The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-18 00:00:00

EVEN IN G, NOVEMBER 18, 1850.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, Nov. 16.
The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
walked this morning in the Slopes.
The Royal Family tock walking and pony exercise
in the Slopes and Windsor Park.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert went to London
this morning, attended by Lieut.-Colonel Hon. C. B.
Phipps, Colonel Hon. *Charles Grey, and Lieut.-
Colonel Hon. A. Gordon.

His Ro3 al Highness and suite travelled by a spe-
cial train on the South-Western Railway, and re-
turned to Windsor Castle about two o'clock.
The Earl and Countess of Granville arrived at the
Castle to-day on a visit to the Queen and the Prince.

The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
drove iu a pony phaeton in Windsor Park this after-
noon, his Royal Highness driving. Colonel Buckley
and Lieut.-Colonel Hon. A. Gordon attended on
horseback.

The Royal dinner circle at the Castle this evening
included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,
the Earl and Countess Granville, the Lady in Wait-
ing on the Duchess of Kent, Baroness de Speth,
and Colonel Bouverie (Royal Horse Guards).
SUNDAY, Nov. 17.
The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
walked this morning in the Slopes.
The Royal Family took their accustomed airings.
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Al-
bert, her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, the
ladies and gentlemen of the Court, and the domestic
household, attended Divine service this morning in
the private chapel. The Hon. and Rev. G. Wellesley
officiated. _ _

Her-
Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent also
attended the service.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert presided at the
Council for the management of the Duchy of Corn-
wall, at the Duchy-office, Somerset-house, on Satur-
day morning.
Mr. Macgregor had an interview with Earl Grey
oa Saturday, at the Colonial-office.
The Oxford University Commission met on Satur-
day, at the official residence of the First Lord of the
Treasury, in Downing-street. Present the Bishop of
Norwich, the Dean of Carlisle, the Master of Pem-
broke, the Rev. 11. G. Liddell, J. L. Dampier, Esq.,
the Rev. Professor Powell, the Rev. G. H. S. John-
son, and the Rev. A. P. Stanley (secretary).
Lord Ashley had an interview with Sir George
Grey on Saturday. Lieutenant-General Sir John
.Grey had an interview with the Right Hon. Baronet
on Friday, at the Home-office.
Dispatches for the Governors of the West India
Colonies were sent off on Friday evening from the
Colonial- office.
The Earl and Countess Grey had a dinner party
on Friday at their residence, on Carlton•terrace. The
company consisted of the Belgian Minister, the Mar-
quis of Lansdowne, the Earl of Carlisle, Viscount
and Viscountess Palmerston, Lady Elizs..beth Bul-
teel, Sir Charles Wood, Mr. Henry Greville, and Mr.
Harry Grey.
The Countess Grey afterwards received an even-
ing party. The company included the Sardinian
Minister, Lady Truro, Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo, Lady
Georgina Bathurst, Miss Ponsonby, Mr. F. Calvert,
Mr. Napier, Mr. Parker, Sir John M'Gregor, Miss
Hardy, Mr. and Miss Bultee), Count and Miss
Flahault, Sir George and Lady Grey, Mr. Pierre-
pont, Mr. Whitbread, Mr. and Mrs. Hawes, Mr.
Fox Maule, Lady F. and Mrs. Bentinck, Mr. Holmes,
Lady Ashley, Mr. Cowper, Lord Campbell and Miss
Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Osborne, Col. Rawlings, Mr.
Bathurst, Earl and Countess Granville, and Mr.
Montgomery.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
THE ASHDOWN PARK COURSING MEETING.

The Derby (18 Subs.), was won by Mr. Etwall's
Egypt; Mr. Morant's Merryman ran up.
The Oaks (14 Subs.) were divided by Mr. Lawrence's
Lucy Ashton and Mr. Bowles's Cashm(re.
The Cup was won by Mr. Etwall's EH); Mr. Law-
rence's Lallah Rookh ran up.

A NEW
REMEDY FOR SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS.

BY DOCTOR TURNBULL.
(From the Lancet and London Medical Gazette, Nov. 15.]
A few months ago, I observed that persons who are
short-sighted, when looking at objects at a distance,
partially close their eyelids, for the purpose of over-
coming the difficulty they find in discerning them.
This action is instinctive; it is a natural effort to adjust
the eye to an increased sphere of vision. It is well
known that short-sightedness depends not only on con-
vexity of the corned, but also on convexity of the lens;
and having no hope of being enabled to effect any
alteration in the structure of the lens, my attention was
directed to the iris, which I found to be, in such persons,
generally much dilated. It then occurred to me that
contraction of the iris has the effect of apparently
lengthening the convexity cf the cornea, which ap-
proaches a circumscribed plane, that permits the rays of
light to enter only in a straight line. The effect of this
is obvious. The length of vision hereby necessarily be-
comes increased, and distant objects are brought within
its range. It therefore struck m©, that if we could dis-
cover any substance which could be so applied as to con-
tract the iris, one cause of the defect of short-sightedness
would be remedied. The result, lam happy to say, has
.been most satisfactory. In the first instance, I applied
the extract of ginger, which was rubbed for five or ten
minutes over the whole forehead, with the view of acting
upon the breeches of the fifth pair cf nerves. After-
wards I substituted a concentrated tincture of ginger, of
the strength of cue part of ginger to two parts of spirit
of wine, decolorised by animal charcoal. The success of
this application was remarkable. In many cases it had
the effects of doubling the length of vision. In some
persons I found the iris was not much dilated, but very
torpid. In these cases I applied the concentrated tinc-
ture of pepper, made of the same strength, and in the
same manner, as the tincture of ginger. This I used
until I observed that the iris had obtained a greater
power of contraction and dilatation, after which I had
again recourse to the tincture of ginger.
This plan of treatment has been attended with the
most signal success, and persona who were extremely
short-sighted have very soon been enabled to lay per-
• manently aside their concave glasses. The best method
I may observe, of testing the improvement of the sight
during this treatment is not by taking a printed book,
and holding it near, and then at a greater distance from
the eves; this range of vision is much too limited. It is
better to fix the attention of the patient upon a distant
object, such as the brass key-hole cf a door, and by his
stepping some paces backwards, so as to place himself
at a greater distance from it, he will soon discover the
pragress lie is making.
So important a discovery as this will, I hope, be fairly
tested by the members of our profession, who may rely
on the success of the treatment I have recommended, if
it be only judiciously and carefully carried out. It is
possible that the advantage derived from the tincture, as
above described, may be ascribed to the alkaloid prin-
ciple of piperin which is held in solution in the tincture
of pepper.
Manchester-square, Nov. 9, 1850.

FRIGHTFUL RAILWAY COLLISION.—On Friday
night last, about six o'clock, a fearful collision took place
on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, near the Hudders-
field Junction, by which, although fortunately no lives have
been lost or much personal injury sustained, an immense
amount of damage has been done to the stock of the com-
pany, three engines being destroye.l and a train of carriages
knocked to pieces. As far as we could learn at a late hour
on Saturday night, the accident appears to have arisen as
follows :—An engine which had been undergoing repairs in
the engine shed on the main line, close to the junction, was
being driven en in orderto its being shunted on to the line
on which it was to be worked. In consequence of some sin-
gular mismanagement, it was brought into violent collision
with the passenger train from Bradford. The shock was so
violent as to smash completely the engine and tender, as well
as the engine belonging to the passenger train, bringing the
train itself to a dead stop. The passengers in alarm jumped out
of the carriages, but had hardly time to becomeconscious
of their fortunate escape when a goods train, we suppose from
Leeds, dashed into the standing train, doubling up all the
carriages in a moment and knocking them to shivers. The
scene that presented itself after this second catastrophe is
described as the most terrible that ever a railway accident
produced, the entire line being blocked up with a huge mass
of fragments of broken carriages and engines. It was re-
markable that none of the passengers were killed or injured
by the flying splinters. The line was completely choked up,
and men were immediately set to work to make a temporary
line of rails for the transit of the usual traffic. It will be
impossible in the meantime to estimate the extent of the
damage. An inquiry will be promptly instituted into the
circumstances connected with the catastrophe, Captain Laws
having repaired to the spot immediately on .receipt of the
telegraphic news of the accident.
LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.—CON-
TRACTS FOR CARRIAGES.—The contract for extra carriages
for the Exhibition of 1851 was let on Saturday. The
directors had before them tenders from seven of the most
respectable carriage-builders in the country, and they ac-
cepted that of Mr. Wright, of Salting, near Ringhorn,
which was 25 per cent. lower than the highest, and about 5
per cent. lower than the next lowest tender. The price
given for a carriage holding 40 persons is perhaps the lowest
ever before submitted to, and is understood to be 1541. per
carriage.
TRANSATLANTIC PACKET STATION.—A letter was
received on Wednesday from one of the Transatlantic Packet
Station Commissioners, au officer whose views were strongly
expressed on this subject in the report of the Irish Railway
Commissioners in 1833. In this letter he states that in de-
termining on the Irish port most suited to the purposes Of a
packet station, " the claim of Cork should certainly not be
omitted." The letter farther. stated that the commissioners
were at present engaged drawing up a series of queries for the
purpose of eliciting information, bat they did not purpose
making a tour or receiving oral testimony, as they did not
believe that the truth could be best determined by the
examination or cross-examination of local parties. The ar-
rival of this letter was the occasion of another meeting of the
joint committees of the Corporation, Harbour Commissioners,
and Committee of Merchants, at which the Mayor was re-
quested to write to Lord Hobart, the Secretary to the Com-
mission, for copies of the queries.- Cork Constitution.
Loss OF THE EMPEROR OF RUISIA'S STEAM.YACHT.
—The loss of the Emperor of Russia's steam-yacht Peterhoff
is confirmed. She ran on shore on .a fine moonlight night,
mistaking the south-west of the islandoMesel for the north-
east. Mr. Waterman, jun., who designett•thefacht, was on
board, and so, we believe, was' Sir Jo the con-
tractor and engineer. They were proCeNtg toltussia to de-
liver up the yacht to the Emperors Parade' have left Eng-
land to endeavour to recover the Machinery; These on
litiard, we believe, were in very little &titer, aid comfortably
enough got into the boat and lnlitlhd-. A: Russian naval
officer was in company. The,yaalt.'iala iplured.to nearly
threaeirthe of her Value.