The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-13 00:00:00

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
The Steeplechase Handicap.

Vain Hope
Victim ... ,
British Yeoman

seven ran.
Tho Free Handicap Hurdle Race.

Rescue ...
Tho General

Nine ran.

FRANCE.

(Countersigned)

PROGRESS OF FitEE TRADE IN

Cr14::12 \L NY.
We read in the Leditpenelanee of Brussels :—"Our
readers know the (lit-Keene& of material and commer-
cial interests which exist between the north and south
of Germany, and which more, perhaps, than any
other motive was the first obstacle to the realization
of German unity. From the first meeting of the
National Assembly of Frankfort, when the represen-
tatives of the different German nationalities sue-
ceeded in coming to an understanding on the political
questions on the order of the day, an abyss separated
them immediately whenever a question relative to
commerce or customs duties was raised. The south
of Germany, which is more manufacturing, is favour-
able to the protective system, and its representatives
form at Frankfort the association for the protection
of labour; the north, on the contrary, which pus
sesses a large mercantile navy and vast com-
mercial relations, is in favour of free trade, and
has constituted free trade associations at Hamburgh,
Frankfort, and Berlin. It is this antagonism which
led to the constitution of the Steuerverein, or cus-
toms association, between Oldenburg and Hanover,
in opposition to the Prussian Zollvercin, and which
has always prevented the accession of the mad-
time states to the customs' union constituted
under the presidency of Pria?,ia. The last propo-
sitions submitted to the conferences a: Cassel by the
Prussian Minister of Commerce, which 'tended to I
cause:the niverein to adopt the prohibitive system,
as a satisfaction to the southern states, menaced
by the existence of the Zollverein, have made the
members of the Steuerverein still more hostile; and
they, by the instigation of the Hanoverian Govern-
ment,, have resolved to send delegates to Hanover,
charged to come to an understanding on the means of
protecting the interests of the north of Germany, by
acting in concert in the conferences of Dresden.
The delegates of Hanover, Bremen, and Oldenburg
have already met, and those of Hamburgh, Lubeck,
and the two Mecklenburgs are expected to join them."

AN ACCOUNT OF OPERATIONS / FOR
CATARACT ON BEARS.
BY WRITS COOPER, F.R.C.S.
Having received several communicatious on the
subject of certain operations recently performed by me
at the Zoological Gardens, Regent's-park, the par-
ticulars may perhaps be acceptable, •ae these are,
believe, the first known operations fur cataract on the
larger carnivore.
The objections which have hitherto prevented this
operation being performed on animals are, the pre-
sence of a powerful retractor muscle, which with-
draws the eye with great force into the orbit, and the
supposed necessity for artificial optical assistance after
the cataracts have disappeared. The powerful action
of the muscles of the lids was not to be overlooked;
and, as regards the beasts of prey, their formidable
means of resistance constituted another objection to
any attempt for their relief.
The discovery of chloroform obviated many of there
difficulties, as by its use the eye is completely at the
command of the operator. The .necessity for subse-
anent artificial assistance has been overrated. With-
out entering into the question of the reproduction of
the lens, which the experiments of M. Leroy d'Etiolles
have shown to take place in the 'rabbit, cat, and dog,
and may therefore occur in other manamalia, though
not in mar, there are strong grounds for supposing
that the sight of animals operated on for cataract when
• young, may he very materially recovered. The
powers of nature in restoring vision under such cir-
cumstances are familiar to those who have paid at-
tention to epthahnic surgery, and numerous lustances
are recorded where, by depriving the eye of glasses,
and cornirAling it as it were to accommodate itself to
its altered condition, very useful sight has been re-
stored even in old persons. The earlier in life the
operetioh, the more perfect' the recovery of the sight.
If [his be the case in main whe;ee restorative powers
are far leas active than those of the lower animals,
sve may ruisonzbly suppose that the latter will not
fall short of him in the amount' of benefit received,
and as the sight required by animals when domesti- •
cated, or in confinement at teal-, is less than that
needed by man, T am of opinion, that if the cataract
be retnoyA in young ariiinals, they will recover use-
ful vision besides ltising a considerable blemish.
The Grizzly Bears of the Rocky Mountains are
the largest, most powerful, . and most -ferocious
of the bear tribe, and without the aid of chloro-
form it 'would be utterly impossible to perform
any delicate operation upon them.-- As, however,
two of the three fine young grizzly bears recently
added to the -menagerie 'of the Zorological Society
were blied, arid their value thereby greatly diminished,
Mr. Mitchell, Seccetary to the Society, proposed to
me to make -an effort to-restore them to sight. Dr.
Snow heYing kindly undertaken the application of the
chloroform, the first operation was performed on the.
sth of last November.
The patient having been Separated from the other
bears, a strong leathern collar and chain was buckled
round his neck, and the chain being fastened round
one of the front bare of the cage, two strong men
proceeded to pull him to it as a bullock is hauled to
the slaughtering ring. The bear was the size of a
young donkey, and his resistance was quite remark-
able; for full ten minutes he set their efforts at
defiance, and ultimately it was only by the
united strength of four men that he was
placed in a position favourable for the applica-
tion of the chloroform. Dr. Snow endeavoured to
held a sponge to his nose, but it was only by fair.y
tying it to sus muzzle that the object was attained.
The dropping of the paws, with the cessation of his
markt? and struggles, told that he was insensible;
and, the sponge being removed, he was laid with his
head on a plank outside the clan. A solution of atro-
pine had been platied in the eyes on the previous
evekking,C4eand the pupils were found fully dilated.
a,ea-Arttea‘ea, s mene used was a strong straight
t 44 .ee le.', The extraordinary toughness and
ea( 'the- cornea rendered the insertion
"e'-e'te-106.:14tt eMi . • "thl, • and the lens . was singularly
"
• •rtion to the eye. This rendered
4-4Ntse '
e e' .of that body by no -means; easy, and
.4 ••• ee • a minute. The morning was dark,
• t -
h•ciatile.trof the deep brown iris nut. distinctly

... 1

... 3

---
The following proposition has: just been presented
by 18 representatives of the Assembly :
" The importation of foreign wheat to be converted
into flour for exportation, according to the law of sth
Joly, 1836, cannot be granted so long as wheat is under
204 per hectolitire in all the regulating markets. All
ordourances, decrees, and authorisation contrary to the
present proposition are abrogated."

GERMAN Y.
The following is the decree of the King of Prussia
for reducing the army :
" As the reasons which called forth my command for
making the whole army mobile, on the 6th of Novem-
ber, have been removed by the conclusion of an under-
standing with the Imperial Government of Austria, I
hereby direct the Ministry to suspend the measures now
in progress for placing the corps of the army on a war
footing and gradually to effect a reduction of the num-
ber of the' troops to their former strength.
" FREDERIC WILLIAM
" MANTEL:TEEL.
" VON DER HEYDT.
"VON BABE 61:10NS.
" VON tiTtCKELAUSEN.

" Potsdam, Dec. to, 1850."
The Deutsche -.Reform has an extensive report of
a Cabinet Council which was held at Vienna on
the sth instant. In this Council Prince Schwarzen-
berg gave a detailed account of the result of his
mission to Olmutz, and an animated discussion en-
sued on the subject of the German question. The
greatest interest was manifested Orl the topic of the
re-organization of the Confederation, and the mem-
bers of the Cabinet were as much divided on
this subject ad the Princes of the Imperial
'louse, who are' wont to exercise great influence
on the decisions of the Cabinet. At length the
Council agreed that a reorganization of the old Diet,
if any, must be undertaken in a liberal spirit. The
Archduke Lewis, who has hitherto been a strenuous
supporter of Conservative measures, protested on this
occasion that nothing would so much tend to establish
the Diet on a respectable and influential footing as
a thorough liberal reform, with the consent of all
German Powers. The Archduke protested that
this new time had its claims and its rights; that he
had hen an advocate of absolute authority, because
he had reason to I-dieve such authority seasonable and
necessary, hut that at present he must vote for a strict
a lherence to constitutional principles, since these prin-
ciples were protected by public opinion, which ranked
first among the elements of political lire. The Em-
peror ex pr,.-6,2d hit concurrence with the views of his
uncle, and it was decided that at the commencement
of the Conferences Austria ~would submit a propose:
tending to a liberal reform or the old Diet.