The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-23 00:00:00

THE ST. FANC.EAS INFIRMARY AGAIN.

several inquests were held at St. Pancras on Thursday.
The infirmary, in which so many deaths had taken place,
was again the subject of comment. In one of the cases,
Hannah Butt, aged 61, was shewn to have been killed
through the administration of a • wrong dose of medicine.
Dr. Ellis said : Deceased was admitted suffering from
debility. On December the 6th she had slight
diarrhoea, for which I ordered her a mixture,
and I ordered five grains of calomel for a strong
young woman in the neat bed. The next morn-
ing I found that the nurse of the ward, who was only
t'iere temporarily, had given the calcine' to the old woman
i -"stead of the young womar. The dose given in mistake
n-> doubt killed her. All the bottles of medicine are
1 shelled with the number of the bed in which the patients
are. Susan Pentetow, an inmate of the ward in which de-
c used died, said : About afortnight ago a young man from
tie dispensary brought a powder into the ward. I gave it
t 3 the paii nurse, who gave it to the old woman. Tl-4
d -!ceased never rallied afterwards. The names of the two
patients were not the same. The following report to
the guardians on the subject by Dr. Ellis was put in evi-
ebnce:—" This morning (Tuesday) I find the nurse of the
t3mporary 24 ward gave last evening a powder, consisting
of five grains of calomel, to an old woman suffering
from carbuncle ; the powder should have been given to a
yran,g woman suffering from pleurisy in the next bed.
Tae nurse, from her character, seemed competent for the
d sty when engaged. I must mention that on the day of
the removal of the patients from the infirmary to the
t !mporary accommodation, I took every precaution against
alcidents of this kind, by giving the infirmary matron in-
structions to superintend the administration of medicines;
bat this she flatly refused to do." Dr. Ellis added that
t'se master of the house discharged the nurse who had
made the mistake. A verdict of " Death from misadven-
tare" was rettuneo. In the other cases affecting theparish
same evidence was given which excited the comment of
the jury. In answer to questitn3, Dr. Ellis said that pauper
nurses went on duty at ci_:ht o'clock at night, and were
kept on till seven the next morning, and then they were
r3tained to assist in the scrubbing till twelve
o'clock. The jury thought the pauper nurses could hardly
133 fit for anything if they were kept on duty for sixteen
h lurs at a stretch. Dr. 11.11, in answer to questions, said
t'iere was only one night nurse to twenty-two wards, con-
t lining about 300 per3ons. Even this nurse was a pauper,
and although twelve months ago he recommended the
a?pointment of a l aid nurse, that recommendation had
nit been carried out. Dr. Lankester remarked that
E island took a great deal more care of her criminals than
of her paupers, and the opinion was acquiesced in by
5-37eral of the jury. - •.,

AN OUTRAGE IN Tur. NORTH OF IRELAND.—
Agrarianism is tf avelling northwaris. A daring outrage
is reported to have been committed on Sunday night near
Bleek, in the county of Armagh. Charles Murphy, a
bailiff on the property of Mr. C. H. L. Ward, of Stratford-
on-Avon, was sitting at supper, when a party of armed
mn entered his house after firing shots, and struck
him on the head with a Listol. He ran into a corner,
aid they assaulted him again. They also assaulted
his wife and daughters. One of them handed him a book
and wanted him to take an oath, hut he refused. They
smashed the furniture and windows and then went away.
H. supposes that they accuse him of being instrumental
in getting some of their 'rents raised, although there is no
foundation for the charge. In February last he received a
threatening letter, and a party of men broke in his door.
THE FOREIGN OFFICE A GEN CIE S .—The Pall ilfoli
G e:ette understands that the scheme which has been pre-
Fired by the Foreign Office for compromising the question
of agencies has been unfavourably received by the Treasury.
Lord Clarendon made the suggestion to transfer these
agencies from the five gentlemen who at present enjoy
them to one of the number, Mr. Staveley, who, it was
prapoced, should retire from the service on the same
pension as if he had been dismissed, but whc; should be
still allowed rooms at the Foreign Office where he could
transact the agency business. In consideration of
drawing the pension it was further to be arranged that
he should retain only half the agency fees for his own
emolument, and should pay over the other half to the
other present agents as compensation. The Treasury, we
understand, objects to so much of this scheme as involves
t'ie allowance of a pension which is not yet earned, and
the diplomatic service was equally little prepossessed in
favour of an arrangement which called upon them to pay
thuble the amount which the service really cost, in order
t..) supply a fund for compensation to those who were to
b 3 no longer employed. The Pall Xall Gazette is satisfied
with this result. It says that a root and branch reform
of a bad system is wanted, not a compromise
which would retain its worst features. The functions of
an agent rut j resent are to act as banker and commission
agent for the consuls and diplomatists who choose to pay
him, and to receive and transmit their letters and parcels
in the Foreign Office bags. All these duties could be
quite as well performed by any private agent absolutely
unconnected with the Foreign Office. There ought to be no
compensation for such services. One gentleman is unable
t 3 fulfil his duties, and ought at once to retire, and the
other clerks who have accepted agencies might be allowed
a little extra salary.

A FENIAN INIANIrsTo.—The Fenians in America
have issued an address, congratulating the Brotherhood
across the Atlantic on the steady advancement of the cause
Irish nationality. " The disestabl!shraent of the Angli-
can Church in Ireland,' it rays," gives us sincere pleasure.

But the Church, though disestablished, has not been dis-
endowed, su that religious liberty is as Ins
removed as ever. Three garrisons have held Ire
land in subjection—the Church, the landlords, and
the military; among the latter we reckon the
constabulary, armed with breech-loaders, and handled
a 3 if engaged in a perpetual campaign. It is the turn of
the landlord to be disestablished next ; and after that the
great establishment—that of the English military colony—
must inevitably follow." On the land question the mani-
Lsto speaks strongly, as might be expected. The grievance
it declared to be great enough to justify a rebellion
indeed, further on the document proclaims that
there are three first-class grievances oppressing the
Irish people, nay one of which woul.l justify a revolu-
Conary war; landlorlisna, maladministration, and exces-
s:ve taxation. "The land of, Ireland," we are told
"belongs to the people cf Ireland. The actual cultiva
tore alone should enjoy the psirilt ge of holding land, ain,
the farmers should hold direct from the only legitimat(
landlord—the aggregate Irish people." The rule of Engla.ms
is, however, the grievance of grievances, and" to remove it
is to remove all others," Every English garrison must be with
drawn. Protestant, landlord, and British ascendancy
must be withdrawn. Self-government is the only salvation
for Ireland; autonomy is the panacea for her grievances.
The manifesto encourages the Brotherhood to endure
to the end, as, though England can overcome any
short-lived attach, she cannot encounter the permanent
disaffection of the people, maintained as. it 044,.M..i.)7
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