The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-23 00:00:00

SEPTEMBEIt.

Brampton. Oumberlan,cf Mr. Warwick
00TOBER.
Anca,ster and Willoughby,
Lincolnshire r Mr. Spofford

17
21
29
29

THE ALLEGED BRUTAL MANSLAUGHTER BY A
BoY IN SOUTHWARK.—Last evening Mr. W. Payne,
the coroner for London and Southwark, held an inquest at
the Dog and the Stile Tavern, Market-street,London-road,
Southwark, into the circumstances attending the death of
Frederick George Bennet, a boy aged 12 years, whose
death was alleged to have been caused by being struck
over the head by another boy witlt'it heavy stick. \Mr.
S. M. Donahoo, surgeon, of the Westminster-bridge-road,
said that last Sunday morning he was called to ace the de-
ceased; ho was then quite dead. Ho made a post mortem
examination soon after death, and found the vessels of the
head quite full of blood.' Upon removing the upper part
of the skull, he discovered a great quantity of clotted
blood, which *as the cause of death. Witness was of
opinion that the injury was caused by the boy standing
on his head. The jury returned a verdict in accordance
with the modiol evidence, ;

40
USE OF CHLOROFORM IN VETERINARY
OPERATIONS.

The following interesting letter is quoted from a corre-
spondent of the Sporting Gazette :--" Sir,—Some years ago
a discovery was permitted to us, having since proved, per-
haps, the greatest blessing for which suffering humanity
has ever had reason to feel grateful. This merciful boon,
however, in the benefit of which all the animate creation of
civilised countries might and, indeed, ought to participate,
man has, with more than usual selfishness, almost exclu-
sively appropriated to his own especial use. Not an hospital
now exists but when, an operation becoming necessary, a
patient is enabled, through the medium of the invaluable
agent referred to, totally to escape the pain he would.
otherwise undergo ; yet what an incredible amount
of heartlessness de we evince towards those ani_
mils over whom we are ready enough to claim
dominion, whose nerves and sinews we do not hesitate to
rack, torture, and use up when refusing to accord them a
share of that immunity from suffering we so greedily grasp
at ourselves ? Chloroform is now so extensively and
cheaply manufactured, that it really 'becomes a question
how far, either individually or nationally, we can justifi-
ably defend ourselves from the charge of wanton cruelty
to which we aro fairly exposed, by our egotistical Inoue-
Poly of its blessings. Believing, however, that there aro
many who would willingly make use of so merciful a pre_
paration did they but kuow how little is 'the trouble or
expense incurred, and how it simplifies severe operations,
especially such as ordinarily are of a difficult and danger-
ous character, may I request those of your readers who
take a kindly interest in the subject to allow me shortly to
describe a well-known, every day, although fearful, opera-
tion, upon an animal which we, above all people, profess
to love and cherish as much as we certainly admire and
value him.

After a due amount of phi sicking, bandaging.; &c., it
has then, we will suppose, been decided to fire, say, a hunter,
for a lameness of which he cannot otherwise be cured. As
his master gazes at the handsome and intelligent creature
by whom he has so frequently been willingly and gallantly
carried, a generous impulse of pity and sorrow, induced by
the thought of the agony proposed to be inflicted, prompts
an involuntary exclamation of "poor fellow." The groom,
however, probably hastens to offer consolation by assur-
ing his employer that " He's no cause to think twice about
a matter so trifling, it don't hurt 'em a bit; he (the groom)
has seen a many fired—ay, standing too, and they a
licking his hand the while ; they don't feel it—not they,
why, it ain't nothin'." But partially reassured the
owner leaves his stable, reflecting that, in the first
place, he doesn't know whereto procure chloroform, or
how to administer it; secondly, no one in his neighbour-
hood deems it necessary to employ it. Horses aro always
being operated upon without it, lots of people affirming
that where there's no mind there's no feeling ; and finally,
that, pain or no pain—hang it, a lame horse is worse than
no horse at all. The following morning, therefore, the
grooms, helpers, country vet., assistant, tho irons, and
firo prepare to do their horrid, although necessary work.

Afesv bundles of straw arranged upon the spot whore it
is proposed to east or throw the horse, tko animal is led
forth and placed upon the edge of the bed thus improvised.
Now with a running accompaniment of coaxing, patting,
and soothing, the hobbles which are to render him
powerless in the hands of his tormentors are unsuspect-
ingly and insidiously buckled into their places, and during
the progress of this manoeuvre it is instructive to ob-
serve, and even study, the expression of the poor crea-
ture's eye. Reader, have you ever had an opportunity
of noticing the wild, yet timid, eager, yet resigned, fearful,
frightened, yet appealing glances which flash and flit, come
and go, with painful rapidity, and supernatural earnestness
of expression in the eye of a human subject about to
undergo an operation ? All this, in a mitigated form, is
unmistakably presented here also. The horse can reason
sufficiently well to dread the something unusual which is
about to befall him ; strange faces surround him ; a fearful
anticipatory consciousness of approaching danger oppresses
him ; when suddenly at a given signal he is cast helpless
on the straw, strong men are pinioning his legs together,
while others force his head to the ground. Vainly and fran-
tically ho struggles, as with quickened pulsation, staring eye
and heaving fianks,groaning and snorting, he piteously gazes
around. Upon ordinary occasions, while in this state of
agonising fright, the red hot iron is applied to quivering
flesh and muscle ; now, however, we willstep forward, and
in mercy administer the chloroform.
Having buckled around the sufferer's head a common
wire muzzle, in order to avoid a blistering of the nose and
lips, which would to a painful extent ensue were the fluid
allowed to touch parts so sensitive, there is poured upon a
small sdonge, from a 30z. or 4oz. glass bottle, about half
an ounce of chloroform, which is then placed over one
nostril and outside the muzzle. A piece of flannel or
linen cloth is then quickly and lightly wrapped around
the whole jaw, in order, as much as possible, to retain the
rapidly evaporating fluid; thus the animal breathes with
ono nostril through the cloth and muzzle, while with
the other he inhales through the sponge also. It not being
deemed advisable too s peedily to administer so powerful
/lin agent, one channel for breathing is thus left compara-
tively free. After the lapse of a few moments, another
half ounce may be poured upon the sponge, and se on from
time to time until the dilation of the,:eupil of the eye gives
warning of approaching unconsciousness. A pia may now
be gently applied to the animal, and as soon. as this little
instrument can bo boldly thrust iuto its living cushion,
without producing the slightest responsible muscular shrink,
the operation may commence, and the sponge be tempo-
rarily removed. And now the assistant hands to the sur-
geon a red-hot iron, the depressed or cutting edge of which
glows like, and is about the thickness of, a now penny piece.
With a movement at once firm butslow, this is drawn over the
part to be fired, and as each tool rapidly chills it is replaced
by another fresh from the fire. Under this fearful treat-
ment the skin contracts, turns brown, and seethes. Al-
though the hair has been clipped as close as possible, the
little that remains occasionally flames, a strong odour of
burning flesh pervades the atmosphere ; and as line after
lino is produced the animal is narrowly watched, when, if
the slightest tendency to flinch is observed, the replenished
sponge is for a few moments reapplied. One- half the work
completed, the horse, apparently in the sounlest slumber,
is by main force hauled over, in order that the remainder
may be concluded ; and as the operation draws to a close,
the operator, iron in hand—looking fondly and artistically
at his work—throws in the finishing touches, deepening,
strengthening, or elongating a line here and there, until ho
considers the ghastly engraving faultless ; when, as a coun-
try, and by no means unskilful, veterinary, with grim face-
tiousness, once observed to his gaping auditory, "Each
limb should as nearly as possible resemble the crackling,
upon a well roasted leg of pork." The muzzle and sponge
now finally removed, the horse soon offers evidence of re-
turning animation, a recovery which may be judiciously
assisted by bathing plentifully with cold water the mouth,
nostrils, oars, and poll, which proceeding is always
apparently peculiarly gratifying to the patient. It is as
well not to -hasten, but, on the contrary, rather to
retard the animal's first efforts to get on his legs ;
allow him, if ho desires to do so, to sit np, and in
about ten minutes, dating from the commencement of the
recovery, he may be permitted to rise and return to his
stable.
I f
rRi
sd ii:olueltduhsav
have
beenpicture tow iotuh
or suetl
tvhe
es
iluv ht
cartvtehni
ts ni
o i
omf al' s
chloro-
form, osruof
--
form, and reflect whether sve are not guilty of wanton
cruelty in parsimoniously and selfishly declining on similar
occasions to make use of from one to three shillings worth
of so cheap and so easily procured a material.
As this letter has already reached to a considerable
length I will continue the subject in a future communica-
tion, entering into further detail with re,sard to the cost,
average quantity required, and general administration of
this simple, invaluable, and ever-blessed misery alleviator.
W. T.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

_ _, _

(By Telegraph•)
PLYMOUTH. Saturday Morning.

The hired transport Patrician, Captain Pain, from Cal-
cutta, December 8, with the head-quarters of the 20th
Regiment, arrived in the Sound this morning. Wind s.E.,
strong, with heavy rain.
. _ _

GRAVESEND, Saturday Morning.
Arrived—Moselle, steamer, and Maas, steamer, from
Antwerp; Belgium, steamer, from Ostend; City of Nor-
wich, steamer, from Tonging; Eider, steamer, and Ton-
ning, steamer, from G-eeatemunde.

Sailed, March 22—Harrier, for Newfoundland; Holland,
steamer, for Ostend.

DEAL, Saturday Morning.
Passed—Latona, screw steamer, for Genoa ; Sarah King,
of London, for the west—both from London.

We understand that Sanderson, hitherto private
trainer to Major Stapylton, will shortly commence business
as a public trainer on the celebrated Hambleton Moor,
where the famed Alice Hawthorn was trained for all her
races, and where also Harry Stebbing trained Assault,
Beverlac, Flatcatclaer, Mahon, Kingston, and many other
winners.

A SISTER OF BERANCIER, the poet, still lives. She
is
a nun in the Convent des Oiseaux, at Paris, and is a
hundred and one years old, but in good health.
LEEDS REFORM REGISTRATION ASSOCIATION.--
A meeting of this association was held last night, Mr.
Darnton Lupton in the chair, to consider the Conservative
scheme of reform. Oa the motion of Mr. Frederick
Baines, a resolution was adopted, objecting to the dual
vote and the system of voting papers, and calling for
sential alteration in those provisions, which would exclude
voters who pay their rates through their landlords, and
who also, when placed in circumstances to obtain the
vote,. were oxposed to difficulty, trouble, and expense in
proving their claim to the franchise. It was also agreed by
the meeting that a£s rental would be regarded by re-
formers as a satisfactory substitute for the borough fran-
chise offered by Government. The meeting evinced a
dispoeition to allow the Conservative bill to go into com-
mittee under certain provisos. Confidence was expressed
in Mr. Gladstone, and a hope entertained that the Liberal
members would act on the policy the right hon. zentleluail
sketched on Thnrsday,