CHRONICLE. 



427 



songs and glees from the principal 

 performers at the theatres. One 

 toast excited particular attention. 

 It was given by the president with 

 his usual warmth of sentiment and 

 feeling, and excited a burst of ap- 

 plause from the company. " The 

 health of that medical character, 

 who, at the risk of his own life, 

 withstood the orders of Bonaparte, 

 to destroy the sick soldiers in Egypt. " 

 Another of the vice presidents added, 

 *' That Desgenetts had formerly vi- 

 sited this country, and, in addition 

 to his native goodness of heart, had 

 here imbibed the independent spirit 

 of a Briton." It must be pleasing 

 to every friend of humanity, and to 

 the medical profession in particular, 

 to learn, from the statements laid 

 before the meeting on that day, that 

 since the institution was first set on 

 foot, about 16 years ago, the pro- 

 perty of the society has increased to 

 13,0001. 3 per cent, consols; and 

 that 12001. 's have been distributed 

 out of the interest of the stock to 

 widows and orphans of deceased 

 members, most of whom were un- 

 fortunately not in a situation to make 

 a proper provision for their rela- 

 tives. 



30th. This morning, an excise 

 officer, named Littlejohn, m as found 

 dead in a vat of strong beer, in a 

 state of fermentation, at the brew- 

 house of Mr. Tiiornton at Horsham. 

 It came out, in evidence, before 

 the coroner's jury, on a view of 

 the body, that the deceased went 

 to the brewhouse, on Monday night, 

 to make his accustomed survey ; 

 and that in leaning over the vessel, 

 the azotic gas, arising from beer in 

 such a state, might suffocate him, 

 and cause him to fall into the liquor ; 

 they therefore returned a verdict of 

 accidental death. The vessel con- 



taining about 16 barrels of beer, 

 was by Mr. Thornton's direction, 

 thrown into the common sewer. 



31st. This day three bullocks 

 were killed by lightning at Temple 

 Bodmin. The flash struck a tree, 

 which stood in a hedge, and shivered 

 it from the top to the bottom, di- 

 vided the hedge into two parts, made 

 a deep furrow to the place where 

 the bujlocks stood, and killed them. 

 upon the spot, without leaving the 

 slightest appearance of a wound. 



A distressing event happened at 

 Newington, in Surry. John Rick- 

 etts, the sexton, was employed dig- 

 ging a grave for the remains of a la- 

 dy in the Kent-road, and the coffin 

 was just entering the church-yard, 

 preceded by the minister, when the 

 whole mass of earth on each side of 

 the grave fell in, and covered th^ 

 unfortunate delver in a depth of six 

 feet, just as he was getting out with 

 his pick-axe and shovel. AVithia 

 five minutes after the accident hap- 

 pened, a number of persons ran to 

 assist the poor man, and began to 

 remove the earth ; their endeavours 

 were however much retarded by the 

 concourse of spectators, who rushed 

 to the brink of the grave, and nearly 

 an hour elapsed before they disco- 

 vered the body, which being taken 

 out, means were used by a profes- 

 sional gentleman to restore anima- 

 tion ; but every elFort proved inef- 

 fectual, and the body was borne 

 away lifeless on a shutter, amidst 

 the cries and complaints of a discon- 

 solate wife and five children, who 

 were witnesses of the affecting 

 scene. 



This day a violent storm of thun- 

 der and lightning pervaded the great- 

 est part of Cornwall. A violent gust 

 of wind passed through a part of 

 the parish of Keuwjn, which over- 

 turned 



