The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-14 00:00:00

CESAREAN OPERATION.
A Cassarean operation, as it has been called, from
being the mode by which Julius Caesar made his en-
trance into the world, was FicilCully performed by Mr.
Strafford a few days ago, i this town, on a poor
woman named Abbott. She was a native of Chid-
dingly, a village in this county. In person she was
almost a dwarf, and her lower limbs so curved as to
strike with astonishment many medical men who saw her
that a person so deformed should have entered into the
matrimonial state at all, or that any man should have
wedded her. Though so dwarfish and deformed she
possessed a good and clear intellect, and displayed
the utmost courage, patience, and submission through-
! out her long and severe trials. We understand that
the deformity is hereditary, for the legs of her
father are useless, and only a few inches in length.
As it was known it would be a difficult case the friends
of the woman had her removed to Brighton, where
there is much greater amount of scientific skill tkau
could of course be found in a small country village. She
accordingly took up her residence at her mother's, in
this town, and Mr. Batteock attended during the first
throe days and nights of labour, when, being ex-
hausted, his partners, Messrs. Paine and Strafford, took
his post by the bed-side of his patient. The time was
now come when it was necessary to decide on sur-
gical operations. The chloroform was administered,
and, though the patient retained perfect possession
of her intellects throughout the trying period, she de-
clared that she was quite insensible to pain. The
operation is of a nature which precludes uny further
allusion to it in a publication of this kind, though it will
probably be explained at length in medical works, as it
was attended with some circumstances of deep in-
tore it to the profession. We can only add, therefore,
that the poor woman was delivered of twins—one
alive; the other had died prrvious to the operation.
The medical gentlemen present were Drs. Plumer
and Allen, Mr. Parsons, house-surgeon at the County
Hospital, Mr. Paine, and Mr. Strafford, who, as in
other extremely difficult cases in which he has ope-
rated, was perfectly successful'. It was performed, we
understand, in the most scientific and skilful manner,
to the entire satisfaction of all present. The shock
to the constitution in a case of this kind is,
medical men assure us, tremendous, and against which
no skill, medical or surgical, is available ; arid it is
with regret we add that the poor woman ultimately sank
under it. Her constitution was not strong enough to
rally and recover ; otherwise, in a stronger constitution,
it is possible for a patient, even in an operation of this
kind, to rally. It is, we understand, one of the most
difficult operations in the whole science, and its skilful
performance reflects the highest honour on the profes-
sion, its on this occasion. The other child died a few
hours after delivery.—Brighton Herald.

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—We have now
arrived at a 'very critical time of the year, and
have therefore been at some pains to ascertain the
actual state of the crops in this county. On
former occasions we have observed that there is a
great breadth of land under wheats ; generally
speaking, the plant looks healthy, but it is not stout,
and the heavy rains it experienced during the time of
its blossoming, will be detrimental to the "cast ;" such
a yield therefore as that of last year may not be ex-
pected in the present, though a fine genial
harvest would unquestionably give an average crop.
The Lent grains wear a most promising appearance,
the barleys in particular. Last year, it may be re-
collected, the failure of beans was general; this year,
the stalk is short, but there is every prospect that of
both beans and peas the crop will be good. From
the hop plantations our reports, on the whole,
are favourable; the cold nights of the early part
of the week were beginning to tell, but the return
of more genial weather has effected great improve-
ment. The hay harvest has been much retarded by
heavy rains; considerable damage has, without doubt,
been done, especially as the swathe is heavy. The return
of fine sunny weather on Wednesday last has enabled
large breadths of hay land to be cleared, and the late
mown grass is being harvested very favourably. On all
hands we hear most encouraging reports of the potato
plant ; we have ourselves looked over a large number of
acres in various parts of the county, and never saw the
potato crop look more promisingly than it does at pre-
sent ; the haulm is very healthy—not the least appear-
ance of disease.—Hereford Times.

SCOTLAND.—During the last week (says the In-
verness Courier) the weather has been somewhat chi 1,
and not just what is required in July. Occasionally,
slight serviceable showers have fallen, but the cry is
for more sunshine. Still the crops progress well.
Having made a short excursion in the early part
of the week, it gave us great pleasure to
observe the luxuriance of the fields. In the Aird the
wheat and barley crops promise to be abundant, and
they are generally in ear. From Ileauly to Ding-
wall, and up Strathpeffer the same remark applies;
and at Highfield we observed a thick though uneven
braird on land newly taken in, and which a few months
ago, from the quantity and size of the stones, and other
difficulties, seemed hardly worth the expense of reclaim-
ing. At Island Bank, Culcabock, and other places in
this neighbourhood, the oats are in ear ; but we suspect
a portion of this crop will be short in the
straw. Potatoes generally are most luxuriant ;
but in several parts of the Aird, and our
own immediate neighbourhood, we have observed the
crumpled leaves and sickly stems usually indicatitive
of the curl. We hope we nre mistaken ; but, at all
events, this appearance is limited. Turnips have now
all been got iu, and in good teter. In the hay-fields
the scythes are at work, but this operation might now be
much more general. It is a complaint against our intel-
ligent farmers that they are always too long in cutting
their grass. They allow it to ripen too much, and cut
it when dry and wiry, instead of when se eet and
succulent. A gentleman who has recently traversed
great part of the west coast in Innverness-shire and
Ross-shire, the Long Island, Skye, and the districts of
Ardnamurchan and Stontien, in areyllihire, informs us
that appearances are highly prerni-ine. There has never
before been so great a breadth of corn sown in these
localities; the potato crop is scarcely a fourth of what it
used to be in former years, before the blight was known;
but wherever potatoes are met with the plants are
vigorous and healthy. The people express themselves
gratified with the prospect before them, and only desire
that the herrings would be a little plentiful.
SUICIDE AT THE CAVALRY BARRACKS, WIND•
SOR.—An inquest was held at the Cavalry Hospital,
Windsor, on 'Tuesday afternoon, before W. Marlin, Esq.,
the coroner for the borough, on the body of a private in
the 2d regiment of Life Guards, named George Baxter,
19 years of age, who had blown out his brains with his
carbine, loaded with ball, the day before. The unfor-
tunate man, it appeared, had been about seven months
in the Life Guards, and had since been for some time in
the hospital with a bad leg, which seemed, however, to
have no effect upon his general health. The dread of
the hospital seemed to prey upon his mind. The de-
ceased, as a recruit had been drilled, but had never
done duty. Alexander Hopper, a witness, was with
him in his room ten minutes before he shot himself.
There were four or five carbines in the room, and also
cartridges, which had been served out to the men. He
sat on the bed at the time he committed the act, the
butt-end of the carbine resting an the ground. William
Jenkins, another private in the regiment, stated that he
heard no complaints made by the deceased of the low-
ness of the diet at the hospital. James Nisbet Comm!,
the regimental surgeon, said--I attended the deceased at
Knightsbridge Barracks, who had an ulcerated leg, from
May 9to June 2, when ho was discharged as well. I
at first, when he enlisted, rejected him, on account of his
• being so very slight and young, but the Colonel agreed
to take him, as he said ho might improve. lie came
from Dundee. The jury returned a verdict of "Feb de
se, under the dread of again going into the hospital."
FELINE SAGACITY.--A boy herding cattle in the
vicinity of this villege, a short time ago found a young
squirrel, and brought it home to his father's house,
which he placed beside a cat having young. Puss im-
mediately took it under her protection, and suckled it
as she did her own kittens. An instance still more sure
prising happened lately at Lochtayside. A cat there
having three kittens, two of which had been drowned,
baudrons quietly wont out to a rabbit burrow, and took
in two young rabbits, which she is still rearing with
maternal fondness along with her own surviving. kitten.
—Perthshire Advertiser.
EXTRAORDINARY ENCOUNTER WITH A DOG.—A
few days since an extraordinary encounter took place at
Hurst. A professional gentleman at that place had
given instructions to his servant to destroy a dog of the
setter and bloodhound species, on account of its ferocity;
but the man instead gave the dog to Mr. Richard Mar-
chant, who proceeded with it about eleven at night to
his home at Edgerley House, leading it by a chain. On
the way the dog made a spring at Mr. Merchant, who
was enabled to keep him at bay for some time, and being
an active runner thought the best plan to adopt for
safety would be, if possible, to reach his dwelling by a
gate in the garden hedge, the night being dark; he missd
the gate, however, and tile dog came up and sprang
at him in the ditch. The only chance left him then was
to seize the dog as he came at him, which he fortunately
did with both his hands. A struggle took place, in
which Mr. Merchant obtained the mastery, and throwing
the dog on his side knelt on him and held him with one
'hand for e' icetant while he drew his penknife from his
peeket with the other, sad opeeine :t with i", 3 (Ott
the dog's throat, but not ef;ec:uelly, as the blade of the
knife broke in two. Mr. M. made two gashes in his left
hand as well. The dog was now losieee; power by the
loss of blood, and Mr. Merchant lett him to proceed to
the surgeon as speedily as possible to get his wounds
dressed. The dog again endeavoured to follow him, but
was lost sight of till Mr. M.'s return, when he found
him a short distance from the spot, having bled to death.
—Brighton Guardian.
TILE SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY.—The telegraph
upon the line has been completed during the week to
Lairs, and is now, we believe, in full operation. The di-
rectors having agreeed with Mr. Re.ndle, during the past
week, will forthwith take possession of a portion of the
nursery in his occupation, between Devonshire-terrace
' and King-street, and the works will be recommenced
without delay. The Dainton engine•house and engines
are in a great state of forwardnesss ; the engines, which
. are being built by Bolton and Watts, are of immense
size, and are constructed differently from those at the
other stations ; they will work horizontally, instead
of perpendicularly, the exhausting cylinders are 7 feet
8 inches in diameter. About five miles of pipe are laid
between Newton and Totnes. The Totnes engines are
not so forward; in fact, it is said, the engines at that sta-
tion will not be required for the opening to Totnes, as
the powerful Dainton engines would create a vacuum
sufficient before the train passed Dainton, to take it down
to Totnes, and vice versa. We are sorry to find that the
Torquay branch is not being pushed. We had hoped
that this capital feeder for the trunk line would have
'been finished ere this.— western Laminar/1.
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had a
general meeting yesterday, at their office in Whitehall-
place.