The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-15 00:00:00

The younger defendant was ordered to find bail

SOUTHWARK.—Harriet Clerk, a middle-aged
f mile, 'he wife of a tradesman in Bermondsey,
was brought before Mr. Combe, charged with steal-
ing a purse containing half-a-sovereign and two
keys, the property of James Sanders.
The prosecutor stated that he was a lighterman,
and resided at 3, Gainsford-street, Dockhead. On
Saturday night, at ten o'clock, he accompanied his
wife to the shop of 'Mr. Evans, baker, close by,
where she purchased some flour. The prisoner
stood near them at the counter, and while his wife
was placing the flour in a basket, he saw the pri-
soner take up a purse off the counter and hastily
leave the shop. His wife immediately afterwards
turned round to the counter and said, " Good God,
some one hat taken my purse." The purse the
p•isoner t o'c up wis exactly like his wife's, but not
seeing her put it down, he had no idea it was hers,
or he should have st pped the prisoner. After the
latter had left the shop a lad came into the shop
and said he had seen her pick up the purse, and he
knew something about her.
Ann Sanders, wife of last witness, said that after
taking money out of her purse in the baker's shop
to pay for.erne flour, she placed the purse, con-
taining half-a-sovereign and two keys, ou the coun-
ter, while she deposit,-d the flour in her basket, and
when she turned round a minute afterwards she
missed it. The purse was a green knitted one, with
silk and beads, and she had not seen it since.
In cross-examination by Mr. Hughes, witness
said she saw the prisoner standing in the shop while
she wai paying for the flour, and she missed her
purse almost immediately afterwards. She had no
doubt the prisoner stole her purse.
John Biker, a lad 13 years of age, said he was
standing at the door while Mr. Sanders, his wife,
and the prisoner were in the shop. He saw Mrs.
Sanders place her purse on the counter, and the
prisoner pick it up, when she suddenly left the
shop. He knew her by living opposite her mother's
a little while ago, and could swear to her identity.
About a quarter of an hour afterwards the pri-
soner was passing the baker's shop, when she was
called in and given into custody.

Mr. flughe; said his client was the wife of a re-
spec.able tradesman, and could not be guilty of
such a paltry theft.

Mr. Combe thought otherwise, and committed
her for trial.

THAMES.—A Chinese beggar named Apoo,
well known in the streets of the metropoli., was
brought before Mr. Yardley, charged with assault-
ing and wounding a Frenchman named James Wil-
liam Hammus. Both parties live in a low lodging-
house in Lambeth-street, Whitechapel, and while
the Chinaman was just commencing a meal of
bread and eggs the Frenchman entered the room
common to both, and took up one of Apoo's eggs,
observing what a nice one it was, and asking him
what he gave for it. The Chinaman, who had just
cracked the shell of another egg, became enraged
that his food was touched, and threw the egg he
held in his hand in the complainant's face, rushed
to the fire-pace and seized the tongs, with which
he struck the Frenchman on the shoulder, and then
cut him with his knife.

Mr. Yardley asked what the defendant was, and
a policeman replied that he got his living by beg-
ging, singing, and making odd sorts of noises in the
street.

The Chinaman said that the Frenchman took up
his egg and was going to eat it, and provoked him.
The Frenchman said he did not intend to eat the
egg—he only took it up to look at it.
frlr. Yardley—lt is a very great offence to touch
the food of some of these people. He says you
stabbed him, prisoner, what have you to say to
that ?
The Chinaman shook his head and muttered some
gibberish, denying all that was alleged against him.
Two witnesses confirmed the statement of the
Frenchman.
Mr.. Yardley said the complainant had done wrong
in taking up the Chinaman's egg, but that did not
justify the prisoner in taking up a pair of tongs and
cutting the Frenchman with his knife. He sentenced
the prisoner to pay a fine of 3/., and in default of
payment one month's imprisonment.

WANDSWORTH.—Mr. S. Fenn, the superin-
tendent of the V division of police, applied to the
magistrate for- a summons against the owner of a
field in Wands wort'', for the purpose of preventing
the fair usually held on Whit-Monday and the two
following days from taking place in future.
In consequence of the late successful attempts to
suppress the old Camberwell fair, Greenwich fair,
Stepney fair, and other fairs of a similar descrip-
tion, which have been held from time immemorial,
the policeauthorities have had their attention drawn
to the suppression of Wandsworth fair by the com-
plaints of some of the inhabitants residing in the
immediate locality. This fair, which has been held
annually on Whit-Monday for more than a quarter
of a century, took place in a field adjoining the
Wandsworth Railway Station, and was generally
very orderly conducted, if the charges that were
bryught before the magistrates can form a criterion.

The field is the property of a gentleman named
Phillip, upon whom a commission of lunacy has
been held, and his daughter, bliss Susannah
Philips, was appointed. the receiver of the property
of her father. It appears that the field was always
let throughout the entire year, with the exception
of Whitsuntide when the term expired, and the
field bad to be again taken after the fair was over.
It was never held at Easter, and the steps about to
be taken by the police are preparatory to the pre-
vention of its taking place next Whitsuntide, and
also hereafter.

Mr. Fenn said that Miss Phillips had expressed
her approval of having the fair abolished.
The summons was granted.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE

WEEK.

(Erma the Report of the _Registrar-General.)

The deaths registered in London, which in the
previous week were 1,235, in the week that ended
on Saturday declined to ,059. In the ten years
1847-56 the average number of deaths in the weeks
corresponding with last week was 1,104. But as
the deaths of last week occurred in an increased
population, the average should be raised for the
purpose of comparison in proportion to the increase,
in which case it becomes 1,214. Hence it appears
that the deaths now returned were less by 155 than
the number which the average rate of mortality
would have produced.
The deaths last week referred to diseases of the
zymotic class were 181, whilst the corrected ave-
rage of corresponding weeks is 246. Typhus and
common fever were fatal in 50 cases (20 of which
occurred in the north districts) ; the average is 48.
Fifty children died of hooping-cough ; the number
according to the average rate of mortality would
have !been 63. Twenty-three children died of
scarlatina, the average being 36. Measles was fatal
in 17 cases, the average being 25 ; small-pox in 3
cases, the average being 14 ; and diarrhoea in 10
cases, the average being 16. No deaths from small-
pox occurred in the east, south, or west districts,
and none from measles in the west districts, a por-
tion of the metropolis which was remarkably ex-
empt from fatal cases of the zyinotic diseases.
Three children died at 17, New-end, Hampstead,
on the 2d, 3d, and 6th inst., respectively, of fever ;,
they appear to have taken ever in - Hampstead, to
which they had been broughtforchange of air when
recovering from hooping-congh. Bronchitis carried
off 113 persons, and pneumonia 81, both numbers
being near their respective averages. Four persons
died of intemperance, 2 of delirium tremens, 2 of
carbuncle. Two women died at the age of 94years,
and one in Lewisham workhouse at the age of 96
years. _ _

Last week the births of 835 boys and 773 girls,
in all 1,608 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years
1847-56 the average number was 1,511.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.519 in.
The instrument ranged from 29.27 in. to 29.82 in.
The mean temperature of the week was 49.9 deg.,
which is 4.6 deg. above the average of the same
week in 43 years. The mean daily temperature was
above the average on every day except Saturday ;
on Sunday and Monday the excess was 10 deg. and
8 deg. , The highest temperature occurred on Sun-
day, the sth, and was 65 deg. ; the lowest on Fri-
day, and was 37.3 deg. The' range of temperature
in the week was 27.7 deg. The mean dew-point
temperature was 45.0 deg.. and the difference be-
tween this and the mean air temperature was 4.9
deg. The wind, which had alternated between
south-east and south-west during the week, changed
to north-west on Saturday. Rain fell on *very day
except -Wednesday, and the whole amount of the
week was 0.53 in. Thunder was heard on Tuesday
and Friday.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS

NI7MBER OF DEATHS FROM ADL CAUSES REGISTERED

IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, APRIL 11.

Zythotic Diseases •
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases
Disease of the Brain, Nerves and Senses
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 35
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. ..
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations
Premature Birth and Debility
Atrophy
Old Age
gudden
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 23
Causes not specified

18

~... 34

DILATES mom ALL CAIlEIES
Population Deaths in cone- Deaths
Enumerate& eponding week in the

1851.
of 1856. Week
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522
S )uth Districts 616,635 315

Totals 2,362,236
Males
Females.
BIRTHS IN. THE WEEK.

1,115

1,05
523
536

Males
Females..

Total ..

.• ••••••••• ••• 1,603

THE INDIAN MATERIA MEDICS.

The Government of India pays upwards of
49,000/. a year for quinine alone. Notwithstanding
this vast expenditure the supply might be tripled
with advantage. Indents for quinine are jealously
watched. At civil stations it is almost refused,
and during an outbreak of fever it is always the
first article to fall short, and the last to be suffi-
ciently replated. Of the cost of the remaining
drugs we are not informed, but it can scarcely fall
short of something like 30 lacs of rupees a year.
These two figures are sufficient to prove the impor-
tance in an economical view of the substitution of
native drugs. On the important benefits their
introduction, or rather discovery, would confer
upoh the people, it is needless to enlarge. To the
mass of the population English medicines are totally '
inaccessible. Almost alone among imported goods
drugs maintain the price they bore in the good old
days before the Pagoda tree had been shaken into 1
barrenness. Men in sickness do not ask the price 1
of medicine. The vendors have every interest in 1
maintaining it. Doctors have little interest in its
reduction, and so the good old profitable rates are
allowed quietly to endure. The natives do the
best they can, sometimes reviving under drugs that
would kill any other race of human beings!, but
usually dying of attacks which the Englishman
regards as temporary ills. The evil and its remedy
are both understood, and have been pointed out
about once a week during the half of the past cen-
tury. Yet we have done nothing towards obtaining
the remedy we all know to exist. There is pro-
bably not a medicine imported from Europe, not a
costly drug from South America, which has not its
counterpart in India. What have we done to dis-
cover them ? Doctors living alone, without com-
munication with their brethren, occasionally stumble
on some valuable plant, some febrifuge or substitute
for catechn. They cure all round, satisfy them-
selves of the correctness of their views, and report
to the medical board. The white ants eat the report
with gusto, the doctor moves on disheartened to his
next station, and there the matter ends. It is use-
less for the advocates of these effete institutions to
talk of the valuable investigations th eyhave suggested
or proposed. How many English drugs have they
displaced within this generation ? klt is a result, not
a report, that is required, and the only one obtained
is an immense expenditure. At the present mo-
ment there is a committee sitting to ascertain what
articles now imported from Europe can ba obtained
in India. How many drugs will that committee
condemn ? We will venture to predict not one,
though every member of it has probably some
vague idea that all the English medicines can be re-
placed. We need an officer specially appointed
for - this duty, with power to make researches
throughout India, and to compel the services to aid
him. Usually all information obtained will be
willingly placed at his disposal. "It is hopelessness
rather than want of energy which leads so many
surgeons to leave their information inaccurate or
half-digested. No man with brains to devote him-
self to study will submit his work to a board selected*
for its age, and still less to a board which is re-
garded as a sepulchre of records. It is individual
persistent energy,
solely devoted to this one sub-
ject, which can alone accomplish any permanent
improvement. A skilled chemist, communicating
with all Endia, testing every drug, and bringing all
experience into one focus, would do more in a year
to ascertain the true qualities'of the native pharma-
copoeia than the boards will accomplish in a century.
Such an officer would be no very expensive addi-
tion to the staff of the medical service.—Bombay
Telegraph:

HORSE ACCIDENT.—A day or two ago a gentleman
gave his horse in charge of a boy in Southampton-row,
Bloomsbury, while'be attended to some business; The
boy imprudently mounted the horae, and struck it with
the reins. The high-spirited animal galloped into
Bloomsbury-square, and jumped over the railings into
the plantation. ' He broke one of the rails, tore open
.his hocks' and fractured the boy's arm. The poor
.aifkasal, which was worth 1001., was shot.