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Timaru Herald, Volume X, Issue 419, 2 June 1869, Page 3

The Drunkards Offspring. — There 5b no more )m>>ort.int problem, say 3 the Lancet, m niedtaal science tlinn <.'oat of the production of pliysiol dejener.'cy m children by the intemperance of paveuts, and it is one pecrl'aily appropriate for discussion at the present tine. A novel point m the consider, i.ion of this subject, wri '-ecently brought under the notice of the Pathological Society by Dr L?.ngdon Down. This gentleman exhibited a case of arrest of development and growth m n child live years old who had only tbe intellectual condition of a child or nine months. She weighed 22tbs, and measured 2feet 3mcl>es. There was no deformity, but the child preserved ios infantile character. Di Down called attention to this cse as a typic.il one of a species of degeneracy of which he had seen several examples. They all possessed the same physical and mental peculiarities ; they formed, m fact, a natural family. He had known them to live to twenty-two years, Btill remaining permanent infants — symmetrical m foim, just abe to stand by the side of a chair, to utter a few monosyllabic sounds, and to be amused with childish toys. Dr Down (who naturally from large and i-.ive experience gained at Eftrlswood, speaks with peculiar authority on such a mariier) had found so close a resemblance between the instances, even to the extent of a facial expression and coiuour, that he had been led to regard this variety of degeneracy to have unity of cause. In several cases he had had strong grounds for holding the opinion that these children were procreated during the alcoholic intoxication of one or both progenitors. In the case presen!.ed to the Boc-ety there were no antecedent he-editftry causes of degeneracy to be discovered. The first child was healthy ; then the husband became an habitual drunkard and there is reason to believe that the second and third children were begotten during intoxication, and they were both cases of this peculiar arrest of growth and development. The husband then entered upon an industrious and sober career, and the fourth child, now fifteen months old, is bright and normal m every respect. Dr Down pointed out that these cases were an entirely different class from those which arise from being the offspring of pareuts who had become degenerate from chronic alcoholism. The question here broached is a very important one for the physician and the philanthropist. Romish Convent fob Lunatics. — During the examination of the pseudo-Bishop of Beverly m the Hull nunnery case, the Lord Chief Justice elicited a statement which is well worth the attention of Parliament and of philanthropists. , His Lordship asked, " What becomes of a nun when she is afflicted with loss of reason ?" The reply was : " There are institutions m different parts of Europe where only religious persona are received. There is one m Ireland, and I believe there is one shortly to be established near London." The witness had previously stated, says the Bock, that it had been questiou with him whether to send Miss Saurin to a lunatic asylnm or back to her friends. The sup-

I plementary question has already been put, bat to the best of our knowledge, has as yet received no answer. Is this institution m Ireland visited ' by, and under the control of Lunacy Commissioners? everyone knows the frightful abuses that prevailed m lunatic asylums before their unfortunate inmates were placed under the formal 1 protection of the State ; aud until these asylums for " religious " and the convents themselves are put under official inspection, it is folly and madness, or sheer dishonesty, to talk about vows voluntarily taken and withdrawn from at wilL Sheep m the United KrsGDosr. — The re- . turns o? the number of sheep m England at Midsummer IS6S, show more than 3A millions m m the south-western comities. 435.409 m Cornwall, 957,600 m Devon, 543.307 m Dorset, 786,758 m Somerset, and 7bG,210 m "Wilts. Hampshire counts 058,055, Gloucester 505,519, Berkshire 354,538. In the south-east we find Sussex with 601,999, Kent 1,123,37!), Surrey only 128,227. Middlesex may be excused for its return of sheep, 47,200, be'tijj the smallest m England it can point to 2,450,000 people on its 180,136 statute acres. Essex with 498,121 sheep, Suffolk, with 553,0U1, Norfolk 807,143, Cambridge, 347,752, Lincoln 1.545,443. On the opposite side of the kingdom Wales can boast of 390,871 m Brecon, 303,077 m Merioneth, 318,373 m Montgomery, 270,438 m Radnor 275,879 m In Glamorgan. In the midland district of England the county of Oxford retuvna 402.250 sheep, Buckingham 357,207, Hertford 223.252, Bedford 198,470, Huntingdon 107,277, Northampton 597,781, Rutland 112,633, Warwick 431,238, Worcester 275,995, Monmouth 2«5,552, ilereford 350.G07, Salop 519,539, Stafford 305,045, Leicester 478,031, Nottingham 350;055, Derby 279.620. Chester 198,417, Lancaster 325,705. The "little kingdom of Yorkshire, reckons up 2,101.014, The northern counties make a good show—Westmoreland 344,136, Durham 220,402, Cumberland 515,022, Northumberland 943,039. Crossing the border, we distinguish Dumfries with 520,089 sheep, Roxbovough 487,933, Perth, 080,207, Inverness 727,121, Argyle, 955.984. In Ireland, . the great county of Cork, had m 1867 it 5435,405 sheep, G.ilway its 706,516, Mayo 366,360, Tipperary 351,719, Meath 249,533, Wicklow 211,766, Roscommon 209,465. The total numbers of the sheep are 20,930,779 m England, 2,668,505, m Wales, 7,112,112 m Scotland, 4,822,444 m Ireland, and 73,792 m the Isle of man and Channel Islands— making a total of nearly 35,607,812 sheep m the United Kingdom. Australia had nearly the same number, at the latest returns ; New Zealand, 1,415,579 ; the Cape and Natal, 10,058,642. In the whole British empire the number of the sheep is probably about 100,000,000. Method of Improving Poor Coal. — It is stated that a Swiss professor of mineralogy has discovered a means of communicating to the fossil coal which abounds m the valley of the Alps all the qualities of the best English coal. The process employed consists of an inexpensive chemical preparation by which the coal of the Alpß is mixed with naptha and bitumen, obtained m the expectations formed be realised, Italy will no longer require to import coal. It large quantities from the Aupenines. Should is stated that the plan is already m use m France.