The Express. — 1848-02-03 (London, England)

CLUB.—On Tuesday evening the first soiree of an institution of a social and literary character, taking the name of the Roscoe Club, recently formed, and which, since its formation, in regard to numbeis at least has met with almost unexampled success, was held at the Concert-hall, in Liverpool. The chair was occupied by H. R. Sandbach, the president, and about 300 or 400 ladies and gentlemen were present. Unfortunately the soirée was not honoured with the attendance of any of the distinguished littjraletirs who had been invited, but addresses were delivered by several gentlemen of local in. fluent* and character. _ YORKSHIRE,  POISONING DT IMPROPER MItDTCINE.—The adjourned inquiry into the cause of the deattugof John William and Alfred, the twin children of John Ryan, a dyer'. labourer, on Sunday week, was resumed on Monday afternoon, at the Court-house, Leeds.—Mrs. Ryan, the mother of the deceased, proved that she bad purchased two powders for her little boys. When she got home she put the powders over the fire-place, calling her husband's attention to them, and telling him that they were for the children to take in the morning. Sho had bought powders before for the same purpose at the same shop, and the young man then told her to give them in sugar, and to give no liquid tor halt an hour atter. On this occasion she was told to mix the powders with a little treacle, but as they had none her husband gave them in tea.—Mr. Allinson, the house surgeon at the Leeds General Infirmary, said that the children were brought there about half-past eleven o'clock lon Sunday forenoon week. Alfred was rather more 'typified than the other, but both were asleep and breathing hardly. They had all the appearance of haring taken some preparation of opium. Ho applied the stomach-pump to Alfred, but did not succeed very well. It was subsequently applied to the other boy with better "emcees. The liquid that was ejected smelt of coffee. The pupils of the eyes were contracted, and there was some coldness at the extremities. They both died between five and six o'clock on the Sunday evening. In the afternoon of the following day he made a post mortem examination of the bodies. There was much congestion of the brain. The lungs were generally healthy, but a little congated.— Mr. West, F.R.S., chemist, stated that he had analysed the contents of the stomachs, which had been sent to him. He first satisfied himself of the absence of mineral poisons, and then he detected the presence of morphia, which was not only the active principle of opium, but one of those principles which denoted the presence of opium. Ile could not attempt to weigh it, but, from such grounds as the cue admitted of, he thought there might be three or four grains of one of the forms of morphia in each stomach. The morphia appeared to be in solution.—Mr. Albumen said that three grams of morphia, if the quality was good, would be a poisonous date for such young children.—The Coroner then summed up the case, and the jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict in each case of " Homicide by misadventure," and accompanied their verdict with a strong recommendation to Messrs. Bell and Brooke, and to all other druggists, to keep all poisonous drugs in a separate compartment, and to have them marked by some prominent distinguishing character.