The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, IAO/41DON, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 30, 1866.

LAW INTELLIGENCE,—This Day.

(Sittings at Nisi Prins, boforo the Lord Chief Justice and a

Special TRU.)
HUNTER V SHARPE.

This protracted case was again resumed this morning.
Mr. Coleridge, Q.C., Mr. Sergeant Parry, and Mr. H.
Williams, appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Karslake,
Q.C., Mr. Quain, Q.C., and Mr. Stephens, for the defendant.
Dr. Markham, the first witness called, was examined by
Mr. Stephens. He said he was a Fellow of the Royal
College of Physicians, a member of the Royal Surgical and
Pathological Society, physichn of St. Mary's Hospital,
and he was also the author of lifferent medfcal works. Ile
had read Dr. Hunter's work cn the theory and_treatment
of consumption ; and with respect to the former, as to the
disease being caused by carbon in the lungs and tubercles,
by difficulty of respiration, he agreed with Dr. Williams
and Dr. Bennett as to the fallacy of that doctrine.
Carbon was no more a comtituent of a tubercle than
of any of the animal ti sues, in which it was
found, in some of which it existed in larger quantities.
He ridiculed the idea teat tubercles could be
decomposed by the introduction of
.oxygen into the lungs.
In fact the immediate action o! oxygen could no more taka
place on the lungs than that of the oxygen in the atmo-
sphere could act on one of the fingers, except through the
agency of fire. It was well known to the profession that,
in cases in which there were extensive deposits of carbon
in the lungs there were no tubercles, and where the depo-
sits were extremely small tubercles were found.
The Lord Chief Justice—ls it not true that oxygen
mixes with and purifies the blood ? _

Witness—There was no doubt about that ; but he re-
peated his statement respecting its immediate action on
the lungs. Dr. Hunter's book gave no specific information
whatever as to his mode of administering oxygen, and his
cases contained no records upon which a medical man
could rely, although a medical man might perhaps be able
to guess from the work what the author meant. He
could not clearly understand what Dr. Hunter meant
by his use, in a generic sense, of the term
alterative, when applied to specifics. As a medical
record he considered Dr. Hunter's work quite valueless.
Unless he had some authentic literary record of cases he
could not adopt Dr. Huntees views on this particular
point. As regarded the inhalation of stramonium and other
medicalag.i t mentiOrati: by Dr. Hunter, he believed, as in
the case of asthma, it would be beneficial. Referring to he
gentleman examined on Wednesday as having been under
Dr. Hunter's care, those cases were not consumption, and
he had no doubt that any physician in London could pro-
duce similar instances in which patients had received the
same relief. He believed that all physicians effected cures
(Laughter.) He expressed his conviction that it was only
by the expulsion of carbonic acid that consumption could
be cured. The witness then repeated in substance the
medical views and arguments of the previous witnesses
who had been examined on behalf of the defendant.
In cross-examination by Mr. Coleridge, he said that the
theory of Dr. Hunter amounted to nothing in a scientific
point. Every physician who practised would of necessity
have to make himself acquainted with consumption.
Dr. G. Johnson said that he was a Fellow of the Colle e
of Physicians and member of the University of Loudon, and
author of various works on medical subjects. He consi-
dered generally that the-theory of Dr. Hunter was opposed
to that developed by medical science in reference to con-
sumption. The assertion of Dr. Hunter that an effusion
of blood was not caused by a rupture of a blood vessel was
quite absurd. The blood vessels were not porous, and no
hemorrhage, even from the nose, could take place without
some artery being broken.
In cross-examination, by Mr. Coleridge, the witness said
this latter statement was not a matter of opinion, but of
unquestioned fact.
Dr. William Odling, Fellow of the Royal College of
Physicians and lecturer on chemistry at St. Bartholomew's
Hospital, gave similar evidence, and said that chloric acid
used by Dr. Hunter was not in the pharmacopeia, and was
chiefly for fireworks, being an explosive material. It
might, however, be weakened by water to any extent.
This closed the evidence.

Mr. Kerslake then summed up the case for the defence.
The case was proceeding when we went to press.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.---This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

WANDERING ABOUT •WITHOUT MEANS OF SUBSISTENCE.
—Henry Gubbles, a boy, was charged before Mr. Knox
with wandering abroad without proper guardianship, or
the visible means of subsistence.
A constable proved seeing the boy about three o'clock
that morning in Castle-street, Oxford-street, following a
gentleman and begging ; and as the boy was shivering and
his teeth chattering ho took him to the station. He had
made inquiries respecting the boy, and found that he had a
mother living with a man, and that the mother paid very
little, if any, attention to the boy; and the poor little fel-
low told him that lie often slept in the passage, with the
front and back doors Wide open all night.
Mr. Knox asked the bay whether that was true.
The boy said it was, oaud that his mother lived with a
man. _ .

Mr. Knox said he must do something for the poor boy,
who looked half starvdd.

The constable said the boy had a few common paper
flowers with him. _ _

Mr. Knox said he would rescue the boy, if he could,
from his misery.
A man (who said he was the boy's stepfather) said it was
the boy's fault that he slept in the passage. The boy was
in the habit of going out and going to the play.
Mr. Knox naked the man whether the boy was in the
habit of getting anything to eat.
The man had the impudence to say that the boy had
plenty.
The boy's mother, who had a pair of bad black eyes,
said the buy was in the habit of going out to sell people
flowers, but she had not let him out for some time till
yesterday, owing to his not bringing home the money he
got.
The boy said that was not true. Sometimes he took
home as much as 3s.

The mother denied this, and said that she was willing
for the boy to go to s. school, to save him from " badness."
Mr. Knox asked the man and the mother to look at the
boy, and tell him whether they considered ho had "plenty
of food." The boy was, in fact, half-starved. lie believed
the boy was sent out for the purpose of getting money to
take home. The boy's appearance showed pretty well how
he was treated. The boy's appearance was truly miserable.
lie would send the boy to school, and would not take the
trouble of asking his mother any questions. The boy
would go to Feltham for three years.
As he was leaving the court the boy thanked tho
magistrate.

FESTIVITIES AT ST. PETERSBURG.

ST. PETERSBURG, Nov. 25.

On Friday evening a theatrical performance was
given at the Palace of the Hermitage, followed by
a supper. The Theatre of the Hermitage has not for
a long period been opened except upon special occa-
sions. It was erected during the reign of the Em-
press Catharine, when St. Petersburg did not pos-
sess the splendid theatres with which the capital has
since been provided. Within the last few years it
has been restored, and, though not extravagantly
splendid, is charmingly elegant. The interior iS
semicircle, containing six tiers of seats covered with
crimson velvet, and arranged in an amphitheatre.
These seats will accommodate 400 persons, and th2re
are no boxes, nor is there a gallery. Marble columns
support the cornice, which is white, adorned with
paintings. Statues stand between the columns. The
walls are finished in stucco. It is lighted by 10
lustres, and by chandeliers bearing lights covered
with ground glass globes, and supplying -a light at
once clear and soft. The curtain is of vast extent, 1
of blue velvet drapery.
At this representation their Imperial Majesties,
the members of the Imperial family, the foreign
princes, the ladip of the ambassadors, the ladies of
honour, the ambassadors, and the great dignitaries of
the empire occupied seats which had been placed on
the floor of the house below the amphitheatre and in
front of the orchestra. On the steps of the amplii-.
theatre were the remaining guests —the ladies to the
right of the entrance steps, which divide the amphi-•
theatre into two parts, the gentlemen to the left. The
mention above of the number of persons which the
theatre holds is sufficient to show that the invita-
tions were strictly limited. Among the diplomatic
body, for example, only the heads of the embassies
and the Ministers, with their wives, were invited.
The English Embassy and the Danish Legation were
the only exceptions; and of these all the members
were honoured with the invitation. The diplomatic'
corps entered by the grand
.staircase of the Council
of the Empire, the, other guests by that of the com-
mittee
mittee of Ministers. The former, in the first in-
stance, met in one of the balls of the French school,
which looks out on the Neva. This hall, which is
hung with yellow damask, and is lighted with
splendid crystal lustres, contains, among other
notable works, the large painting, by Mignard, of
Alexander and the family of Darius. The pillars
of the chimney-piece are magnificent specimens of
asper, and the doors, richly adorned with gold
chasings, are esteemed masterpieces. At about half-
paSt 8 their Majesties left their inner apartMents,
and soon afterwards entered the theatre, which was
literally full.
The entertainments commenced with an opera in
one act, and three tableaux, called " La Fiorina," by
the Maestro Pedrotti. Without any great preten-
sicins to science and originality, it goes well, and is
graceful and lively. In France it would be called
an opera comique. "La Fiorina" was well received.
During a very short interval, on the fall of the cur-
tain, refreshments were served, the company moving
to the nearest saloons, where the buffets were spread.
After the opera came a ballet, " The Wallachian
Bride, or, the Golden Tress," a little gem, espe-
cially for spectators who hold the maxim, " Long
works frighten me." The plot is not very compli-
cated, and, as an involved plot renders a ballet per-
fectly unintelligible, the simplicity of this adds to
its attractions. It was accompanied by excellent
music, and Madame Petissa was most charming in
her dancing.
The supper was served immediately on the ter-
mination of the ballet. The imperial table was laid
with 30 covers in the great hall of theltalian school,
which opens on the grand staircase of the new Her-
mitage on the side of the Millionaia. The ball pre-
sented a wonderful appearance. In the centre was
the imperial table covered with its magnificent ser-
1, vice of silver gilt, and surrounded by four tables
loaded with splendid burdens of massive silver. The
light sparkled from lamps surmounting two giant
vases of malachite, and from wax-lights set in two
enormous jasper candelabra. It poured also from
the cornice, where glittered from the mirrored ceil-
ing a lustre shedding its brilliancy over the chefs-
(rcezivre of Veronese, of Tintoretto, of Guido Reni,
Domenichino, Salvator Rosa, Caravaggib,and-Carlo
Dolci. What a magic picture a skilful painter could
have made of the imperial supper in this hall, hung
with chefs-d'auvre, and all glittering with treasures
wherever he could turn his gaze. In the neighbour-
ing halls—two of the Flemish school and one of the
Spanish—tables were also spread, and the same
bright light shone. In all, covers were laid for 500.
Several bands were in attendance. The idea of
this pertion of the fete was certainly a brilliant
one, and it could not have been more feli-
citously carried out. We live in an age
in which it is difficult to hit upon anything new in
splendour or magnificence. The scene of Friday
evening in the galleries of the Hermitage may defy
rivalry, and the evening has been a fitting conclusion
of the series of fetes given by his Majesty the Em-
peror on the happy occasion of the marriage of his
son. It was half-past eleven when supper was
ended. When their Majesties had returned to their
apartments a final picture of magnificent effect was
displayed to the guests retiring by the grand stair-
case. This assemblage in festival dresses, descend-
ing the broad steps of this magnificent hall, where
the marble on all sides reflected the rays of number-
lea lights, formed one of the most astounding and
magnificent vistas that could be imagined. The
guests of his Majesty thus departed, bearing with
them a last and truly enduring impression of the
imperial dwelling, in which the productions of art
had formed a magnificent surrounding for the
sumptuous display of imperial greatness.
Addresses and telegrams of congratulation have
been sent to their Imperial Highnesses the Czare-
witch and the Grand Duchess Maria Feodorowna,
on the occasion of their marriage, from 37 different
governments of the empire—from Astracan, Tobolsk,
Kherson, Moscow, St. Petersburg, &c. Their Im-
perial Highnesses have returned their cordial thanks
for these congratulations, which have been sent by
all classes in the empire.

IRELAND•

DUBLIN, Nov. 29.

Lord Strathnairn, Commander-in-Chief of the
Forces in Ireland, arrived from England yesterday
evening by the mail steamer Munster. The Munster
was alongside the pier at 5 40, thus enabling both the
mail and passenger special trains to be despatched to
Dublin before 6 o'clock, and bringing the through
journey from London to Dublin considerably under
the stipulated 11 hours.
The Belfast papers report that on Tuesday even -
ing Constable Clingham arrested in Belfast a man
named Bernard Kenney, a stonemason, under the
Habeas Corpus Act, on suspicion of being connected
with the Fenian conspiracy. The grounds of the
arrest were not allowed to transpire by the autho-
rities, but the accused was ordered to be kept
in close custody. Last night another person was
arrested on the same charge, but was set at liberty
immediately afterwards, he having satisfied the
authorities that he was not in any way connected
with Fenianism. On the same day, during the dis-
charge of the cargo of the Fleetwood steamer, a
suspicious-looking cask, labelled " hardware," was
seized on being landed in the shed by the Custom-
house officers on duty there. The cask on being
opened was found to contain about a hundredweight
of ball cartridges, which were well packed up. The
cask was taken to the Custom-house, where, it is
understood, it will be detained.
It is stated that Mr. M'Clintock has been ap-
pointed solicitor to the Board of Works. The salary
was £l,BOO, but the Treasury has now reduced it
to £1,200.

A CABIN BOY ALONE ON A WRECK FOR Fo URTEEN
DAYS. —At a meeting of the Liverpool Local Marine
Board, yesterday, Mr. James Smith, chairman,acting
cu-
for
the French Government, made a presentation of aa
bino
lar glass to Capt. G. Robinson, as an acknowledgment of
his humane conduct in rescuing from the wreck of a French
vessel, the Flour do Bois, a cabin boy, who, after all the
crew were washed overboard, was alone for 14 days on
board the wreck. Capt. Robinson, master of the British
ship Luzon, while on the voyage from Shanghai to New
York, in October, 1864, fell in with the me* of the Fleur
do Dols in mid-ocean, and hoarded her,