The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-30 00:00:00

THE LATE SIR- F.
Many ieports are in circulation relative to the imme-
diate cause of Sir Francis Burdett's death. We have
instituted-several inquiries upon the subject, and the
folloWing facts- may be relied upon :—lt his been said
in many influential quarters,. and by individuals of un-
doubted veracity, who were about the person of Sir
Francis, that the Hon. Baronet Was a victim to what is
termed the hydropathic system of treatment. We know
for a fact, that on the Bth of October, 1843, Sirs F..
Burdett placed himself under the professional care of an
hydropathist who has an establishment in the neighbour-
hood of London. lie was confidently assured that if. he
adopted the "Water cure" he Would have no return of
the gout, and, in fact; that all tendency to the disease
would be removed. Sir Francis; accordingly, subjected
himself to. the. treatment.. Contrary, however, to the
predictions of his medical "adviser, early in December
following he had a return of his old enemy. At.this
period- Lady Burdett became seriously ill, and Sir
Francis was.compelled to leave the hydropathic estab-
lishment. lie, however,fregnentry visited the institution,
and continued to . use the cold water remedies, both
at the establishment and at his own house. Lady Bur-
dett .(who, although strongly recommended, was not
permitted to adopt the hydropathic mode of Cure) died
oescirrhns of the stomach. She was attended by Dr.
.Fereaisson and Sir B. Brodie. Sir Francis (ko great
was his faith in the plan he was pursuing) persisted al-
most to the very last in maintaining that had Lady Bur-
dett submitted to the cold water treatment her life would
have. been prolonged. On the very day upon which
Lady Burdett was to have been buried Sir FranCis.was
seized with an attack of hmmorthage from the lungs. Up
to the Saturday previously to Sir Francis's death the
hydropathist %l as in attendance, br.t at that time Miss
Burdett Coutts peremptorily refused.. to allow any more
hydropathic experiments to be tried upon her father
without the full concurrence of his physician. Shortly
subsequent to this a physician in the .metropolis, who had
frequently been in attendance upon Sir Francis, re-
ceived a communication from-Miss Burdett toutts, in
which she s!,id, that she had no' hesitation in asserting
that the cold water treatment haddestr-yed one of the
noblest constitutions ever given to man; that it had re-
duced Sir F. Burdett to a state. of great debility, from
which it was impossible for him to recover. She also
expressed her determination to. resist the further use of
such quackeries, unless sanctioned by the medical gen-
temen who had been consulted. The proximate cause
of Sir F. Burdett's death is said to have been an affec-
tion of the lungs, and subsequently of the brain, arising,
as it is stated, from a translation of the gout from the
extremities to the al.ove-named vital organs. For this
attack he was attended by Dr. Farr. Sir F.-Burdett was
quite delirious for at least 24 hours preceding his dis-
, solution, and recognised no person near his death-bed.
It has been said that so wedded was Sir Francis t i the
unfortunate cold water Delusion, that he was in the habit
of riding out on horseback enveloped in wet towels. He
thought highly of- hydropathy, but he had extended the
same confidence previously to St. John Lorg's mode of
treatment, as well as to hornceopathy. The death of
Lady Burdett no doubt affected Sir Francis mach. In
allusion to her demise, he was heard to say a short
period before his fatal illness supervened, that he did not
wish for death, as he had yet much to do. Owing to
the sudden nature of Sir F. Burdett's attack, Lady
Burdett's funeral was suspended. The husband and wife
are now both to be interred on the same day.—Times.

MILDNESS OF THE SEASON.—If any proof was want-
ing besides bright sunny days and starry nights of the
mildness of the season, the appearance of spring vegeta-
tou would add its testimony. On Sunday last, several
full blown violets and cowslips were plucked in an orchard
at Galphoy, near Ripon. Not a very usual occurrence is
the month of January.—York Courant.
ISLINGTON LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY.—
The annual meeting of the proprietors was held in the theatre-
of the institution on Thursday last, Charles Woodward, Esq.,
F.R.S., in the chair. The annual report announced, as is-
mg years, an increase of members and attractions ; 630 rens-
b-rs were enrolled on its books at Christmas, and the library
now contains 5,600 volumes. •
ROTTING MATCH AGAINST TIME ON BLACK..

- - -
HEATH.--On Friday a match was run between the fifth mile
stone, opposite the Green Man Hotel, Blackheath, to the
seventh mile stone, at the foot of Shooter's-hill. The distance
to be run was twenty miles within two hours, by a pony in har-
ness, drawing an ordinary gig. The pony was 13 hands high.
belonging to Mr. Bedwell, a sporting gentleman at Camber-
well. The match was for 20/. A numerous party assembled
at the starting place shortly before three o'clock, and the preli-
minaries having been arranged, the signal for starting was
given at five minutes after three; the pony being driven by
Mr. Creasy, coach proprietor, of Peckham, who handled the
ribbons with great dexterity. The ground was rather heavy,
but the first four miles was performed in 21 minutes. At the
eighth mile the pony appeared somewhat distressed, and took
about a minute longer to do the distance, and continued, with
_ .

little variation as to speed, and improved in.dondition to the
last, leaving 29 minutes to do the last four miles, which waste-
compliihed in 244 minutes, winning by four minutes and a half,
without the pony being in the least distressed. Betting was
even from the commencement of the match until the last four
miles, when the pony became the favourite at 5 to 2.
FIRE AT BERMONDSEY.—On Friday night, shortly
before ten, a fire broke nut in the private dwelling-house in
the occupancy of Mr. William Cooke, situate. at No. 17, I'ro-
spect-place, Bermondsey. The flames, when first perceived,
had obtained a strong hold of the first fl9or back, and groat
fears were entertained for the safety of the entire building.
An immediate alarm was spread, and information of the out..
break was dispatched to the various brigade and parish engine
stations. In a very short space of time several engines reached
the spot. Ihe inmates and strangers having exerted them-
selves in the interim, they happily prevented the fire spreading.
The damage done, although confined to one apartment, is
somewhat considerable. The origin of the fire could not be
ascertained. Fortunately Mr. Cooke was insured in the Sun
Fire-office. •

SINGULAR CASE.—On Friday an inquest was held
before Mr. Wakley. on the body of lir. Swiney, of whose mode
of living some curious particulars were recently published.
Harriet Halliday, housekeeper to the deceased, said he bad been
ill for some months precious to his death. Be had for some
time past entertained a great disgust of food. Mr. Knaggs, a
surgeon, on seeio* him, told him to try to eat something, and
recommended him to take a little wine and . water,
but he refused to dO to. Witness never knew bins
to make any attempt upon his life. There was tie
foundation for the report which had appeared in the
paer"stating that the deceased had starved himself
voluntarily.- He used to endeavour to swallow food, but
was unable to do so. Mr. Knaggs stated that deceased bad
on one occa-ion • sent to witness for some hydrocyanic acid.
Witness sent him two drops diluted with water. Deceased took
it in order to-stop a retching to which he was subject. The
acid would have that effect. Deceased wanted five drops, but
witness would not give it. Erasures Wilson, a lecturer on ana-
tomy in Middlesex Hospital, had mieee a postmortem examina-
tion of the body, the heart of which was in a state of inflamma-
tion, and was so diseased that scarcely a vi stige of its muscular
structure remained:' The appearance presented by the heart
would fully account for death. Indeed, it eras matter of much
surprise to .him that the deceased had lived an hour in such a
state. The jury returned a verdict of " Natural Death, pro-
duced by dropsy and inflammation of the heart."
kARIIIQUARE IN PERTHSHIRE.—The following is
a more detailed account of the earthquake briefly noticed in
our last :—At Comrie, on the 14th inst., at half-past twelve at
noor., a smart shock of perpendicular earthquake was 'kb.
At five mintres past one a second shock occurred, ebie.b.
although rather less, continued longer. There were three
slight sounds heard preceding the first-mentioned shock,- two
betwixt the shocks and one about a quarter of an hour after the
last, and two during the following night. The weather during
the preceding seek was variable—frost, snow, and rain al•
ternately prevailing. The day on which the shocks occurred
was calm and frosty, with sunshine. The sky at the time
had a whitish hue. About half an hour after the se.
cowl shock a thin stratum of clouds was formed,
which vanished about three .o'clock. At the time of the
shocks the smoke from chimneys did not wend, but
spread along the ground. The momentum of the shocks was
nothing to the momentum of the great shocks of 1839 and
1841. Still, they were severer than any shock since that
time. The accompanylng sound was very loud on the present
occasion. The second shock resembled very much the motion
and the noise that is produced in a house when a heavy gig
passes swiftly along a new metalled read, only the motion and
the sound of the earthquake does not last so long. Monday
and Tuesday the shocks were fresh. At Aberfridy on The
same day (the 14th inst.), two very smart shocks of earth-
quake were distinctly felt, as well as in the neighbourhood;
the first between 1 and 2 o'clock p.m., and the nexi.abont
half-past 2 o'clock p. m. The noise produced resembled the
hollow sound of a.heavy cart isge ; both shocks lasted several
moments.--Edinburgh Witness.
MR. DAVID BARCLAY, M.P.—lt is understood in
Sunderland that David Barclay, Esq., M.P. for that borough,
has expressed his intention of voting in the craning session of
Parliament for a total repeal of the present corn-laws. Mr.
Barclay, though always favourable to a fixed duty in preference
to the sliding scale, has not hitherto been in favour of a total
abolition. The accession to the ranks of the repeaters of the
corn ditty, of a gentleman of Mr. Barclay's experience, caution,
and commercial standing, is of considerable importance, and
would indicate that a °binge of sentiment on the question is
making considerable progress among humane, independent, and
enlightened men of ail parties. Mr. Barclay Is a member of
the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, labs
politics a moderate Whig, and in mercantile engagements is a
member of the eminent firm of Barclay, Brothers, and Co..
Went India merchants.—Neweastie Advertiser.
RUSSIAN BARBARlTY.—Everything was after the
Russian order. What influence the Russians have ex-
ercised, especially here, under their General Kisselef,
was not lost out of the memory of my former' journey.
They had then a sweeping method of going to work with.
the rude Wallachians and Gipsies, and could soon settler
accounts with them. Twice every week were always
ten or twelve Gipsies or Wallachians, useless or criminal
fellows, conducted to a public square, from the prison or
house of correction ; here they were stripped naked to the
middle. Some one was there standing ready, who took
the poor prisoners on his back, and held his hands fast
over his shoulders, while another seized the feet; a third

carried the weapons, an armful of great sticks a.
thick as one's thumb ; the fourth stood waiting and ready
to strike. A Russian drummer gave the signal on his
drum, whtn a hundredstrokes werecountcd on the naked
body of the culprit, whiCh cau;ed him to utter the most
horrible outcries. A second signal was given by the
drummer, and a second hundred was told out to the un-

happy wietch. In this manner he received from three to
four hundred strokes on the back. After this execu-
tion, the poor prisoner presented a dreadful spectacle.
The flesh hung in rags from his back, and you saw lit-
tle but the naked hopes. They had then spirits dashed
Over them, at which they shrieked again horribly with
the agony. Finally they a ere conducted to the stilt.
pits, where they were compelled to hard labour frc,m
tour to six year. But the majority of them sank under
it,—rarely did any one return.— Wirnderings of a Joure
neymon 7'ailor.
-- SINGULAR ACCIDENT.-011 Tuesday morning lasi
a youth in the employ of Mr. Hitchcock, of the North Mills.
in this town, was exercising a valuable horse belonging to that
gentleman, and on his return home, when near to fin card
bridge, the animal became restive, so that the rider lost al
command over him, and the result was. the how sprang o'er
the parapet of. the bridge, to the depth of about 12 feet, an 4
aligh.ed with his hind legs on the edge of the towing-path,
arid then fell into the canal. The youth was thrown with con.
siderable violence from his seat into the water, and, we are
happy tostaie, that he escaped with a few sly ht bruises. Frocm,
the,positiori in which tbo horse fell the poor animal brobe bite
t,„,i, in ivies places, -and upon his be;ng
um extricated frouk
-7w
water bo died immediately.--Leientar ;Q!: • • -