The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-01 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

SIR-I confess the statement of Mr. Phillips,
contained in the Observer of yesterday, and copied
from the Chronicle, is any thing but satisfactory. I
allude more particularly to the influence of laudanum
on the nervous system of a person unaccustomed to
its use. Although sleep is a frequent—nay, almost
invariable effect of this narcotic—taken in moderate
quantity, yet the effects of a larger dose are symp-
toms of a very distinct and opposite character.
Again, it seems strange that any patient should be
so insensible to the very obvious effect of such a
cause, as
.to persevere in the use of a drug, when
symptoms of such a nature had been produced as to
call forth from herself the observation, that she
" feared it was the forerunner of an illness."

M-r.- Phillips speaks of his wife in terms of affec-
tion, he expatiates on her value, he calls her " such
a wife," yet he professes ignorance of the manner
she had willed her property. Surely there was
here some want of confidence subsisting between
such a husband and " such a wife."

I beg to ask of Mr. Phillips two questions :—ln
what capacity did the several members of his house-
hold live, and whether he had uo communication
Iwith 'any part of his household during the day pre-
vJing the morning of his wife's death ?
ft' he be innocent, his heart will thank the writer
of this letter.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
111EDICU S.

Nov. 30.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING HERALD
SlR,—The attention of the public having lately
'been painfully agitated with regard to the mysterious
,circumstances attending the death of Mrs. Phillips,
•at Finchley, and to which the official attention of
Mr. Peel has justly been called by some of the pub-
iiic•Journals, permit me lay before your readers, and
'the official authorities, a professional opinion,
liounded on the circumstances of the case, doubting
mak that any opinion connected with the investi-
g %tine of a public crime of the deepest dye, or the
viienli,fat:ion of the character of a calumniated indi-
w.fll meet that favorable attention which the
imperative nature of the case demands.
My fiotiee was first drawn to this subject by ob-
strving that no chemical analysis of the mixture
was made previous to the period of the Inquest,
hi which the Jury found " that the deceased come
to her death by laudanum medicinally administered ;"
a precaution absolutely requisite to be observed, be-
cause every similar case involves the connection of
an ambiguity only to be removed by the most
thorough investigation.
I had proved, by various experiments, that the
taste and colour of a mixture, compounded accord-
ing to the directions of Dr. Tweedie, has a colour
and taste very similar to that of laudanum, sup-
posing it to be in the same combination, and that
supposing the infusion of senna (one article con-
tained in the mixture) had undergone decompo-
sition, as it is often met with in the shops of Apo-
thecaries, a smell similar to this drug would be
impart ed.
Shortly after the period of the inquest, I was led
to inquire, through the medium of the Times Journal
whether any analysis of the mixture had been made;
reply was given by " one of the medical witnesses,"
acknowledging that no analysis had been made ; but
that the medicine was then in the hands of Pro-
fessor Thompson, who would shortly lay the results
his analysis before the public. To a second ap-
- ;n answer to the motives in detail which
plication, T received (instead of the fulfill-
, • .
first ''
led to my
reply ,at an analysis had
ment to the pledge), 3
the sedative principle
ti; been made, and that .orphia,
that he (the
of opium, had been detected hu
writer) must be allowed to exercise his own judg. "
meta as to the proper mode andenholdicof laying the
details of this analysis before the p 9
.1 now, Sir, call upon ther,m,tie,cl;i:ralltNovitness, as an
private
act of public tztice, or t,i_ret man
feel-
ing, to lay the results x,f the by so compe-
tent a chemist as Professor s omY pson, before the
public. I consider gush a step a
as neee.swy, noth
only to precede any fresh investigation, but of such
importance that without it no cfmpetent decision
There certainly can
J
could be formed by a ury.
art of the evidence
he no reason why so important a
may not now he more authentiapily established than
on the vague authority of an anonymnus newspaper
correspondent.—I am, Sir your obedient sery ant,
ABRAHAM BOOTH.
20, Church-street, Nov. 80.
ROYAL SOCIETY

Yesterday being St. Andrew's Day, the Royal
Society held its usual Anniversary Meeting, and
elected Members to serve in the new Council for
the ensuing year.
The President, Mr. DAVIES GILBERT, proceeded
to inform the Society of the progress made in the
sciences during the last year, and the loss
that the Society and the world had experienced
in the death of three of its greatest orna-
ments. Need we mention the names of Sir
litirophry Davy, of Woollaston, and Young ?
names which will be transmitted to the latest pos-
terity, as long as science shall be respected by man-
kind. After detailing very eloquently the researches
and discoveries of these great men, the Priisident
informed the Society that he had received a ietL.,r
from Lady Davy, requesting it.; acceptance of a mag-
nificent portrait of her husband, by Sir Thomas
Lawrence, as well as a portrait of the late Dr.
Woollaston, by the same artist, from the tarslily of
Dr. Woollaston.
The PRESIDENT then stated that the Council had
adjudged the first Royal Medal to Charles Bell,
Esq. for his profound researches on the Nervous
System ; and that the second medal had be,271 ad-
judged to Mr. Majendie, for his investigation into
organic matter.
The names of the old and new Council were then
read over, and found to be as follow
0.11 Davies Gilbert. President.
Sir Everxrd Home, V.P. Captain Henry Dater, V.P.
OLD COUNCIL. NEW COUNCIL.
Francis Bailey, Esq. Peter Barlow, Esq.
Charles Bell, Esq. William T. Brands, Esq.
Robert Brown, Esq. John F. Daniell, Es.;,
iltichael Faraday, Esq. Henry Ellis, Esq. LL.fs.
John Pond, Esq. A.R. Sir T. Lawrence, Kt. LL.D
ttev. A. Sedgewick, M.A. Robert Visc. Melville, K.T.
Henry Warburton, Esq. Lieutenant-General Sir G.
Murray, G.C.B.
A. P. W. Philip, M.D.
George Rennie, Esq.
ARIES.
Captain Ed. Sabine, R.N

src h7l

Teter Mark Roger, M.D.

TALES OF AN INDIAN CAMP.--This work
just published contains a most interesting description of
the Indian tribes of North America. The author, ]Mr.
JONES, has it appears, passed the greater part of his life
among these wild children of the forest. Among the
curious contents of the volume we notice :—The Man of
Ashes—The Mother of the World—The Wahconda's Son
—The Idols--Pomatare, the Flying Beaver—The Alarm
of the Great Sentinel—The Teton's Paradise—The Dela-
ware Heaven—The Bird of Ages—The Funeral Fire—
The Maiden's Rock—Sakechak, the Hunter—The Phan-
tons Woman—The Two Ghosts—The Two Chappewees--
The Great par.—The Coming of Miquon—The Origin
of Women--The Fire Spirit,--The Lake of the White
Canoe—The King of the P.ICS.,-.-The Island of Eagles—
The Devil of Cape Higgin, &C. &c.
At the late Horncastle Fair no less than 300
horses were purchased by three foreigners, and have been
since exported to France and Germany.