The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-18 00:00:00

COPPER IN CHOLERA.

The Journal des Connaissances Medicales pub-
• lishes a paper by M.M. Guichard and Duties on the
possibility of curing cholera by administering copper.
Dr. Burq, the originator of this treatment (for it was
he who, in 1849, ascertained that coppersmiths and
those in habitual contact with that metal were
not subject to the disease), had been allowed to
try it at the Hotel Dieu, but, it is said, with
little or no success. However, as Dr. Burq was
of opinion that the patients who had recovered
were those in whom the absorption of copper
had taken place, whereas it bad not in those
who had died, it became worth ascertaining whether
or not the organs of the deceased had absorbed the
supposed specific. MM. Guichard and Duriez were
therefore requested to examine some livers preserved
in alcohol, which had been extracted from the
bodies of certain patients that had died of the
epidemic ; and they found copper to exist in each
of these organs. Hence'they conclude : Ist. That
in those fatal cases in which salts of copper were
administered, the failure of the latter was not
owing to their not having been absorbed, since
chemistry proved the contrary ; 2d. That even
in the chilly period absorption had taken place. The
latter is a fact of general importance, because it shows
that the faculty of absorbing medicines remains to
the last ; as to the first conclusion, it is far from being
so telling as might appear at first sight. Against
the unsuccessful cases of the Hotel Dieu, Doc-
tor Burq may set off the signal success
with which the application of his method was at-
tended at the hospital of Marseilles during the last
choleraic invasion ; and if it should excite won-
der that the results were so different in the
two places, we would remark that most probably
few cases but those past all hope of recovery
were' entrusted to Dr. Burq at the Hotel Dieu,
such being generally the fate of experimentalists
in medicine who have not yet succeeded in ob-
taining a great name ; while, on the other hand, at
Marseilles, the method was tried with the full in-
tention of testing its powers to the utmost, and the
result was such as to beat the old methods utterly
out of the field.

RAMSGATE HARBOUR. —A Parliamentary paper
has just been issued respecting Ramsgate Harbour. From
the statement of receipts and payments made by the Board
of Trade for the .year ending 31st December last, issued
yesterday, it appears that the receipts amounted to X 13,335
12s. 3d., including balance in hand on Ist January, 186 G,
£1,838 ss. ld.; income from harbour dues, £7,730 2s. 8d ;
income from rent of houses, £1,475 3e. Bd. ; dividend on
stock, £2,143 13s. 43. ; proceeds of sale• of old stcres,
£l4B 7s. Gd. On the other hand, the cost of maintenance
was £10,051 16s. 2d.; superannuation allowances, £699
155.; leaving a balance in hand on 31st December, 1866,
£2,58415. ld. From the receipts and payments on account
of the benefit fund it appears that the receipts were £719
4s. 2d. ; the amount fixed for penaions, £489 4s. 31. ; and
the balauce from last account advanced from Ramsgate
Harbour fund, £229 19a 6d.

SITA.RE IdARKETS.--- This day.

ORDINARY SHARES AND STOCKS.

Railways. I paid.l Closing 1 Business
Price. dens.

Bristol and Exeter ....
Caledonian
Cambrian..
Cork and 8and0n......
Cornwall
Dublin & Belfast June
Dun„Perth, & Ab. June
&London, bcrip Certi
Do.
Glasgow & S. Western
Great Eastern, Ord. s tk.
Do. E. Angl. st. No. 2
Great North of Scotland
Great Northern
D. A stock

78 SO
108 :08
40 15

4 6
05 88
70 72

103 WI
23 29
.1 0

ICB ilO
160 111