctor of meelic...P7oll„ett
beim tbr many years one of the Governors of St. Thorn.' ;A'
On the night of Saturday last, about half-past ten o'cicel'r,ecepnof
Wa.,: sitting on the bed, she called to her father, but +bat Woe'
answer, she went and shook his head, and then foune,,`,o, sbe_rotAr
was cold ; and concluding that he was either dead or dY.'itite'rid A
and informed a man of the name of Gigg, residing near„i beeticed,
street. Upon their return to tho house they ascertait-en
doubt that deceased was dead. Other evidence having '"
.0
the jury returned a verdict of I'. Natural Death." . „ ;g 1.10%,,r
CORPCRAL PUNISHMENTS.—We believe:, it Ty, to
tention of several warm friends in the cause of htlineTing t'sbnif
blish themselves into a society for the abolition of fltanclitice.
army and navy. Mr. May, of 12, I3uckingham-street, „his oof
assisting this desirable object, and has proffered the use °f ado
for the fulfilment and facilitating it. Surely the late " 0010—
at Hounslow will bring forward friends to aid those Eh.
their endeavours until the evil be entirely done awai

___ ---___.______-------- 10*
BIRTH .% '
k Ig
On the 24th inst., at oslo.el.il, Clapham New riir
AA' George Coles, of a daugh.tur, Sewa's-P
On the 24th inst., at St. Andrew's-Place'
the wife of James R. Maude, Esq., of a daughter,

Short
oohrentn;EhEsecis
(11. th inst., at AfWAeftß7--EffCkneyp ard "4- ri (A v.
vph
On the 23,doofifnssSothu:thc:ILlrea.wmnebollbe,texhtoi t
Y. Edwards, odfa.,..ahugobt:9llo,
to Misa Laing, of Islington,

DIED. Es+
On the 23d inst., at Muswell-hill, T. Rhodes,Jao:Lgth Ult.,
On the 24th inst., Emily, aged
Constance, aged 3, eldest and youngest claughtell
9;
Harris Dunsfnrd. Sliliti
On the 24th inst., at Saltford Howe; -Bath; lll's'
James, aged 84,

le%
London: Printed and Published by WIRD° Na, 4;' precii,,,-
Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, N 0.112, Strand, in iwf
of the Savoy, in th COUllty Or 21.14410,410
XI, 1546. '

C. 1

YSP

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