The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-26 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

Does' Laps.—At Hammersmith Pulice-court, on Tues-
day, two men were summoned by the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for cropping the ears
of a terrier dog. Their defence was that the cropping
was intended to beautify the dog ; and Sir Edwin Land-
seer's " Dignity and Impudence " was produced in court
to sanction the practice. Sir Edwin was in court, how-
ever, and expressed his disapproval of the custom. The
magistrate fined each defendant ts., and 2s. costs.
A LITERARY DIFFICELTY.—A case of considerable
interest to literary men has just been decided in the
Equity Courts. Vice Chancellor James has given judg•
ment in the case of " Pike v. Nicholas." These gentlemen
both competed for the prize offered by the National
Eisteddfod for the best essay on "The Origin of
the British Nation." They competed in different years,
and their works were subsequently published ; but Mr.

Pike, on seeing Dr. Nicholas's book, charged him with
having_ appropriated his facts and theories without
acknowledgment. After a long trial the Vice-Chan-
cellor decided in favour of Mr. Pike, granting
him an injunction to restrain the publication
of Dr. Nicholas's book, awarding him costs in the suit;
and ordering the defendant to account for every col y of
his book sold as if it had been a copy of the plaintiff's, and
to pay the plaintiff the profit which he would have
received from the sale of so many additional copies.
Cuane OF ASSAULT.—The case against Captain 'Runt,
of Boyton House, Wilts, who fought with the sheriff's
officers thatiyent to arrest him, and fired at one of them, has
been disriassed, on the ground that the evidence failed to
prove that the pistol was discharged -with intent to shoot
the officer.

THE -11011.DjffEIITENANT OF 111. ELAND.—It is
un4erlto9di.-that. their Excellencies the I.ord•Licutenant
and the Countess Spencer will leave Dublin about the
15th of June foi London for a brief sojourn.

" On Tuesday a deputation waited on the B:sliop
of London, at London House, St. James's-square, in refer-
ence to the Sunday closing of public-houses, and to solicit
his lordship's assistance on behalf of the movement for
that object.

An autograph letter has, it is said, been ad-
dressed by M. Bismarck to Mr. Gladstone, introducing
his two sons, who are now on a visit from Germany. Mr.
Gladstone has invited the young gentlemen to stay with
him for some time.

A PRESENT FOR TUE SULTAN.—" M. Sala, a
celebrated coachmaker," says a Milan journal, " has com-
pleted a magnificent State carriage, ordered by the King
of Italy, and destined to he sent as a present to the Sultan.
Bronze lanterns of rare elegance, are attached to the corners
of the vehicle, and all the carved ornaments are of the
highest finish."

EMIGRATION.—The secretary of the British and
Colonial Emigration 'Society reports that through its
agency 1,643 persons have been assisted to leave this
country for the colonies, and that the carrying out of this
work has exhausted the funds at the society's disposal.
Many pressing applications are now before the committee,
and an appeal is made for subscriptions to continue the
operations which have been so well comumienced.
A correspondent of the Independence says
that the international horticultural exhibibition, now being
held at St. Petersburg, prOmiseS to be a great success. It
is held in a vast room used for the exercise of
troops in winter, and capable of containing 5,000 men at
exercise. In this covered space are arranged in parterres,
varied with fountains and cascades, the choicest and rarest
plants and flowers of Europe. England sends a very fine
collection of bet-house plums, our cal denel s being especi-
ally triumphant with orchids.
THE PUBLIC HEALTIL—Last week the annual
rate of mortality was 21 per 1,000 in London, as compared
with 23 in thirteen other large towns of the United King-
dom. The rates ranged from 17 in Birmingliain to 35 in
Glasgow. In the metropolis 1,011 births and 1,281 deaths
were registered. The latter were less by 70 than the esti-
mated number. The deaths from zytnetic dieeases were
260, the corrected average number being 312. Three
persons died from smallpox, 22 from measles, 41 from
scarlet fever, 5 from diphtheria, t 7 from who, ping-cough,
7 from typhus fever, 12 from enteric fever, 4 from simple
continued fever, and 15 from diarthan. Three persons
.were killed by horses or vehicles in the street 3. '11:e
mean temperature during the week was 50 Cegrets, or 3•2
below the average. 'The entire range -of t,teperatuic
Within the seven days was t2t3'o.

CURIOSITIES OF CHEMICAL atom
of water sometimes makes a most extraordinary difference
in the properties of bodies. Thus, to give sonic more
familiar illustration, the addition of an atom of water to
starch converts into sugar ; the subtraction of an atom of
water from alcohol converts it into ether. But perhaps
the most curious change produced by the removal
of an atom of water from a body has been recently
discovered by Dr. Matthiesen. Morphia, the well•
known active principle of opium, is commonly wed
to allay vomiting, and very often performs the duty
very effectually. But when morphia has been heated
with hydrochloric acid, and an atom of water has hem.
thereby removed, it is changed into the roost active emetic;
known. It is not necessary to swallow it to produce the
effect; a very small quantity introduced under the skin, or
even, it seems, spilt upon the hand, is quite sufficient to
produce vomiting, which, however, soon suinides, and
into
leaves no nausea afterwards. The -new body introduced
medicine has been named by its discove4r
Etnemornhia.