The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-07 00:00:00

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

An inquest was held at Guildford on Tuesday
morning, before Mr. W. Bridges, deputy coroner
for West Surrey, and a respectable jury, of which
the Rev. R. B. Matthews, vicar, was foreman, in
the library of Chilworth manor-house, on the body
of Robert Alfred Godwin-Austen, aged 19, who died
on Sunday last, under the circumstances detailed in
evidence :—EdwardGodwin-Austen (who was much
affected while under examination) deposed :—I am
17 years of age, and am brother to the deceased.
On Wednesday mornirg, the 24th of July, at about
5 o'clock, I went with my brother up St. Martha's-
hill rabbit-shooting. We both had guns, which
were loaded with small shot. Mine was a double-
barrelled gun, and only one barrel was capped. I
borrowed a cap from my brother, and put it on the
nipple. I carried the gun against my side. My
brother was standing close to me and I was looking
up a tree at a bird. In the act of doing so I turned
half round, and immediately heard a report. I did
not know that it was my gun which had gone off ;
but I saw my brother lying on the ground. I picked
him up and saw that he was shot. I tried to carry
him home, but he could not bear the pain of removal.
Robert Tugwell, footman in the service of Mr.
Godwin-Austen, J.P., deposed that on the morning
in question he went up St. Martha's-hill for a walk.
He saw the deceased fall, and •n proceeding to
the spot he found both guns lying on the ground.
One barrel of Mr. Edward Austen's gun bore
symptoms of having been recently discharged.
Mr. J. R. Stedman, M.D., of Guildford, deposed
that he was called to see the deceased on Wed-
nesday, the 24th ult. Ile found on the upper and

inner part of the right thigh a lacerated gun-shot
wound an inch and a half long by two inches wide,
extending deeply down to the muscles of the thigh.

There was a second wound of about the same size
on the outer side of the thigh, and between the
two wounds an uninjured portion of skin

tWo wine. 11"ItuusS examined the
wounds, and found the passage from one to the other

so large that to the best of his judgment the whole
charge of shot passed through it. No shot was
found in the wounds, which were quite clean,
and apparently no bones or arteries were injured.
There had been haemorrhage to a moderate degree,
but not to any great extent. Deceased progressed
satisfactorily until Saturday last, the 3d inst., when
witness detected the early symptoms of tetanus,
or lockjaw. These symptoms increased and con-
tinued from Saturday until the time of his
death on Sunday afternoon. Deceased was
constantly watched during this period either
by witness or his partner, Dr. Morton. He
was rational, and conversed freely the whole time
until he expired in convulsions. The cause of death
was tetanus, the result of a gunshot wound. The
coroner summed up, remarking upon the melan-
choly nature of the case, and pointing out in clear
and explicit terms the law bearing upon the case.
After a very brief consultation, a verdict of " Acci-
dental death" was returned. Deceased was uni-
versally beloved in the neighbourhood. The
funeral is to take place on Friday next, at Shalford
Church.

Copper in Cholera.

Pr. V. Burq, whose name we have often had
occasion to mention in connexion with cholera as
the discoverer of the prophylactic and curative
qualities of copper in that terrible disease, has just
published, under the title, " Metallotherapie du
Coivre contre le Cholera," a volume the serious
perusal of which we may safely recommend to the
professional reader. We have always advocated a
fair trial of Dr. Burg's discovery, not because of
its eflicPcy, which is still disputed by many, but
because, as far as we know, it is the only curative
system resting on a positive and well authenticated
fact. In 1852 Dr. Burq, who had for some years
past been engaged in investigating the therapeutic
properties of copper, accidentally visited a large
foundry of that metal, and there learnt in the course
of conversation that none of the 200 workmen and
inhabitants of the place had ever been attacked by
cholera, even during the worst period of the
epidemic. Following up this hint, Doctor Burq
visited a large number of establishments of the
same kind in person, wrote to others, And in a
short time collected evidence sufficient to prove that
all shops or manufactories where copper was con-
stantly handled had, almost without an exception,
enjoyed complete immunity from cholera. Hence
Dr. Burq very rationally concluded that copper
must possess a specific curative power in that
disease. lie has since administered sulphate of
copper internally, and metallic copper externally
(the latter against choleraic cramps) with great Elie-
cess, although it is said the system did not succeed in
the hospitals of Paris. Was it ever sincerely tried
there, on subjects not past recovery ? This we are
unable either to deny or to affirm ; but last year we
laid before our readers the note communicated to
the Academy of Sciences by Dr. Lisle, of the Lu-
natic Asylum at Marseilles, in which he stated that
he had cured 20 out of 21 patients by administering
sulphate of copper even in smaller doses than those
prescribed by Dr. Burg. We therefore persist in
affirming that a method of cure like this, founded
upon sound reasoning from facts, and confirmed by
experiment., ought to have a fair trial on a large
scale.—Galignani•

THE LIBERAL WHIP.—The circular issued by
Mr. Glyn on behalf of the loader of the Liberal party
runs as follows : " Special and important. —Your attend-
ance is most earnestly and most particularly requested in
the House of Commons on Thursday, the Bth of August,
to consider the Lords' amendments to the Reform Bill.
Divisions will be taken upon the 'voting paper clauses,'
which have been re-inserted by the Lords; upon the lodger
franchise, upon the qualification of copyholders, and upon
the representation of minorities. Your attendance is most
specially urged, as the amendments proposed by the
Lords are of the greatest importance." Since the fore-
going was issued the lodger qualification Las been disposed
of ; the three other matters specified still remain to be
444 with.