The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-22 00:00:00

BLINDNESS AND LUNACY.

A highly interesting paper was read 'at the last
sitting of the French Academy of Medicine of Paris,
by Dr. Bouisson, Physician to the Hospital of St.
Eloi, of Montpellier, on a curious case of blindness
and lunacy in the same individual, in which the
cure of the former infirmity had brought on the
cure of the latter. About a year ago a man of
about 50, a native of the department of the Gard,
was brought to the hospital above mentioned. His
eyes, upon examination, were found to be both
affected with cataract, and his incoherent answers to
the questions addressed to him sufficiently revealed
his state of mind. An operation being resolved
upon, Dr. Bouisson ordered the patient to be chloro-
formed ; but, although he was thus effectually
sent to sleep, the danger of his awaking during
the operation, and frustrating the hopes of the sur-
geon by some act of insubordination, which in a
lunatic might be expected, induced Dr. Bouisson
to have him secured with a strait-waistcoat—a
precaution which was continued even after the
operation had been successfully performed, an at-
tendant being specially entrusted with the care of
the lunatic, with orders to apply compresses steeped
in cold water on his eyes from time to time. On
the tenth day, the patient, who until then had not
had the slightest idea of what had been done, was
allowed to see the light. A stupid smile gleamed
on his face for an instant, and he exclaimed—" I
can see !" These were the first coherent words he
had uttered since his arrival at the hospital. He
was now daily subjected to those trials which were
requisite to ascertain the complete success of the
operation. With his recognition of the objects
, around him, his mental faculties seemed also gra-
dually to revive. First he named the things he
wanted, and stretched out his hands for them ;
then he began to appreciate distances and dimen-
sions correctly ; his memory returned next with
considerable rapidity; and in the course of a few
days intellectual spontaneousness began to mani-
fest itself. He asked for more food, wanted to
get up from his bed, and desired to be allowed
to go home, which boon, however, was refused.
His ideas soon became learer, his speech more
intelligible, and his recollections of the time
when he could see, before he was attacked with
cataract, be,..,ame brighter. Vain endeavours,
nevertheless, were made to ascertain the period
when he lost his reason ; all he could state was that
he had been blind three years. After a stay of six
weeks at the hospital, he returned home an altered
man, enjoying both his eyesight and intellectual
faculties.

THE NEW RECORDER OF SOUTHAMPTON.—On
Friday last Southampton sessions were held. The pri •
soners were tried by, W. M. Cooke, Esq., of the West: i
Circuit, the new Recorder. According to ancient usage the
latter was accompanied from the Audit-house to the Bar
Gate, where the sessions are held, by the Mayor mid corpo •
ration in their robes of office, preceded by trumpeters. In
the evening his worship, F. Perkins, Esq., gave a grand
banquet at the Dolphin Hotel to the Recorder, magistrates,
members of the bar, and some of the principal inhabitants
of the town.

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The following are some items of Constantinople
intelligence extracted from the Levant Herald :
" A scheme of financial reforms has been drawn
up at the Porte, and will, it is said, be carried
into effect immediately after the Grand Vizier's
return. In addition to the modifications already
effected, this contemplates a further reduction of
10 per cent. on all salaries of more than
2,500 p. a month. Beginning at the top of
the official ladder, the appointments of the Grand
Vizier, Capitan Pasha, and Sereskier are at once
to be cut down to 50,000 p.—this being in the case
of the first minister a positive reduction of 50 per
cent. on his salary. The highest of the other
members of the ministry and governors of pro-
vinces are not to receive more than 35,000 p. a
month ; whilst his Majesty the Sultan voluntarily
resigns 7,000 purses a month of his civil list, besides
the greater portion of the revenues now derived
from the crown lands. It is estimated that the
whole of the saving to be thus effected will
amount to not less than 200,000,000 p. a year. In
addition to these sweeping retrenchments, the
system of pensions is to be overhauled, and the
j rich crop of costly jobs which grow out of that
system got rid of. Strictly there has hitherto
been no legal regulation whatever in force on
this point. The sovereign will of the Sultan alone
created the right to receive a pension, and as custom
had made it usual to give these in a host of cases
where neither the services nor the wants of the
recipient supplied justification for the gift, many
costly abuses had in this way become common. This
is now to be altered. Barring in cases of excep-
tional merit or necessity, no pensions will henceforth
be given except under the conditions following :-
4s in our own and the Indian Civil Services, a per
tentage—in this case varying from sto 10 per cent.
of the salary—will be held back, and after 30 years'
service any employe who has so contributed to this
superannuation fund will be legally entitled to en-
tire on full pay. In addition to these salutary in-
novations, it is said that more than half of the vast
army of clerks—some 40,000 strong—will be dis-
banded, to the great saving of the treasury, and the
positive gain of the public service. His Majesty
the Sultan, we learn, has humanely ordered that
during the three coming months of winter a daily
ration of 300 drams of flour shall be given to each of
the adult Tartar immigrants in the Dobrudia, and
that huts be erected for such of them as are now
under canvas before the snow sets in. Two Servian
commissioners, with the masbata demanding the
imperial beret recognising and confirming the suc-
cession of Prince Michel as Voivode of Servia have
arrived at Constantinople. The Senator Voukotitch,
sent by the new Prince of Montenegro to St. Peters-
burg on a special mission, has returned to Cettigne.
According to our Belgrade correspondent, Prince
Gortschakoff, on handing to him the decoration of
St. Anne in brilliants, which the Czar had conferred
on the Senator, said that the Russian Government
was awaiting the report of its Consul at Ragusa, be-
fore arranging for the allowance to be granted to
the new Prince and conferring on him a decora-
tion.—Our correspondent at Pristina, writing
under date of 27th ult., states—" The Grand
Vizier left here on the 18th for Uscup, Monestir, and
Salonica. Before his departure we had a grand field
day of the troops. The force on the ground con-
sisted of 5 squadrons of the Ist regiment of the
cavalry of Roumelia, 2 squadrons of dragoons, 2
ditto lancers and 2 of Cossacks, 2 batteries of horse
and 2 of foot artillery, with 6 battalions of redifs.
The cavalry was under the command of the Beyler-
bey of Roamelia, Mehemet Sadick Pasha, the artil-
lery under that of Abdullah Pasha, and the infan-
try of Hussein Pasha; the whole force being under
the command-in-chief of his Excellency the Muchir,
Ismail Pasha. The Grand Vizier appeared much
pleased with the movements of the troops, and in
particular expressed his admiration of the appear-
ance of the Cossacks and dragoons. After the troops
had finished their exercises a month's pay was given
to them on account of the arrears due to them. The
Vizier on leaving the camp informed Ismail Pasha
that he would personally report to his Majesty the
Sultan and the Seraskier his appreciation of the
efficiency of the troops at the camp of Pristina.
—The Catholic Bishop of Presrin has been here
to visit the Grand Vizier; but, as he arrived at
the moment his Highness was leaving, he had
not an opportunity of seeing him. We were
rather surprised to hear of the arrival of this pre-
late, so well known as the chief of the Latin church
in Albania; but he doubtless received orders from
the Internuncio to come here; in fact he has pub-
licly stated so himself. His position as the spirt.
tual chief of a number of rayahs of course obliged
him to show every respect to the chief of the Sul-
tan's Government; but it sounds strange that he
could not do this without having to await orders
from a foreign Power. The question about the
Bosnians and other rayahs, who in secret hold the
catholic faith, but have publicly professed Islamism,
has been settled that they must contribute as here-
tofore their quota to the conscription. The Mon-
tenegrin emigrants have been presented to the
Grand Vizier while he was here; they made nume-
rous complaints against the local authorities ; and
his Highness assured them that those who desired
to return to their country could do so, and that they
would have the funds supplied to them for that pur-
pose."

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THE DISASTER TO THE CONNA UGHT.

Mr. Whittall, of New York, had fdrnished the
following account of the disaster to the Con-

naught:

" Passing the circumstances of the voyage from
Galway, which port she left at 5 o'clock p.m. on
the 25th silt., until about 8 p.m. on Saturday, the
6th inst., he says f---While heading westwardly, the
wind blowing a northerly gale, the ship began
to roll to the larboard with a singular motion,
going far clown, and keeping that way a long time,
which caused some alarni. Meantime the captain
was heard giving orders about steering, manning
the pumps, &c. Firemen under the lea of the
paddle-box were observed whispering, and
there were other manifestations that something was
not right. Considerable water was observed through
the gratings. The engine somewhat stopped for
awhile. After strenuous exertions by Capt. Leitch
and the crew, the ship righted and the wheels com-
menced turning, when the passengers became more
composed. The sea was rough, the wind was blow-
ing what sailors call an ordinary full gale. Most
of the passengers turned in, but passed a restless
night.
" On Sunday, at 8 a.m., the ship began to roll
again with that staggy motion similar to the even-
ing previous. The captain and crew could neither
tack nor wear the ship. Soon after the engine
stopped, and steam could not be raised in the
boilers. The ship rolled frightfully to the larboard,
and the pumps were manned and gangs of men
commenced bailing with buckets. At 10 o'clock it
was reported that the water was not gaining, but,
on the contrary, that the pumps and boilers were
gaining on the leak, and if the wind would stiffen
we should reach Boston that night ; but these hopes
were soon changed to extreme terror when the
word was passed around in low tones " The ship is
on fire !" accompanied by the smell of burning wood.
The fire appeared between the decks. Gangs were
immediately formed, with pumps and buckets, to
extinguish the flames, taking the water from the
sea and passing it in buckets. As the fire gained,
the sailors began to slacken work, all eyes staring
around the horizon in hopes to see some means or
safety. Several false reports of a vessel in sight
were made, hut at last we discovered a sail to the
northward, and soon after another to the westward,
both very low down ; but it became plain at one
o'clock that both were nearing us, and the vessel
steering north had three masts, and the one west
only two. We soon found out that the latter was
passing, while the other still neared without
showing any sign that she noticed us, which
kept us in extreme anxiety and doubt until
she bore directly for us, evidently showing
that she observed the steamer's flags of
distress, which had been hoisted since midday. We
then commenced to steer away and launch boats,
which was a very difficult job, the ship lying almost
on her side in the trough of the sea.
" By this time the fire had cut off all communi-
cation with the saloon. The first quarter boat
lowered was struck by the counter and lost, which
caused hesitation about launching the others. But
the worst of our fears was that, supposing the boats
should ride the sea, which then showed signs of
moderating, and that we could safely launch and
fill them with passengers, there was no chance of
remaining but a short time on board, the fire
making such progress. The flames were momen-
tarily expected to burst out and sweep the decks,
the fire gangs having given up all hopes of ex-
tinguishing them, but continuing to apply wet
blankets, &c. The side of the ship was then so hot
that when she rolled it would hiss and make steam
of the sea water.
"The gallant little Yankee brig sailed alongside
and hove to, seeing our deplorable situation, and
showing every sign of anxiety for us ; but we
began to think it would be impossible to stow all
our numbers on board, she looked so small, We
have since ascertained that she was only 198 tons
burthen. Captain Leitch made all haste to get us
into the boats, which was extremely difficult, being
lowered one by one with ropes (Captain Leitch
stood by all the time), commencing with the women
and children. But, with all the exertions that
could be made, when the sun went down only about
200 had been got aboard the brig. Captain Wilson,
of the brig said, This is a horrible affair to see the
sun going down and so many people yet on board
the wreck, settling down and burning up. I will
do all in my power to save them.' Several of the
boats' crews, on reaching the brig, refused to return,
when Captain Wilson said, will go almost along-
side and take a hawser from on board, and then you
will be in little or no danger. I must get every one
from the wreck.' This he did, which had the effect of
giving confidence, and by great exertion all were
got on board the brig by 11 o'clock p.m. Captain
Leitch and his first officer remained on board until
almost surrounded with flames, and until every soul
was saved. Captain Wilson then sent alongside to
beg him to come away. The flames were shooting
up the masts, throwing a strong and melancholy
light over the sea. Captain Leitch reached the brig
just at midnight. scarcely a parcel of baggage was
saved, the trunks and even money of the cabin pas-
sengers being left below during the confusion and
the alarm which called them on deck in the morn-
ing, after which communication was cut off by the
water and the flames. The Connaught had £lO,OOO
in gold on board, Government money, taken at St.
John's, which was lost with the ship. 300 of the
passengers went to New York by the Fall River
route; the remainder are taken care of here by their
friends."