Star.
London, England, 1830-09-04 00:00:00

The great importance of continental politics has, in a
considerable degree, withdrawn the public attention from
domestic occurrences; but a Journalist can hardly be said
to do his duty, without attempting to obtain due notice for
any circumstance which happens at home, deserving of par-
ticular remark. Of this nature we certainly deem to be
the verdict of the Coroner's inquest, on the unfortunate
Miss CAsims ; and we have observed, accordingly, that it
has attracted the attention of several of our cotemporaries.
We shall most certainly consider it our duty, to avoid pre-
judging a man, who is now, it may be supposed, in the
course of having his conduct legally investigated by a com-
petent tribunal; but we shall speak of that individual, as we I
should have spoken of him six months ago.
We first heard of Mr. ST. JOHN Logo through the me-
dium of the Examiner; who, with its usual clear judgment,
and bold hatred of deception, spoke of the individual referred
to, months ago, as we conceive he merited. We did not,
however, pay particular attention to his claims for public
patronage, until we were requested to read his work, with a
vies• of affording an opinion of it to a friend, labouring
under the dreadful complaint, which LONG asserts he
could remove. In its perusal we were truly asto-
nished at the palpable quackery which succeeds with
portions of the British public. Who would believe,
that perhaps the most conspicuous character in the nation—
s man possessing the extensive information, the experience
and genius of Sir FRANCIS BURDETT—wouId take the
trouble to go across his threshold to consult a ST. JOHN
LONG ? He certainly could not have perused his book.
From this book, we think a tolerably correct judgment
may be formed of the man. It contains, in the first place,
a series of cases stated principally by his patients, many of
whom are, certainly, creditable individuals. It is well
known that no nostrum was ever deficient of such evidence
in its support; and those who understand the human charac-
ter, under morbid influence, and have seen any thing of
medical practice, can easily explain the reason ; which at
present we have not time to do. One peculiarity, however,
in the cases here related is, that in all, perhaps but one in-
stance, those represented as cases of Phtysis Pubnonalis are,
at once, seen to be, by all who have any medical knowledge,
not to be correctly classed under that term : and another
point appears evident, which evinces the practitioner's
cunning—that where such a well defined case presented
itself to his practice, he was evidently in the habit of ex-
cepting it from the power of his treatment. As to the nature
of his practice, nothing can be discovered, but some mys-
terious mention of inhalations and fumigations, and modes of
drawing the morbific matter, or disease, out—almost as a
tooth-drawer extracts a tooth, or a carpenter extracts a nail
from a deal board ! Add to all this, that he represents not
one disease only subject to this practice, but several.
—We are sorry we have not the work at hand for reference,
for many points might be usefully noticed in it, as illus-
trative of the species, of which Mr. ST. Jonw LONG is an
individual specimen.
We do not positively say that Mr. ST. JOHN LONG in-
tended mischief to his patients : we think the contrary ; but
we think there is quite sufficient evidence of his ignorance
and temerity. We are ready to admit, for instance, that
the prophylactic branch of medical practice, has not obtained
sufficient attention; and we believe that discoveries in that
branch of the science will be made—but not by the tribe to
which ST. JOHN LONG belongs. A man who argues from
the supposed re-production of a lobster's claw, that the lungs
be re-produced, may satisfy some of his patients, and do no
harm, but not advance the science of medicine.

A subject not certainly connected, but in some degree
accidentally associated with the mention of St. ,JOHN LONG,
is the qualifications requisite in a Coroner, to which our
attention has been called by several correspondents.
We published yesterday a very distinct, and apparently
well-informed letter, on the legal duties of a Coroner;
and if we be asked whether a knowledge of law,
as far as regards those duties so defined, be requisite, we
must answer decidedly in the affirmative ; but if, under-
standing those duties, and judging of them from what we
have seen, we be asked whether some knowledge of anatomy,
physiology, and all the branches of science which belong
to the study of medicine, and which enable a judgment to be
formed of the various causes of death, be requisite, we must
answer likewise most decidedly in the affirmative. A charac-
ter possessed of both these kinds of knowledge—a hybrid
between a doctor and a lawyer—seldom offers ; but as we con-
ceive the doctor can more easily obtain, by application, the re-
quisite legal knowledge, than the lawyer obtain the medical,
so we should prefer to chuse a well-informed doctor to
merely a well-informed lawyer, for the office, were both
offered to our suffrage.
Our Correspondent yesterday seems to admit, that the
ancient custom of the country does not prescribe, as es-
sential, any minute professional legal knowledge ; for
he mentions that, by old custom, the Lord Mayor
of London, and others who fill the Magisterial office,
have been, by right of their office, Coroners ; and every
tine knows deep le gal lore seldom distinguishes such cha-
racters.

We cannot, in justice to our own interests, allow this
Paper to go to press, without mentioning, to satisfy our
readers that we continue to afford them the earliest infor-
mation, that the intelligence which constituted the leading
articles, yesterday, of the Courier, the Globe, and the Sun,
was communicated to the Public in the STAR of the
day before ; and that, if our readers will indulge us so far as
to look back to, and compare, the intelligence made public
in our columns on Continental affairs, through the whole
week, they will find much important and interesting matter
in them, which has not yet appeared in any other journal.
Facts are stubborn things, and require no comment.

The intelligence communicated to the public in a Second
Edition of the Times of this day, and an extract of which
will be found in our succeeding columns, has produced
great sensation in the City. The scene, as described
to have taken place in Brussels, is truly original, and cha-
racteristic of the eventful age in which we live. Every
one must admire the conduct of the PZINCII, and