The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-14 00:00:00

BAD BREAD.

At a meeting of the members of the Deiron and
Cornwall Natural History Society, held at their
rooms, at the Union Baths, on Monday, Dr. Tripe
read an important paper on "Ropy Bread," in the
course of which he stated that the state of bread
termed " ropy" was generally admitted to depend on the
presence of fungi. After promising to write a paper
on the subject, he had made numerous inquiries of se-
veral parties practically interested in the question,
but he regretted to say he had found a total ignorance
both as to its origin, its true nature, and the best re-
medy. As to the remedy, it was true that experience
had taught bakers that washing, both with lime-wash
and plain water, would frequently answer ; but, in spite
of these remedies, it frequently continued for weeks,
and that to their great loss, and not unfrequently
ruin. Recent writers on the subject agreed in
attributing the ropy state of bread to the presence of
fungi. And they all accounted for the presence of
fungi on the ground of the quality of the flour, but
he (Dr. Tripe) thought it might originate from three
causes—that of atmosphere, from yeast, which he
thought the main cause, and from the flour. With
respect to yeast, he said it appeared, from a micros-
copic examination of a mass of yeast, that it consists
of minute disconnected vesicles, that appear to con-
stitute one of the simplest forms of vegetation.
These, like seeds, may remain for any length of time
in an inactive condition without losing their vitality ;
but when placed in a fluid in which any kind of
sugary matter is contained, they commence vege-
tating actively, provided the temperature be suffi-
ciently high, and they assist in producing that change
in the composition of the fluid which is known
under the name of fermentation. Having referred
to several opinions on fermentation, _the Learned
Gentleman went on to say, that if a small portion
of the fermenting fluid be examined at intervals
with a powerful microscope, it is observed that
each of the little vesicles at first contained in it puts
forth one or more prolongations, which in time be-
come new vesicles like their parents. These organs
perform the same office, so that in a few hours the
single vesicles have developed themselves into rows
of five or six. This is not the only way, however,
in which they multiply, for sometimes the vesicles
burst, and emit a number of minute granules,
which are the germs of new plants, and which
soon develope themselves into additional cells. By
the time that five or six vesicles are formed in each
group, the fermentation is sufficiently far advanced
for the puposes to which it is to be applied; and
measures are then taken to check it, by which the
vegetation of the yeast plant is checked. If they
could suppose any circumstance to arise by which the
vegetation of the yeast was not suspended, or after
it was checked and the yeast amalgamated with
the flour, for the vegetation again to be active,
they would have a sufficient cause for the
origin of the fungi in bread. The progress of
the disease, as it may be called, in bakehouses from
one lot of bread to another were elaborately gone
into and pointed out, and instances cited in which its
ravages had prevailed to the extent of even ruining
the bakers. As a remedy, he suggested ventilation,
fumigation with chlorine, and the application of cold
instead of hot washing. At the conclusion of the
reading of the paper the subject was discussed with
considerable ingenuity by the President, Messrs.
Markes, Bartlett, Boswarva, Oxland, Harper, Captain
M'Adam, and Dr. Tripe, and a Committee was ap-
pointed to inquire and report upon the subject.—
Plymouth Times.

THE ROYAL STAGHOUNDS.—MONDAY AND WED-
NESDAY'S Ruxs.—An untried hind was turned out on
Monday, at the Stag and Hounds, Binfield. The field
was small, not more than between forty and fifty being
present. The hind went away in beautiful style to the
Shoulder of Mutton, on Bracknall-common, and thence
to the Warren-house, leaving it to the left, whence it
doubled to the left for Oakingham Church, leaving it to
the right, and thence crossing the turnpike road for
Mr. Barrett's, and away for the plantations, doubling
to the left in the direction of Hanican's-lodge. It
then made for the village of Finchampstead, on to Long-
water-brook (which separates Hants and Berks), where it
was taken, after a run, at a tremendous pace throughout,
of an hour and a quarter. About twenty were up at
the finish. The meet yesterday, in the midst of a drench-
ingrain, which continued to descend in torrents through-
out the run, took place at Mr. Mill's, at Hillingdon, near
Uxbridge. Between 40 and 50 determined sportsmen
were present. It was intended to have hunted the cele-
brated Hampton deer, but the state of the weather not
being such as to render a lengthened run politic or con-
venient, an untried hind was selected instead for the
the day's sport. The hind, upon being uncarted at the
back of Mr. Mills's, made across the grounds on Long-
lane, and then away for Ickenham-marsh (a great por-
tion of which was flooded by the late heavy rains), by
the White Bear to Ruslip, and then into Ruislip woods,
where it was taken. The run up the woods (where the
hind remained for nearly an hour and a half) occupied
about 30 minutes. The meet to-morrow will take place
at Littleton, near Staines.
UNCERTAINTY AS TO SUICIDE BY POISON.—An
inquest ws held, late on Tuesday evening, before Mr.
Joseph Payne, on the body of Mr. L. D. Nind. Mr.
Mason, surgeon, said he was called in on Sunday night
to attend to the deceased, but found him quite dead.
Upon entering the house there was a strong odour of
bitter almonds, which increased as he entered the de-
ceased's bedroom. Froth was also issuing from his
mouth, from which circumstances he conjectured death
had been caused by taking prussic acid. Had since
made a post mortem examination of the body, assisted by
Dr. Houck, at St. Thomas's Hospital. Upon analysing
the contents of the stomach, a quantity of undigested
bitter almonds was found. One-twentieth part of the
contents was then subjected to further test, the result of
which was the extraction of a quantity of prussic acid,
which he produced in a phial. The quantity found was
sufficient to cause death. He could not undertake to say
,whether the prusasic acid was taken in a liquid state, or
whether produced by the quantity of bitter almonds
eaten by the deceased. There was a case on record in
which a person swallowed prussic acid, and then ate a
quantity of almonds to lull suspicion of his having com-
mitted suicide. Analysing the remainder of the contents
of the stomach might perhaps prove whether the quan •
tity of almonds in the stomach would produce so much
acid. The coroner having remarked upon the myste-
rious nature of the case, the inquiry was adjourned, in
the hope of obtaining further evidence, and for the
examination of the remainder of the stomach.
THE LATE MAJOR-GENERAL SIR LEONARD GREEN-
WELL, K.C.B. and K.C.H.—The deceased General, who
was third son of the late Mr. Joshua Greenwell, of
Kebblesworth, was born in 1781, and entered the 41st
Regiment an Ensign, in August, 1801. He accompanied
the expedition to South America, and was present at the
attack on Buenos Ayres, where he was severely
wounded. In August, 1808, he proceeded with his regi-
ment to Portugal, and served with the highest distinc-
tion throughout the Peninsular war, except on two occa •
aims when he was absent solely in consequence of the
wounds he had received in the field. He was present at
the battle of Fuentes d'Onor, and at the storm and cap.
ture of Badajos. At Salamanca he was distinguished
for his bravery, also at Orthes, when in command of the
light troops of the 3d division under Sir Thomas Picton.
He was severely wounded in one leg in that sanguinary
engagement. Sir Leonard had been shot through the
neck, the body, and both arms, as well as in the leg, at
Orthes above alluded to. He was nominated a Knight
Commander of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order in
1832, and 1838 was created a Knight Commander of the
Military Order of the Bath. For his services in Spain
he received the distinction of a medal and two clasps.
His commission was dated as follows :—Ensign, 7th of
August, 1801 ; Lieutenant, 10th of September, 1802 ;
Captain, 31st of July, 1804 ; Major, 25th of October,
1810 ; Lieutenant-Colonel, 17th of August, 1812 ;
Colonel, 27th of May, 1826 ; Major-General, 10th of
January, 1837.
FRIGHTFUL CAB ACCIDENT AND NARROW Es CAPE.—
Yesterday a horse which was attached to the cab 1,471
whilst proceeding down Fleet-street, suddenly took
fright, and proceeded at a railroad pace until he arrived
at the avenue leading to St. Brides Church, when the
cab came in violent collision with the lamp-post, and was
instantly upset, together with the horse. The cabman
was hurled several yards from his seat into the road, and
the horse commenced plunging and kicking in a fright-
ful manner. Police-constable Ratcliffe, 332, and Grove,
381, now came up, and whilst Grove seized the head of
the horse, Ratcliffe directed his attention to the internal
part of the cab, and on the door thereof being opened up
popped the head of a gentleman, who had partially re-
covered from the slight shock he had sustained. Having
been assisted out of the cab, the gentleman immediately
proceeded to the aid of the cabman, who, on being con-
veyed to the shop of Mr. Hutchinson, susgeon, 92, Far-
ringdon-street, it was discovered had sustained a frac-
ture of the hip joint, a dislocation of the right shoulder,
and was much cut and bruised about the head and face.
Mr. Hutchinson directed his immediate removal to St.
Bartholomew's Hospital. The gentleman gave his name
and address, " Mr. Sewell, Newport, Isle of Wight."
RAILWAYS IN Puussa..—The following return
shows the progress of the Rhenish Railway :

Passengers. Goods,

Receipts,

quintals. dollars.
In August 1844
In August 1843

Difference in favour of 1844... 11,962 210,789 24,708
The first eight months of 1844 248, 0 3 9 1,829,142 347,065
.

Difference in favour of 1844... 64,145 1,240,513 153,217
Independently of the main trunk line from Pesth to the
frontier of Austria and to Debreczin, there will be also
constructed branches to Comorn, Arad, Groswardein,
and Kacomaz. The works from Pesth to the Austrian
frontier are to be undertaken simultaneously with those
to Debreczin.—Railway Chronicle.
DANGEROUS CONDITION OF SEWERS UNDER RE-
PAIR.—At an inquest held last night on the body of the
driver of a waggon, who had died in consequence of
his having fallen under the wheels of his vehicle
while endeavouring to extricate it from a sewer
(opened for repair) into which it had fallen, the jury
said, they considered that the streets were fre-
quently left in a very
.dangerous, disgraceful, and unfit
state when under repair, and they consideredatthatthdortoe
was, not only blame, but very great blame, tao he
the Paving Committee ; and that it was the business of
the Commissioners of Sewers, in repairing the streets, to
afford protection. to the public, and not to endanger the
lives of person the >t4 pr they frequently did. Some
of the streets iu the metropolis (they added) were in a
. .

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 11.—The Rtyal steam-yacht
Victoria and Albert, Captain Lord A. Fitze]arence, has
been taken into dock fur further alterations. All her
magnificent furniture has been landed, and her Senior
Lieutenant, Tringham, is promoted to be Commander,
and succeeded by Lieut. Robson, who will have charge
of the brig Nautilus, 10, fitting for Channel ervice.
The Eagle, 50, at Chatham, is commissioned by Capt.
G. B. Martin ; and the Vindictive, 50, at this port, has
been masted, &c., preparatory to hoisting tha pendant.
The Endymion, 44, at Plymouth, is also getting ready
fur active service.

The steamer Volcano has been paid if here and re-
commissioned by her former Commander, Lieut. Miller.
She is entering men very fast, and as slon as ready is to
proceed to the Mediterranean station, to join Sir Edward
Owen's squadron.
The razte frigate Amazon, 26, at Sheerness, with the
first-class steamer Vulture, is expected to be commis-
sioned in a few days, and both will carry heavy metal.
The transport Princess Royal, Lieut. Harris, agent,
recently returned from Rio Janeiro and Coat of Africa,
is again ordered for service, to convey to Jamaica de-
tachments of the 23d and 71st Regiments, frum the Isle
of Wight.
The troop frigate Apollo, 42, Commander Maclean,
sailed from Cork on the 3d instant, with the Royal
Artillery, for service at Gibraltar, Malta, and the lonian
Islands.

The schooner Fair Rosamond, Lieut. Bulman, recently
arrived from Halifax, is paid off in this harbour, and is
to be forthwith surveyed, it is reported to proceed to the
Coast of Africa.

The Cornwallis, 72, Captain Richard, having struck
the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, G. 0.11., is
gone to Plymouth, there to be dismantled and paid oft
The Fox, 42, Captain Sir Henry Blackwood, Bart., had
not arrived at the Cape of Good Hope at the departure
of the Cornwallis, 31st August, though she was daily
looked for, on her way to the East Indies, to relieve the
Cambrian, 36.

The Resistance, 42, troop-ship, Commander Patey, still
remains in Plymouth Sound, awaiting orders.
The Eurydice, 26, Captain Elliot (projected by Rear-
Admiral Elliot), was, according to a letter of the 26th
October, at Halifax, crew all well, and under refit to pro-
ceed to Barbadoes. The sailing and other qualities of
the ship are spoken of very highly, as also her efficient
condition.

The Hornet brigantine, Lieut. Seaver, may be ex-
pected to arrive from the West Indies about the 20th
instant, and will go to Chatham to be paid oft:
The Larne, 20, Commander Brisbane, and Hyacinth,
18, Commander Scott, are ordered to be detached from
the African squadron, and to join that in the West Indies.
The Iris, 26, Captain Mundy, arrived at Hong-Kong
from England, via Brazil and Cape of Good Hope, on
the 26th of July last, from Singapore.
At Spithead—No vessel of war.
In Harbour—Excellent flag-ship, Victory, Nautilus,
Echo, Comet, Dwarf, Volcano, Fearless, and Victoria
and Albert steamers.—Brighton Gazette.

STEAM BOILER EXPLOSIONS.
It is highly creditable to our London engineers that
few material accidents have happened to the steam
boilers and machinery on the Thames, since the intro-
duction of steam navigation ; and with the exception of
the loss of life on hoard the Hull steam-ship Victoria,
about five years ago, the bursting of-a defective boiler on
board the Archimedes, fitted up with Smith's screw pro-
peller, but which had no relation to that admirable in-
vention, and the recent deplorable calamity on board the
Gypsy Queen, at Blackwall, there have been no other
occurrences on board steamers calling for particular re-
mark. Indeed, the safety of marine engine boilers manu-
factured in London is proverbial, which is to be attributed
to the great care taken in their construction, and the low
pressure at which they are worked, combined with the
greatest strength. In the case of the Victoria there
were two explosions. The first occurred at Erith, while
the vessel was making a pleasure excursion down the
river with the shareholders and their friends on board,
and five men were killed in the engine-room. The acci-
dent was attributable to the neglect of the engineers
in not keeping a proper supply of water in
the boiler ; but Mr. John Penn, the eminent
engineer, of Greenwich, who was examined on the
inquest, gave his opinion that the water spaces were ton
small, and that a similar accident must inevitably occur
if the same boilers were again used. Well would it have
been if Mr. Penn's warning had been regarded, but un
fortunately it was not heeded, and on the very next
voyage from Hull, on the arrival of the vessel off Shad-
well, another of her boilers collapsed, and nine men were
scalded to death. The second jury returned a verdict of
accidental death, with a deodand of 1,500 tr on the boilers
and machinery. The ill-fated ship was taken off the
station, and the boilers were not used again. They
were made at Hull, from designs by Mr. Napier, a Scotch
engineer (not of Glasgow). The boiler which exploded
on board the Archimedes was a very defective one, made
by a person in Blackfriars, who had never manufactured
a marine boiler before. Mr. Baker, the coroner who
presided at the inquest held in Shadwell on the bodies of
the nine men killed by the second accident on board the
Victoria, summoned before the jury Mr. Penn, Mr. Sea-
ward, Mr. Maudslay, Mr. Field, his partner, and other
eminent engineers, besides various scientific men, and it
is to be hoped the same course will be adopted on the in-
quest to be holden on the body of the men who perished
by the explosion in the engine-room of the Gypsy Queen;
for the public and the relatives of the deceased parties
will not be satisfied without a full investigation, and a
careful and scientific examination of the boilers and
machinery, and the amount of pressure the former were
able to sustain with safety.

CIVIL and RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—On reading the proceedings lately relative to
Mr. Salomons, I could not but observe how much less
the English people understand religious liberty than
those of other countries ; as a proof of it, I will give you
an extract from a work by the late Charles Butler, Esq.,
in a conversation which the Emperor held at Elba with
a friend of his. Your insertion of it in your valuable
paper will greatly oblige,