The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-05 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

WINCHESTER RACES, July 4.
The Gold Cup Stakes of 10 sovs. each. 6 subs. Revenge walked over.
Handicap Stakes of 10 sovs. each, and 50 added. Three-quarters
of a mile.
Mr. Finch's Blenheim, 3 yrs.
Mr. Greville's Whale, 4 yrs.
The City Members' Plate of 501. Heats, two miles.
Mr. Finch's Cecilia, 5 yrs
Mr. Etwall's Maidof Hunderley, 3 yrs 3 2
Mr. Greville's Whale, 4 yrs.
Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each, and 25 added. Winner to be sold for
120, &c. Heats, a mile and half. 5 subs.
Mr. Finch's Terra, aged,
Mr. Baring nd. Wassailer, aged,
The Farmers' Cup was won in two heats by Mr. Lywood's
Brutus (Mr. D. Radcliffe), beating Mr. Bailey's Black Bob, Mr.
Fielder's Helen, and Mr. Smith's Mary Anne.

PIGEON SHOOTING.
The great match between Mr. Edge, gun-maker, of Manchester,
and Mr. Groom, of the Red-house Club, terminated yesterday in
favour of Mr. Groom by one bird only. This has been one of the
best contested matches that has taken place at the Red-house for
some time. Mr. Edge was unlucky in one or two birds falling out
of bounds, as all acknowledged that his shooting was very superior.
The Manchester party complain, and we think not without cause,
of the very inferior quality of the birds ; had they been as good As
those generally shot at, it was the universal opinion that the
match would have terminated differently. It is but justice to say
that the birds were not found by Clayards.

At six o'clock on Thursday evening the benefactors and friends of
the London Ophthalmic Infirmary, Moorfields, dined together at the
Albion Tavern, Aldersgate-street, WILLiAst MELLlsit,Esq., Pre-
sident, in the chair. As m;ght have been expected, from the
names of the Vice-President. and members of the Committee,
which had previously appeared in the advertisement, many of the
most influential Merchants, Bankers, and Medical Gentlemen, and
Members of Parliament, assembled on the occasion. Upwards of
one hundred gentlemen sat down to one of the most sumptuous
dinners that any tavern in London could supply. After the cloth
was withdrawn, Non Nobis was sung by Masters Howell and
Coward, and Messrs. Jolley, Fitzwilliam, Hobbs and Atkins, with
good effect.
The PRESIDENT gave " The King," " The Queen," The
Church and State," which toasts were all drunk with enthusiasm,
and appropriate songs enlivened the intervals.
The PRESIDENT gave " The Memory of the Founder (Mr.
Saunders) of the Institution," which was drunk upstanding, with
feelings of deep gratitude and respectful silence.
Dr. FA RR then entered into a statement of the circumstances of
the Infirmary. It was founded by Mr. Saunders7Demonstrator of
Anatomy for many years at St. Thomas's Hospital, in the year
1805. The advantages likely to be derived from it were speedily
observed by the discerning and influential part of the City, and Mr.
Saunders's efforts were very speedily supported by the exertions of
the Medical Gentlemen attached to the Borough Hospital, and by
many Merchants of qffluence in the City. No less than 927 in-
patients had been cured of cataract or closed pupil ; of whom no
less than 134 had been born blind! This showed a triumph in
ophthalmic surgery scarcely to have been expected by the most san-
guine philanthropist ; because previous to the founding of this In-
stitution it had not been supposed that an individual born blindcould
have had the blessing of sight conferred upon him. The brilliancy of
Ophthalmic Surgery, however, obtained at that moment an im-
petus which had progressed to a high state of perfection, and since
the establishment of this infirmary, infinitely more cases had been
treated and cured in one year in this country, than had been ope-
rated upon, or even treated, during any previous thirty years. No
less than 105,98.3 out patients, affected with all the varieties of oph-
thalmia, had freely partaken of the advantages of this splendid in-
stitution. 1,274 physicians and surgeons had been instructed in the
nature and treatment of the disease of the eye, and through them
the benefits conferredby the London Ophthalmiclnfirmary had been
carried to the most remote parts of the globe. The
usual fee, for performing the operation on an eye, was
the sum of fifty guineas, from patients at all in a
situation capable of paying ; and if the 927 in-patients who had
been cured at this institution had paid that fee, the sum expended
would have been upwards of 46,000 guineas. Many of them had
had the operation performed in both eyes, and which would, of
course, have very considerably augmented the amount; but still,
notwithstanding the enormous number of both in and out-patients
who had been treated, the medical gentlemen who had been in-
structed, the medicine that had been dispensed, the building of the
infirmary, &c. &c., the whole outlay had been nothing like 46,000/.
(Loud cheers.) These details lie was quite sure could
not fail to have the effect not only of inducing the
hitherto supporters of this invaluable institution to con-
tinue their benevolence, but of bringing forward new friends
to the cause of humanity, who would be willing to aid in mitigat-
ing the deplorable sufferings of their fellow-creatures who might be
afflicted with blindness or severe diseases of the eye. The opera-
tions to be performed on this part of the body required that deli-
cacy of touch, that nothing but extensive experience and the op-
portunity of seeing many cases could qualify surgeons to undertake
the operations in the hope of affording relief. No institution can
be better calculated to unfold all the advantages desirable
to be obtained in this part of the science than that, the
anniversary of which they were met to celebrate ; there-
fore he earnestly hoped great good would result from this
meeting. He had considered it more judicious to confine what he
had to say to an accurate and unexaggerated detail of facts, than to
attempt to make a flowery speech, satisfied as he was of the right
feeling of the British public in all instances in which acts of charity
were called for, and that those facts would have their due influence.
—( Cheers. )
The PRESIDENT entirely concurred in the propriety of the
course taken by the learned Doctor who had just sat down,
and fully participated in his sanguine expectations. Indeed
it would be a great mortification to him to find
that the benefits of the Infirmary would have to be curtailed, from
want of a sufficient supply of funds. He entertained no such ex-
pectation, and was quite sure that the Treasurer's report of the
evening's contributions, would dissipate from the minds of every
one present all grounds of such apprehension. The " Army and
navy," was then drank with enthusiasm.
Mr. TRAVERS considered that it would be an act of supereroga-
tion on his part, to say much in favour of the claims of this insti-
tution upon the benevolent British public, after the detail that had
already been made; but thus much he might state, that the London
Ophthalmic Infirmary had been a larger benefactor to medicine, and
the science of practical surgery generally, than probably any
other institution coeval with or that might have been instituted
long before it in this country. He regretted that the annual meet-
ings of the friends of such an institution had been suspended for
some years, but which he trusted would not be the case again. The
public required to be reminded of the existence of the Infirmary,
and had a right to know the state of health in which it was. The
mercantile public of this great city were the very sinews of the
institution, and if those sinews were destroyed, down must come
the fabric itself. The hon. and venerable gent. who presided on this
occasion,one of the most opulent and respectable merchants in Lon-
don, had from the very cradling of the institution been its kind friend
and anxious supporter. It was to be trusted that his life would yet
be long spared, to continue to be a blessing not only to this, but to
many of the other charities that adorned this empire.—( Cheers. )
The PRESIDENT felt flattered by the statement that had just
been made of him. He had no higher gratification than feeling he
was of use to this Infirmary, which had claims of support so pecu-
liarly powerful on the minds of every Christian and liberal-hearted
man. As Mr. Byng, who had been from the formation of the In-
firmary one of its most exalted supporters, was under the necessity
of withdrawing to attend his duties elsewhere, he would now pro-
pose " The health of George Byng, Esq., with three times three
upstanding," which was drank most warmly.
Mr. BYNG, having expressed his gratitude for this mark of at-
tention, said that he felt exceedingly sorry to have to quit the
room so soon, but he had no alternative. He had always felt true
satisfaction in the assistance he had been able to afford to this in-
stitution, and he should continue to discharge his duty in support-
ing not only it, but in contributing towards the support of every
institution in this great metropolis calculated tomitigate the suffer-
ings of human woe.--(Loud cheers. )
The PRESIDENT then gave " the Vice-Presidents," which was
cordially received.
The Rev. Dr. RUSSELL, as the senior Vice-President at the
table, returned thanks. From what he had heard stated this even-
ing, he considered the Infirmary had stronger claims on the friends
of humanity than he had been heretofore aware of. Dr. Farr had
disclosed the advantages it conferred on the poor, and no man
could dispute that through them the rich were equally benefitted.
He was convinced that he should not have done his duty had he
not come forward on this occasion, to give both the support of his
purse, and the little influence he might have, in aid of the charity.
He should certainly consider that he was only acting in conformity
with the best dictates of our nature, in opening the doors of his
church on some early occasion, to afford his liberal congregation
the opportunity of testifying the estimation in which they held so
laudable an object.—(Much cheering.)
The Rev. Mr. Wonnswolersi, Prebendary of St. Paul's, con-
curred in the hope that this would be made an annual meeting in
reality. He felt gratified by the statements made by the Rev.
Doctor who had spoken. It would be impossible to estimate the
advantages to the institution of the worthy gentleman's future ex-
ertions. Next year he hoped, and had no doubt, that the mana-
gers of the Infirmary would be in possession of a good report from
the clergy. As far as lay in his power, nothing would be wanting
to aid the charity, convinced as he was that benevolent efforts in
support of such an institution could not fail to be well pleasing to
the eye of the Deity ; therefore he entertained the warmest expec-
tations that the Ministers of the Gospel generally, while they
laboured to open the eyes of the mind, would not be found reluc-
tant to coming forward generally to benefit the Eye Infirmary in
Moorfields.— ( Cheers. )
The PRESiDENT gave " the Medical Officers of the London
Ophthalmic Infirmary," with three times three.
Mr. TYRRELL said it fell to his lot to return thanks on this
occasion. In doing so he could not help stating that Dr. Farr and
Mr. Travers had both obviated the necessity of his making some
observations on the merits of the charity, which otherwise he should
have felt bound to have done. In addition, however, to what had
already been detailed, he thought the meeting ought to be informed
that the infirmary had rescued from empiricism a very important
branch of surgery. Previous to the establishment of the Infirmary,
diseases of the eye had been treated as purely local diseases, al-
though it might now be unnecessary to say, in all cases very much
depended upon the condition of the general health, as had been
manifested by the practice afforded by the Infirmary. This insti-
tution had been the means of relieving a very large number of
cases which prior to its foundation would and must have been re-
garded as incurable. As had already been stated, the benefits of
this charity had floated from the Thames to the Ganges. He had
been highly gratified by the receipt of a letter from a gentleman
who at his request had become a pupil to this Infirmary, written
from India. That gentleman became attached to the President's
Staff ; and on travelling through the eastern countries he had met
with an immense number of diseases of the eye. The letter stated
that he had derived the greatest advantage from his attendance at
the Infirmary, because during the journey to which he alluded, he had
been under the necessity of operating for ophthalmia in no less than
300 cases, and that in almost the whole he had invariably succeeded.
This circumstance of itself could not fail to be a source of happiness
to the benevolent friends of this infirmary, as it must be a spur to
others to come forward in aid of the good cause.—( Hear, hear.)
Sixteen long years' experience at this institution had fully assured
him of the unspeakable value of the charity, not only as a school for
ophthalmic surgery, but as affording the most useful information in
medicine and surgery generally. He was ready to admit that the
share of professional information he had acquired there was very
large, and of a most valuable description. Many of those who had
attended the practise there had expressed to him ,similar convictions
of themselves, and he hoped long to be spared to go on reaping in-
dividually a share of its advantages, that through his efforts others
might be benefitted, as in being of use to others was his highest
object and gratification.—(Much cheering.) He felt bound to ex-
press his gratitude to the Governors for the unlimited confidence
they had always placed in him, and in the other officers of the in-
stitution. It would continue to be their aim so to discharge their
respective duties as to insure a continuance of that flattering conduct.
It would be their happiness also to find that by gentlemen
coming forts ard liberally on this and at future times additional
labour and duties were imposed on the officers.—( Hear, hear.) He
congratulated the meeting on again having resumed its anniver-
saries, which could not fail to be highly useful to the charity, and
for himself and his colleagues he begged to acknowledge, with
every possible warmth, the honour that had been conferred on
them. He would add one more observation as an encouragement
to subscribers, namely, that according to a calculation he had
made, an annual contribution of a guinea conferred the blessings of
relief to from five to six patients, as each patient cost the institu-
tion only about 3s. 10d. —(Cheers.)
The PRESIDENT gave the health of the Stewards of the Institu-
tion.
The Rev. Dr. BLoneraq returned thanks on behalf of him-