The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-29 00:00:00

SUN, LONDON, T

pushing the door he overcame the resistance opposed to
him. On his seeing his aunt she appeared too far gone
to recognise him, and shortly after died in his arms.
We feel called on to add, that the conduct of the soli-
citor referred to was throughout such as, from the re-
spectability of his standing, was to be expected.—Exeter
Flying Post.

CAUTION TO MOTHERS, NURSES,
AND PERSONS DEALING IN " QUIETNESS,"
OR OPIATES.
(From the Bolton Free Press.)
As it is notorious that the lives of great numbers of
infants are weekly sacrificed by the use of opiates, we
consider that the dangers to which infants are exposed
from the administration of such compounds cannot be
too widely known. In the instance given below of the
death of a child which occurred last week, an inquest on
the same being held, the jury gave a verdict that the
child's death was attributed to the use of drugs, to make
it sleep or be " quiet." The child died on yesterday,
evening week, but at the time, no apprehension was en-
tertained that it had come by its death by other than
natural causes ; and the inquiry was merely instituted
in consequence of the singular account of the death of the
child, as given to the registrar of deaths for the district
—Mr. Balshaw—who, in consequence thereof, gave
information, which caused the inquiry to be made. The
inquest was held on Saturday last, at the Three Tuns
public-house, Moor-lane, before J. Taylor, Esq., borough
coroner. The jury having been sworn, proceeded to
view the body of the infant, whose name was John
Aldred. The body had a fine healthy appearance. The
jury having returned, the coroner proceeded to take the
evidence.
Mary Davies, widow, deposed—She kept the house
where deceased had lived. The child's mother was a
weaver, and witness nursed the child while the mother
was at work. The child had been subject to what wit-
ness called " chinks," or chinking fits (apparently con-
vulsions). He was a healthy child, but had the fits very
often—sometimes twice or thrice a day. One of those
fits lasted two or three minutes, and he would sleep after
having one of them. Witness had never given him any
medicine, as she did not consider he needed any. The
child had a fit between six and seven o'clock on the pre-
vious (Friday) evening, and died in it. Never saw a
child die in a " chink " before. Did not think he was
five minutes from being seized to his dying. Never gave
him any sleeping stuff.
The CORONER here inquired if any juror wished to
ask the witness any questions ?
One of the jury said he did, which was—had she ever
given the child any " quietness ?" Witness—Yes, they
had given him " quietness," which bad been purchased
from a woman named Taylor, at the }lash. They got
a pennyworth at once, which was about five
tea-spoonfuls. They had given him nearly a spoon-
ful at once, per day, till he got the master of
it. Once since then he bad had it twice, so that the
child had had one tea-spoonful and a piece, and two tea-
spoonfuls per day lately—morning and night. He did
not sleep so well, but it kept him from being ill-tem-
pered. The last he had was given to him between five
and six o'clock on the Friday evening previous. Wit-
ness had had nine children of her own, two of which
were now living. Had only used similar stuff with two
of them. Those were now dead, but they did not die
from that.
The woman from whom the composition had been
purchased was immediately sent for by the coroner.
Betsy Aldred, the mother of the child, deposed—
Deceased would have been six months old the 25th of
this month. She had come to live with Mary Davies
about two months since. The child was then healthy,
and quite well. They had always given him Mrs. Tay-
lor's stuff since he was better than three months old, as
he had a bad belly, and it had been said it would do him
good. It used to cry a deal. She last saw the child
about half-past one o'clock on Friday at noon, when he
appeared to be well. Had given Mary Davies four shil-
lings for lodging and nursing ; found money for the stuff
from Mrs. Taylor's, and had given Mrs. Davies autho-
rity to buy it. Deceased was about four days old when
he had the first " chink." Witness had never been sub-
ject to fits.
The person (a police officer) who had been sent for
Mrs. Taylor, had now returned, and produced some of
the composition.
Ann Taylor, a respectable-looking elderly female, de-
posed : She was a widow, and lived in Crook-street. She
sold that mixture, and pills, &c., which she made, for a
living. The mixture was called " infant's cordial."—
[The Coroner asked her to tell the jury of what the
mixture was composed, upon which she said she was
not very willing to do so, but on being informed of the
consequences of refusing she proceeded to comply.]—
There was an ounce of laudanum to a pound of mixture.
She made it of coriander seeds, Jamaica pepper, car-
roway seeds, anniseeds, and a small quantity of ginger.
It was boiled up with loaf sugar, and made into a
syrup. It was sold at the rate of 2d. per ounce, and
she sold a middling quantity of it. Four pounds did
not last quite a fortnight. She generally gave direc-
tions for children about five months old to have three-
fourths of a tea-spoonful at once, and a small tea-spoon-
ful if above six months old. It was generally bought
for young children, but was used by grown-up people
for the cramp at the stomach. Her husband had made
the same article himself, and was the inventor of it.
Parties buying the mixture were charged particularly
that not more than she directed should be used at once,
and were never told to give it to children more than
once a day.
The jury consulted an the matter, and the Coroner
observed that laudanum was only tincture of opium, and
the case, as brought before them, appeared to,him to be
the natural consequences of taking opium, which no
prudent surgeon would administer to any child under
twelve months old, in any form whatever, as it was poi-
sonous. He belived a great many deaths were caused
by the administering of it, and it was very desirable that
such an extensive use of it should be stopped ; but in
the present instance he was not of opinion that the evi-
dence would warrant a jury in giving a verdict of man-
slaughter against any one, though they might state what
they believed had been the cause of the death of the
child.

The jury returned a verdict " That the deceased had
died from convulsions, brought on by the incautious ad-
ministration of laudanum."
The mother, nurse, and Mrs. Taylor were again
called into the jury room, and the Coroner strongly
cautioned them against the use of such a mixture—ad-
vising the first, if she should have more children, to
take them to a medical man, if able ; and if not, he
would at any time give her a recommendation to the
Dispensary. He advised the seller of the article to sell
no more of it, lest she should be brought to stand her
trial for manslaughter.

GLADSTONE ON COLONIAL
RAILWAYS.

The most important business that has been transacted
by Mr. Gladstone, since his accession to office, relates to
colonial railways. On the 16th inst. a number of gentle-
men connected with railway projects for the colonies
waited upon Mr. Gladstone, by invitation, to state their
views, and respecting the best method of regulating rail-
way legislation in the colonies, and to learn the in-
tentions of Government on that head.
The same parties were assembled, our readers will re-
collect, by Lord Stanley for a somewhat similar purpose
on the Ist of December last. Or, more properly speak-
ing, they were assembled to hear his Lordship prescribe
regulations for all colonial railways. These regulations
were exceedingly objectionable ; and accordingly, strong
representations against them were made by several gen-
tlemen, apparently with little effect. On Friday
last, Mr. Gladstone, by a few questions, elicited the
opinions of the deputations, and then intimated
his own views. Ile did not Junk it expedient, he said,
to attempt to dictate regulations to so many and so various
countries, as what might be easily practicable and ad-
vantageous in one, might be the reverse in another.
At the same time, he considered it his duty to impart
to the Legislature of each colony the benefit of this
country's experience. He, therefore, proposed to ad-
dress to the Governors of all the colonies a circular
dispatch containing recommendatory suggestions. The
draft of this dispatch Mr. Gladstone read to his visi-
tors ; it is a lucid communication, evincing a compre-
hensive acquaintance with the state of the colonies, and
appears well calculated to serve as a guide to correct
legislation, its leading suggestions are as follows:
The ten per cent. shall be paid up on the capital to be
employed previously to any Colonial Railway Bill re-
ceiving the Royal assent in this country ; that provision
shall be made for the conveyance of the royal mails, and
for the transit of troops, police, ordnance stores, &c. ;
that where electric telegraphs are put up, the manage-
ment of them shall be under the control of Govern-
ment;' that a revision of tells shall be made periodically
on the basis of a seven years' average at 15 per cent.
maximum profit ; that the State shall have the option of
purchasing at the end of twenty-five years, at the rate of
twenty-five years of the current receipts of the Com-
pany. Some other clauses relate to the inspection of ac-
counts, provision for the public safety, and the notices
required to be given in the colony.
Mr. Gladstone evinced anxiety to impress on the
minds of the deputations that it was his desire to give
the freest scope to individual enterprise, and to leave
matters as much as possible between the capitalists of
this country and the Legislature of the colonies. At
the close of the conference, Sir John Rae Reid, on be-
half of all the gentlemen present, expressed his hearty
concurrence in the views of the Colonial Minister.
These were not mere words of compliment. The assent
given by the deputations was sincere, cordial, and un-
reserved. The contrast was remarkable, as it was gra-
tifying, between Downing-street on the 16th instant and
Downing-street on the Ist of December, 1845.—Colonial
Gazette.

ROMANTIC STORY.—The Journal de Mazne et Loire
of the 18th inst. relates the following tale, which may be
true, but has certainly the air of invention :—" Two days
ago a young milkwoman, of the environs of La Baumettee,
newly married, was carrying the produce of her dairy to the
market of Angers, when she found on her way a black cow
fastened to a tree, and at a safe distance lay under an-
other tree a large bundle. Her curiosity was first attracted
to the latter, which she found to contain a beautiful baby-
girl, wrapped in fine linen and warm flannels. On further
examination she discovered a purse, c; ntaining twenty-five
napoleons and an anonymous letter intimating that the mother
of the child was driven by powerful consideration to part
with it for several years ; that the 500 f. were for the per-
son who would humanely supply her place, and the black
cow was to afford the child milk; adding, that every year
the foster-mother should receive an ample sum for the
maintenance and education of the child, until circumstances
permitted its natural parent to resume the charge. The
young milkwomani accepted the trust thus reposed in
her, and instead of proceeding to the market, hastened home
with the foundling, the cow, the purse, and the letter.—
Galignani's Messenger.
PONTEFRACT.—R is strongly reported in Pontefract,
and we hope it is true, that John Gully, Esq., is to oppose
the two monopolist Members for the borough of Pontefract,
at the next general election, on free-trade principles. There
is not the slightest doubt that the worthy gentleman would
be elected by a large majority,—Leeds Times.