The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-11 00:00:00

THE POTATO DISEASE.

The following letter on this subject, from the pen of
the celebrated Mr. Herapath, the analytical chemist of
Bristol, appears in the Bristol Mercury of Saturday :

"TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRISTOL MERCURY.

"Sir,—My attention has been given to the disease
which has shown itself so extensively amongst the grow-
ing potatoes. I find, in almost every instance, that the
epidermis of the stalk, below the surface of the ground,
is more or less in a state of decay, often dis-
integrated, and completely rotten ; the leaves and
branches accord with the state of that part of
the stalk below the ground. The tuber, be-
neath the outer skin, is first spotted brown (like a
bruised apple) ; these spots extend and penetrate
towards the centre, quite changing the nature of the
potatoe. Those near the surface are most injured ; in
some cases the lowest on the root are not at all affected.
while the upper ones are useless. I should therefore
expect that the longer the crop remains in the land, the
greater the injury will be. It seems, from the micro-
scopic appearances, that the starch escapes injury for a
long time after the skin and cellular parts are gone ; and
as the whole of the nutritive powers of the potatoe re-
side in the starch, I should recommend that wherever
the disease has shown itself to any extent, the crop
should be dug whether ripe or not, and the starch ex-
tracted by the following simple process :—After
washing the roots, let them be rasped fine and
thrown into a large tub or other vessel,
pour a considerable quantity of water, end
well agitate and rub the pulp with the hands ; all
the starch or fecula will, from its great weight, fall to
the bottom, while the skin and fibrous matter will be
carried away by the water; wash the starch with one or
two more waters, allowing it to fall after each washing;
spread it upon cloths in a warm room to dry—in this
way about 20 or 211bs. will be obtained from every
1001bs. of potatoes, and it contains as much nourish-
ment as the original roots; it will keep any length of
time, and might be used with flour to make bread, pies,
puddings, &c., as well as farinaceous spoon-meat.
" This is much better than throwing away the
, diseased roots, and will furnish food for tens of
thousands who might otherwise want

,‘ WILLIAM HER A
._...._ ~tiATH."

THE BITE OF AN ADD.lo..___On Tuesday morning,
between eleven and twelve o'clock, a serious accident occurred to
Mr. Henry Leeson. an *met, residing in Newland.street, Ken-
sington. It appears that be was sketching in a field, at the back
of Lord Hollmulle house, when an adder that lay concealed in the
grass bit him in the lower part of the leg. The young gentleman
was at first unconscious of having been bitten. ascribing it to the
accidental prick of a bramble. On arriving at home, however, the
limb began to swell alarmingly, causing acute pain. Medical as-
sistance was immediately procured, and the injured parts cauterised.
Mr. Leeson, though still suffering severely, is pronounced in a fair
way of recovery.
SERIOUS ACCIDENTS.—TIH6 lay a shocking awl-
dent occurred to a man named James O'Neal, aged 60 years, as
drayman, residing at No. 15, Noah's Ark-court, Park street,
Southwark. It appears that he was in the service of Messrs. Bar.
clay and Perkins, the brewers, of Bankside, and whilst walking
along the corn.lolt he missed his footing, and fell a great depth into
the stable, whereby he received a severe fracture of the skull and
various contusions about the body. He was removed to St.
Thomas's Hospital, where he now lies in a dangerens state About
the same time a man named Abraham Hicks, a bricklayer, wa
brought into Guy's Hospital from Sydenham. It appears
that he was at work on a scaffold erected in front of
some new houses near the Dartmouth Arms station of the
Croydon Railway, and by some means he missed his foothold and
fell with great violence to the ground on a quantity of timber. He
was lifted up in an insensible state, and placed on one of the rail-
way carriages, and conveyed with great care to the hospital, where
he was found to have sustained such serious injuries that his life is
in danger. A third accident occurred to an aged man named
William Williamson, of Great Tower-street, City. It seems that
he was walking up-stairs, and through some cause he fell from
the top to the bottom, by which he received a compound fracture
of the right thigh. He was removed to St. Thomas's Hospital
where he now remains in a deplorable condition. Three
other cases were taken into St. Thomas's Hospital
during the day, but their injuries were not so serious as those above.

THE LATE FATAL FIGHT AT CIL4RLTON.—Tues-
day Mr. J. Payne resumed and concluded an Inquiry in the board.
room of St. Thomas's Hospital, respecting the death of John Good-
hue, aged forty-five years, late head gardener to John Saunders,
Esq ,of Charlton. The following is a ►ummary of the evidence
adduced :—On the night of the 4th of June, Mr. Saunders gave a
grand entertainment to a select circle of his friends. The de-
ceased was standing in front of the mansion, giving directions to
the various coachmen. About half-past ten the carriage of Major
Cuppage arrived to take up the family. The deceased had an
altercation with the footman (William Green) respecting the car-
riage being driven across the lawn, which was contrary to the re-
gulations. Ultimately they began fighiing, and in the first round
the deceased was thrown heavily on the ground, and before he
could get up, Green kicked him in the groin. The deceased was
taken to the lodge, where he vomited blood, and the nest day was
removed to the above bosi,ital, where he died on Wednesday the
27th ult. The medical testimony fully proved that the deceased
had not died from violence, but from long-existing disease of the
liver and spleen. The Deputy-Coroner went through the whole
of the evidence. and remarked at great length on the various
points of the 11.,„ an►r which the jury returned a verdict of—
" Death from reerril causes."

SHOCKING ACCIDENT IN 'FRAMES STREET.-Tuess•
terday afternoon, a shocking accident occurred in Lower Thames-
street, to James Selby, a porter. It appears that the unfortunate
elan was standing in a waggon, waiting to receive some heavy
bales of goods from one of the lofts of the warehouse, when sud-
denly the iron crane hooks slipped off the side of one of the bales,
weighing upwards of four hundred weight, striking Selby down in
the waggon. On assistance being rendered it was found that he
had sustained a severe concussion of the brain, and he was im.
mediately removed to the hospital, without hopes of recovery.
LOVE AND SUICIDE.-011 l'ues.lay Mr. Baker held
an inquest at the Duke of Sussex, Haggerstone, on the body of
Edward Knight, aged nineteen, a labourer. The deceased re-
sided in Birdcage walk, Bethnal-green, and on Saturday night last
he had a quarrel with a young female with whom he had kept com-
pany, arid left her in a very abrupt manner, telling her she would
never see him again alive. Shortly after ten o'clock the same
night the potman at the Duke of Sussex heard a noise as if some
one had plunged into the canal, which passes the above house. The
drags were procured, and in about a quarter of an hour the body
was found, and all aid was unavailing to resuscitate it.-Verdict,
" Found drowned."
CORK AND BANDON RAILWAY.-Thursday,
18th inst., has been fixed as the day for the raising of the first sod
on this line, by the Right Hon. the Earl of Bandon. The Direc-
tors of the Company have ordered the erectionl"of a pavilion on
the ground near Dewndaniel Castle, capable of containing five
hundred persons, which number will be.invited to the dejeuner to
be given on the occasion.-Cork Southern Reporter. Illea
PAT of ARMY OFFICERS.-By a revised warrant
of her Majesty, recently issued, regulating the issues of staff
and garrison pay, the following are the prescribed rates of
daily pay allowed for staff-officers at home and abroad, who
hold other military commissions or appointments :----General
commanding in chief, if a field-marshal, 16/. 6.. 9d. ; if below
that rank, 91. 9s. 6d. ; general, hi. 13a. 9d. ; lieutenant-
general, 3/. 15s. 10d. ; major-general, 1/. 17s. 11d. ;
brigadier-general, 11. 83. 6d. ; colonel, 11. 2s. sd. ; adjutant.
general, if serving at head-quarters, besides allowance of
501. a year, 31. 15s. 10d., if serving elsewhere, 11. 17. lid.;
deputy adjutant-general, if serving at head-quarters,
1/. 17s. 11d., if serving elsewhere, 19s. ; assistant-adjutant-
general, if at head-quatters, half-pay regimental rank, 191. ;
head-quarters, full-pay, ditto. 14s. 3d., if serving elsewhere,
14s. 3.1. ; deputy-assistant, ditto, head-quarters, 14s. 3d., if
serving elsewhere, 93. 6d. ; quarter-master-general, head-
quarters, besides allowance of 500/. a year, 31. 15s. 10d., if
serving elsewhere, 11. 17s. 11d. ; deputy quarter-master-
general, head-quarters, 1/. 175. 11d., elsewhere, 19.. ; assis-
tant quarter-master-g. neral, sums varying from 11. 7s. 6d.
down to 141. 3d. ; deputy, ditto, 14s. 3d. down to 9s. 6d.;
military secretary abroad, 193.; assistant, ditto, 93. 6d. ;
aide-de-camp to sovereign, 10s. sd. ; to general officers, 9s. 6,1.;
major of brigade, 9s. 6d. Daily rates of pay for staff or gar-
rison officers holding only one military 'rnmissi°n2o".ears
ap-
pointment : -Inspector-general of hospitals under 20
25,y
21.
service, full pay. 11. 16s ; under 25, 1/.
Deputy inspector-general, under 20 yearls/17er;vice, It. 4s. ;
Staff
above 20 and under 25, 1/. Bs. ; above 25, 11.
i 591,04.;
under 25,
sur-
geon, first class, under 20 s
"e ers:us,eerov Bic, second class, under
11. 2s. ; above '25. 43.
staffi r 20,4 15s. under 25. 19s. ;
10 year's service, 13s. ;
regeo. n under ten years' service,
above 25, 1/. 23. Assistantu-naut
7s. 6d. ; above
10, 105. Medical clerk, under 15 years'
• under 20, 7s. ; abroad, Bs. ; under
service, 6s. ; abroad, 7s. ,
above. >0 years, of which 15 have been
25, 85• ; abroad, 9s. ;
above '25, of which less than 15 abroad, 9s. In
aboad, 91. ;
addition to pay of ranks, officers at head of medical depart-
ment on foreign stations to receive allowances as under when
serving under the foliowing circumstances:--if with army in
the field of 1.1,000 men or upwards, 20s, per day ; if with
8,000. 15s. per day ; if less number, Vs. per day ; and if in
colony whose forces con-ist of 1,500 men, 3s. per day.
Chaplain to forces, under 15 yeas' service, full
fpay, 16c. .
under 20 j ears's service, 11. ; above 20, /. 6i, DeputY
judge-advi>cate, 19s. ; pruvoat-marshal, 93. 6d; deputy pro-
vost-marslnd,4s 9d.
CRIME IN RANCR.-It appears irom a late report
to the Minister of Justice, that there were 339 eendemnations
to death in Frai.ce from 1836 to 1643, and 24 ezirutions.
They woe thus di,ided :-
Contlem. Executions. Condom. Executions.
1836 '3o 22 1,540 5l 45
18 i 7 33 ... 25 1841..... 50 ... 35
1838 44 .. 34 Irs42 42 ... 29
1639..... 39 ... 22 1643 /10 ... 33