The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-04 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA CURED byETHE,R.
The Courrier des Etats- Unis quotes the following
from the Gazette des 116pitaux :—" M. Bruno Taron,
surgeon-major of the Ottoman army, and formerly
inspector of health in Bulgaria, Syria, &c., was a
physician at Marseilles at the time of the second
period of the prevalence of the cholera in that city
in 1627. In the midst of his care of his patients and
his service at the hospital he was one day himself
seized with the epidemic and had no doubt of the
symptoms. The following is M. Taron's description
of his situation It was midnight, I had been in
bed an hour, when suddenly a general chill seized
me. This chill was soon accompanied by vomiting
and other symptoms of the cholera, including the
cold sweats. An hour after, these were followed by
violent cramps in the extremities.' These are cer-
tainly symptoms of cholera. M. Taron was alone,
his family having iied from the scourge, and he had
no servant. He found himself without help in the
middle of the night, overpowered by the disease, and
by the terrible certainty of a near approaching death,
and without any remedy, he says, but a large bottle
of sulphuric ether which happened to be in his
chamber. Having no other resource, I seized this
large bottle,' says M. Taron, and I inhaled it
freely. Immediately my respiration, which had
been oppressed became more free, and I felt a sen-
sation of relief and general comfort. After-
wards the perspiration, which had been cold and
wearisome, became warm and gentle. The functions
of my senses were soon suspended, and I slept pro-
foundly. All these happy ameliorations took place
promptly under the influence of the inhalation of
sulphuric ether. I slept without pain or disturbance
for six hours, after which I awoke feeling all over
me great weakness. I had unconsciously been in
perspiration through the night. This day and th
following I had some blackish alvine evacuations.
My strength returned by degrees. I was completely
cured.' M. Taron finished his letter by confessing
that not knowing at the time the power which is
exercised by ether over the nervous centres, he did
not attribute to this agent the honour of his sudden
cure, but that he referred it entirely to one of those
fancies, those caprices of nature for which it is im-
possible to account. It is a pity, adds the Gazette des
Hopitaux, that the observation of our brother should
be isolated and unique, but it is important, as being
the first point from which experiments may start.
Heaven grant that we may not have an opportunity
among ourselves for experiments of the; kind.
The Gazette du Midi says, that a physician of Mar-
seilles, a friend of the editor, has confirmed by his
testimony the observations of M. Taron. Experi-
ments of this kind have been made with success in the
countries of the East, where the disease had made its
first ravages. Academies of medicine will doubtless
gather positive information on this subject, and order
new trials with all conditions which may render them
decisive for science.

DREADFUL DEATH FROM STAR-
VATION IN PRISON.

A long investigation took place before Mr. Bedford,
on Saturday, in the Westminster Bridewell, as to the
death of George Brown, a prisoner, aged 30, who
died in that prison, under the most hocking circum-
stances.
Mr. JohnNathison, the clerk to the prison, stated
that the deciased was admitted on the Bth December,
having been sentenced to six weeks' confinement and
hard labour, by Mr. Hardwicke, of Marlborough-
street police-office, for having in his possession six
loaves of bread supposed to have been stolen.
George Lockyer, one of the warders of the gaol,
deposed that he received the deceased on the day
stated. He appeared starved, and witness gave him
some gruel and a loaf of bread, and placed him in a
warm room.

Other warders gave their testimony in succession,
and they were also surprised at his attenuated form.
He was put on first-class diet. He made no com-
plaint, and slept in the infirmary; neither was he put
to work.

Ferguson, another of the warders, said, that at
seven on the morning of the 30th, one of the infirmary
warders called to him, and the deceased was found to
be lying dead in his bed, as if asleep.
Mr. John Lavies, the surgeon to the prison, said,
that on the 10th of December he saw the deceased, as
described by the other witnesses. He at once said to
him, "My poor fellow, you are half starved ;"
and the prisoner replied, " Indeed I am."
He immediately ordered him the first-class
diet, to be kept in a warm room, and to have
every possible attention. On the 26th of December
diarrhoea came on, and he was ordered beef tea and
arrowroot, which he had, but he died on the 30th.
On a post rnortein examination of the body, he found
no disease existing, but the integuments and muscles
were entirely absorbed, as though he had been
starved.

The CORONER—What, then, was the cause
death ?

Mr. Lavies—l have no doubt at all that he died
from starvation.

The jury consulted for a short time, and then re-
turned the following verdict :—" That the deceased
died from want of food previous to his admission to
that prison." And the Foreman further said, the
jury could not separate without tendering to Mr.
Levies their thanks, on the part of the public, for the
great kindness and attention he bad paid to the unfor-
tunate prisoner.
Mr. Levies thanked the jury, and said he had been
five hours in the prison that day attending the nume-
rous sick in the infirmary.