The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-02 00:00:00

DR. COURTENAY'S LAST POPULAR WORK.
The 16th Edition, price 4s.
AN HISTORICAL and PRACTICAL
TREATISE on SYPHILIS and its CONSE-
QUENCES, illustrated by many extraordinary cases. To
tvbicl, are added, Practical Observation-8 on Diseas. sof the
h9iener,tive System, on Nervous, General, and Local De-
widY, with a Superior mode of treatment, the result of
upwards of thirty years' extensive and successful practice.
By C. B. COURTENAY, M.D.,
No. 42, Great Marlborough-street, late of Robert-street,
Adelphi.
Printed for the
Exchange; Onwh Author, and sold by Chappell, Royal
,
145, street. 4, c,. herine.stre Strand; Marsh,
9, Calton-street, Edinburgh
Chappell, 59, Pall-mall ; Sutherland,
and all Booksellers.
Of whom also may be had,
Dr. COURTENAY'S celebrated TREATISE on
STRICTURES of the URETHRA and RECTUM, in
which Strictures of from ten to twenty years' duration
have beenthe reb ffectually cured in a few weeks, and its supe-
riority y
Edition, price 3s. fully established, being the Twenty-first
"The luminous views taken of these diseases, together with
the important warnings against excesses, entitle these !works to
great prai e, and we may add, as a further recommendation that
ora
they
are written with much delicacy and Ii r
and Literary Review. _ _ _ '—'nsPeetc".

We entertain the highest opinion of Dr Courtenay's profes-
i onal skill, and congratulate him on his successful and judicious
application to those severe and often fatal diseases. European
Magazine.

INCENDIARY FIRES.—We have seen a letter
from Grantham, stating, that in the night of Tuesday 1 sr,
two bailey stacks, the property of Mr. Dolby, of Marston,
and Alr. Treadgold, of Houghatn, two adjoinim?,
about five mdei north of Grantham, were discovered to e
on file. The stacks were about a quarterof a mile distant
from each other, and there is no doubt but they were Set
on fire by an incendiary. The owners had pt udently in-
sured in the County Office. There was ,lso a very bad
the at Leadenbam (sixteen miles north-east of Grantham)
list week.— York Courant.

NEW GOOSEBERRIES AT CHRISTMAS.-
On Sunday Mr. Rodgers, of the George Inn, gathered
tio.ti a gooseberry tree, in his garden at Ran M,nr, more
than fifty berries perfectly formed; the white and comma■
,toek, and other flowers in the garden, at the same time
showing all the fi voltam and bloom of a forward sprit] Es
....Sheffield Iris.

Dear Sir,—.-Last evening, while perusing
your very interesting Journal, I found in vol. 3,
p. 85, a communication to you by Professor
Jacob Green, giving an account of a large
qoantity of rattle snake ;skeletons found in a
cave- near Princeton College. Professor Green
closes his communication with a -passing notice
Of a popular story among the' former inhabitants
of that town, that the leaves of the white ash
were obnoxious to these reptiles.
This brought to my recollection an occur-
rence connected with this subject, of -which I
was a witness; and I now proceed to relate it.
During the -summer month of 1801, I re-
sided in' the north-eastern part of the State of
Ohio: Rattlesnakes were then -very numerous
in that-region', ,I found the opinion universally
prevalent among the inhabitants there, that the
leaves of- the white ash were highly offensive to
the rattlesnake. Several persons of respectability
assured me that the rattlesnake was never found
on 4. The white ash grows;. that it was
among KO-titers, asokell as
others, whose business led them to traverse the
woods in the summer months, to stuff their
shoes and boots, and frequently their pockets
also, with white ash leaves, as a preventive of the
bite of the rattlesnake; and that they had never
known or heard of any person being bitten, who
had used this precaution.
Some time in the month of August, I went
with Mr. S. Kirtland, and Dr. C. Dutton, then
residing at Poland, to the Mahoning, for the
purpose of shooting deer, at a place where they
were in the habit of coming into the river, to
feed on the moss attached to the stones in the
shoal-water. We took our watch station on an
elevated part -of the hank, fifteen or twenty
yards from the edge of the water. About an
hour after we had commenced our watch, instead
of a deer, we discovered a large rattlesnake,
which, as it appeared, had left his den, in the
rocks beneath us, and was slowly advancing
across a smooth narrow sand beach towards the
water. Upon hearing our voices, or for some
other cause, he stopped, and lay stretched out
with his head near the water. It occurred to
me that an opportunity now offered to try the
virtues of the white ash leaves. Requesting
the gentleman to keep in my absence a watch
over our subject, I went immediately in search
of the leaves, and on a piece of low ground,
thirty or forty rods back from the river, I
found, and, by the aid of my hunting-knife,
procured a small white ash sapling, eight or ten
feet in length ; and, with a view to make the
experiment more satisfactorily, I cut another
sapling of the sugar maple, and with these wands
returned to the scene of action. In order to
cut off a retreat to his den, I approached the
snake in his rear. As soon as I came within
seven or eight feet of him, he quickly drew his
body into a coil, elevated his head eight or ten
inches, and, brandishing his tongue, " gave
note of preparation" for combat. I first
presented him the white ash, placing the
leaves upon his body. He instantly dropped
his head to the ground, unfolded his coil, rolled
over upon his back, writhed and twisted his
whole body into every form but that of a coil,
and appeared to be in great anguish. Satisfied
with the trial thus far made, I laid by the white
at-h. The rattle snake immediately righted,' and
placed himself in the same menacing attitude as
before described. I now presented him the
sugar-maple. He lanced in a moment, striking
his head into a tuft of the leaves, " with all the
malice of the under fiends," and the next mo-
ment coiled and lanced again, darting his whole
length at each effort with the swiftness of an
arrow. After repeating this several times,
I again presented him the white ash. He
instantly stretched himself out on his back,
and writhed his body in the same manner
as at the first application. It was then pro-
posed to try what effect might be produced
upon his temper and carriage by a little beating
with the white ash. This was administered, but
instead of arousing him to resentment, it served
only to increase his troubles. As the beating
grew more severe, the snake frequently stuck his
head into the sand 'as far as Ire could thiust it,
seeming desirous to bore his way into the earth
and mid inmself of his unwelcome visiters.

Being now convinced that the experiment
was a satisfactory one, and fairly conducted on
both sides, we deemed it ungenerous to take his
life after he had contributed so much to gratify
our curiosity ; and so we took our leave of the
rattlesnake, with feelings at least as friendly
as those with which we commenced our ac-
quaintance with him, and left him to return at
leisure to his den.—Silliman's American Jour-
nal of Science.

DELIBERATE SUICIDE.—We regret to hear
that Mr. Darker, a gentleman connected with the house
of Orr, Robinson, and Co., of this town, has, in a rash
m ,menr, destroyed himself by drowning. He went to
Bray, near Dublin, anti, having deliberately taken off his
coat, and left his name written on a paper, threw himself
into the sea. It appears he was labouring under a depres
sion of mind, as he had dclihera'ely planned his sdf
destruction, having the day previous written to the house
in Liverpool of his intention to do so.—Liverpool Albion.
Mn. BURKE's HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH
GENTaY.--We are requested to state tnat the Fifth Part
of this important Work, forming a Companion to the
Peerage and Baronetage, is now ready for delivery at the
principal booksellers. The want of a work of this nature,
furnishing an account of all the Families constituting the
Gentry of the United Kingdom, has long been extensively
•eit and acknoa ledged ; anti it is expected that the present
undertaking, founded on the most authentic sources, and
aided by the most assiduous researches, will be found to
accomplish in the most satisfactory manner the important
object 0 quired.

On Monday last a man, wrapped up in a
large cloak, with his hat drawn close over his face, was
waking up and down en the pier at Calais, evidently in a
state of great agiration, looking anxiously from time to
time to the sea, which was obscurral by a dense tog.
He tour inured to himself in broke., sentences, " They
must die !—lt is impossible for them to live any longer !
No signal from the sea !—What can I do !—How shall I
dispose of their bodies !—Well !—They shall live till to-
morrow." An old sailor, who happened also to lie on the
look-out, overheard the•e outpourings of a troubled mind,
and at length, with the frankness of his class, asked 0 e
soliloquist whose death it was be contemplated. "Parbleu!"
replied the troub'ed spirit, " my 1,200 turkeys, that I
have ready to send to England for Christmas Day, and
which will all be spoiled if I kill them before the wind
changes, and suffer the packet to go over."

On Tuesday night, at nine o'clock, THOMAS
STIRLING, Esq., Coroner, and a highly respectable
Jury, met at the Olive Branch public-house, Craw-
ford-street, Portman-square, for the purpose of in-
quiring into the circumstances connected with the
death of Mr. Henry Wisbey, a young gentleman,
who resided with his father at Foot's Cray, in
Kent, who terminated his existence by taking
prussic acid, at N 0.68, Upper Berkeley-street.
Miss Hannah Herbert, a well-dressed, lady-like
young woman, being sworn, deposed that for the
last fortnight she had been sojourning with Miss
XVillOughby, at the house above named. She had
known the unfortunate deceased some time, who
was much attached to Miss Willoughby, and was
in the habit of paying her occasional visits. About
five o'clock 'on Monday afternoon he called, and
proceeded to the drawing-room, where •he was
joined by Miss Willoughby and witness. He ap-
peared in pretty good spirits, and entered freely
into conversation. After he had sat about twenty
minutes he asked for a glass of ale, and M:ss
Willoughby sent her servant to procure it for
him. When it was brought he asked witness to
partake of it. She accordingly drank a small
portion, and then quitted the room. She
had been absent about half an hour, when
she was alarmed by the frequent ringing of,
the bell, and on returning into tile drawing-room
to ascertain the cause, she beheld Miss Willoughby
lying senseless on the sofa, attended by her three
servants arid the deceased, who was leaning over
her, and giving vent to the most heartrending
grief. Witness said to the deceased, " What have
you given her ?" He replied, " Nothing," in an
agitated tone, which convinced witness that he had
administered something of a deleterious nature, and,
upon being closely pressed, he acknowledged that
he had given her prussic acid in the ale. He then
became dreadfully agitated, and exclaimed, " I did
not mean to kill her, and, by —, if she dies I'll
die too." He then bent over Miss Willoughby in
the most affectionate manner, and, weeping bitterly,
exclaimed, " Speak, dear Eliza, speak to me;' but
she was unable to answer. He then asked the ser-
vant if she had given her mistress the draught which
he had procured as an antidote to the poison, and
was answered in the affirmative, after which be
walked away to the mantlepiece. Witness then
assisted in giving Miss Willoughby some more of
the antidote, when, on turning her head round, she
saw the deceased in the act of swallowing some•
thing out of a vial, and judging it to be poison, she
ran to him, and with a shriek snatched the bottle
out of his hand. She then said to him, "My
God, what have you done ?" when, at this instant,
Miss Willoughby awakened from her state of in-
sensibility and got up from the couch. The. de-
ceased siaggered towards her, and then fell mo-
tionless cn the sofa without uttering a word. Miss
Wilinughby being made sensible of what had hap-
pened, appeared much distressed, and expressed a
resolution to die with her Henry. A messenger
was despatched for the aid of Dr. North, who re-
sides next door but one, and who promptly at-
tended, but all to no purpose, as the deceased ex-
pired after uttering a few groans.
By a Juror—When I entered the room at the
time Miss Willoughby was on the sofa the deceased
put on his hat, and was going away, but she pre-
vented it. The deceased called upon Miss Wil-
loughby about ten days previous to the dreadful
event, and in my presence took a bottle out of his
pocket, which he said was prussic acid, and de-
clared his resolution of destroying both himself and
Eliza (Miss W.) with it. I did not see Miss W.
drink the deadly draught.
CORONER —Was the deceased jealous of the lady?
Witness—Yes, very much so.
CORONER—Has she lately formed an attachment
to any other gentleman Witness—l believe she has.
CORONER—Then he had cause to be jealous it
appears ? Witness—Perhaps he bad, Sir.
• Eliza Parkin, servant to Miss Willoughby, stated
that she opened the door for the deceased on the
afternoon in question, but observed nothing parti-
cular in his manlier, and he appeared pet fectly sober.
She brought him a glass of ale in the diawing-room
by her mistress's orders, but did riot see any portion
of it drank. About twenty minutes after she had
quitted she heard the drawing-room bell ring, and
on going to answer it, to her astonishment beheld
her mistress lying sen-eless on the sofa. The de-
ceased, who was a medical man, hastily snatched up
a pen and wrote a prescription, and then, giving her
helf-a-crown, told her to run to the nearest chymist's
and gee it made up instantly. She did so, and in a
short time returned with the mixture, some of which
she immediately administered to her mistress, who
afterwards became vety sick. Miss Willoughby was
quite insensible, so that she was obliged to pour
the draught down her throat; the deceased assisted
in the operation. Soon afterwards she got better,
and witness then withdrew to fetch some cold water.
In abut ten minutes she returned, and found de-
ceased reclining on the place her mistress had previ-
ously occupied on the sofa. The last witness in-
formed her that he had taken poison. Miss W.,
who had partially recovered, seemed much affected,
and expressed her determination not to survive her
" dear Henry." She then left the room for a
doctor. About a fortnight ago she saw the bottle
now produced in the deceased's possession.
Juror—Did you ever see them quarrel ? Witness
—I never did.

Juror—Did they appear much attached to each
other? Witness—Very much so indeed.

_ -
Mary Parkin, sister to the last witness, arid also
in Miss Willoughby's service, corroborated the fore-
going evidence, and added that the gentleman who
had lately paid his attentions to Miss Willoughby
was named Williams, and that she understood he
enjoyed a high post in the army.
Miss Elizt Willoughby, the lady in question, a
very fine looking young woman, was next examined.
She appeared so much affected at the melancholy
occurrence, that it was with much difficulty her
evidence could be taken. She began by stating
that she had known the deceased about t hree.months,
and that artery he had appeared much distressed
in his mind about family matte's, and had avowed
his intention of destroying himself and her too. On
Monday afternoon he called, us has been already
stated, and had a glass of ale brought to him.
While they were sitting alone together in the
drawing room, she happened to turn her back for a
few seconds, when immediately afterwards he ask, d
her to take a little of the ale, which she did. It
had a very peculiar taste, and she had no sooner
thrown the remainder of it in the ashes than she
bec,me insensible, and could not tell what after-
wards took place.
Juror—Had you any previous quarrel with the
deceased ? Weness—None whatever.
Juror—When did you see him last ? Witness—
Ab nut a fortnight ago.
Juror—flow did he appear then ? Witness—
Very dejected and melancholy.
Juror—Did he bring any poison with him ? Wit-
ness—Yes; he touk a small phial out of his pocket,
which he said was prussic acid, and avowed his in-
tention to poison me and himself with it.
Juror—What was the cause of his unrasiness ?
Witness—Family matters, which precluded bun
from living wi:h me.
Juror—Did you see him infuse the poison into
the ale? Witness—l did not; he must have done