Dr. Black, but scarcely had the operation commenced
when it was perceived that the pulse began to waver,
and other serious symptoms to show themselves.
Stimulants were immediately given, and the usual means
resorted to, in order to keep up artificial respiration by
tracheotomy. This was kept up for nearly half an hour,
unfortunately without success. As a last resource galvanism
was tried, but this had no effect beyond producing
the usual involuntary movements of the muscles. It is
understood that this is the first instance of chloroform
having proved fatal at St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
although since its introduction it has been used in several
hundreds of operations weekly.

A fatal Cab Accident occurred on the 22nd inst., on
Holborn-hill. Francis Horner, a cab-driver, had taken
up a fare on the Pentonville rank, and had proceeded as
far as Holborn-hill, which he was descending at an easy
pace, when two boys, who were drawing a truck,
endeavoured to cross his horse's head. Horner tried to
slacken his speed, in order to prevent a collision; in this
he was partially successful; nevertheless, he was thrown
from his seat with fearful violence to the ground, and
the wheels passing over him inflicted such serious
injuries that he was rendered perfectly insensible, and
he was conveyed to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, but in
about a quarter of an hour expired. Horner is said
to have been a steady man, and a most careful driver.
He has left a widow and young family who were entirely
dependent upon his exertions.

Intelligence has been received of the Loss of the Australian
Emigrant Ship Bourneuf, belonging to Liverpool,
on a detached reef at the entrance of Torres Straits. The
vessel sailed from Hobson's Bay, on her return to this
country, on the 15th of July, and on the 3rd of August
got on shore on the reef and became a total wreck. In
attempting to leave the wreck, the captain (Bibby), his
wife and her sister, and five seamen were drowned, a sea
having struck the boat when half lowered, which broke
the davits and drove the boat under the ship's counter.
The rest of the crew miraculously escaped. Those
saved, 31 in number, were picked up by the ship
"Everdina Elizabeth," bound from Sydney for
Batavia.

A dreadful Accident happened on Saturday evening,
the 22nd inst., between Doulting and Chelynch, near
Shepton-Mallet, Somersetshire. A respectable farmer
named Davis, residing at a place called Hurling-pot, had
sent three of his sons with his horse and cart, and two
men of the names of Luff and Sparks, to milk his cows,
and, on their return home, all being seated in the cart
by the side of the milk, Luff driving at a rapid rate
without reins (a too common practice), and, having no
control over the horse, it came in contact with the
Holcombe Brewery waggon. The waggoner did all he could
to pull in on his proper side, but before he could do so,
the horse in the milk-cart, instead of taking his proper
side, came heavily on the waggon on the wrong side;
consequently, they were all thrown out, and the cart,
turning over, fell upon them. The old man Luff, the
cause of the accident, lived only about two minutes, the
cart having fallen heavily upon his chest. Sparks had
his thigh broken and received other injuries from the
shafts falling upon him; and one of Mr. Davis's sons
had his back broken, and sustained other injuries—he
expired during the night. The other two sons, with
the exception of a few slight bruises, fortunately escaped.
Sparks still lies in a very dangerous state, and should
he survive he will be a cripple for life. The shock has
so unnerved Mrs. Davis, that fears are entertained she
will be deprived of her reason.

A fatal Accident has taken place on the Versailles
Railway. The train which left Versailles at 7 o'clock
in the morning, broke a rail between the stations of
Courbevoie and Amiens, at a place called the Pont des
Quinze Perches. The three last carriages having gone
off the rails, came against the iron pillars of the bridge
which stand on the left side of the road. Two of these
pillars were thrown down, and falling on the carriages,
knocked one to pieces and damaged another.
Unfortunately in the shock seven persons were more or less
seriously wounded, and six bruised. Among the
wounded is the conducteur who attended to the breaks.
Every attention was given to the wounded by the agents
of the company, and five of them were taken to a
Maison de Santé at Courbevoie. As soon as the account
of it reached Paris, M. Magne, the Minister of Public
Works, proceeded to the spot to ascertain from his own
observation the causes of the accident.

The excessively wet weather has produced Inundations
in various parts of the country, particularly in
Surrey. In the vicinity of Lewes, the water spread over
the land to a great extent, giving it the appearance of
lakes and islands. In the northern part of the county
the case is similar, and the area between Lancing and
Worthing has had, during the past week, very much
the appearance of an archipelago. The land to the west
of Angmering is in the same state. On the morning of
the 23rd the rain fell in torrents and continued to do so
for hours, rendering the roads at Fishbourne and
Donnington quite impassable for foot passengers; at the
former place the water reached to the axle-trees of carriages
passing that way. The farmers have been put to much
inconvenience, but no fatal accident has been reported.

On Wednesday morning, the 26th, about nine o'clock,
a gentleman committed Suicide at the Bridge-house
Hotel, London-bridge. About that time a report of a
pistol was heard to proceed from the bath-room, and the
attendant on entering found that a gentleman had shot
himself through the heart.

Two Alarming Fires took place on the 27th instant,
between twelve and one o'clock in the morning; the
one in Lambeth, and the other in the Hampstead-road.
One occurred on the premises of Mr. Lovesay, a
chandler and general dealer, in George-street, Lambeth-walk.
At the time of the outbreak the various inmates
of the house were in their beds asleep. They were
quickly aroused by the police, and those sleeping in the
lower part of the house were enabled to effect a safe
retreat, but not until they were nearly suffocated with
smoke. Two lodgers, living in the top part of the
house, had to jump through a skylight, and, in so doing,
it is feared that they were badly cut by the glass broken
by their weight. Engines were promptly obtained, but
the fire could not be subdued until the whole of the
contents of the shop were consumed, and much damage
done to the upper portion of the premises. The other
fire took place on the premises of Mr. Lang, a tailor,
Hampton-terrace, Hampstead-road. As in the previous
case, the inmates were all in bed and asleep when the
alarm was given, and it was only by forcing their way
through the smoke that they escaped with their lives.
The fire could not be got under until the stock in the
shop was all but consumed. Both fires, it is presumed,
arose from an escape of gas.

SOCIAL, SANITARY, AND MUNICIPAL
PROGRESS.

THE Population of Scotland was 1,608,420 at the beginning
of this century, and at the census of 1851 was
found to have increased to 2,888,742. The ratio of this
increase is about 80 per cent. The increase of the Scotch
people though steady, exhibits considerable variety in
the various decennial periods since 1801. In the first
10 years the increase was 12 per cent. From 1811 to
1821 it was 15 per cent.; from 1821 to 1831 it was 13 per
cent.; from 1831 to 1841 it was 10.8; and from 1841 to
1851 it was 10.2 per cent. The largest rate of increase
was thus in the ten years from 1811 to 1821; and the
same feature marks the census returns of England, and
nearly without exception of every county and parish
of the United Kingdom.

The Encumbered Estates Court has resumed its
sittings in Dublin after the long vacation. The new act
of Parliament prolongs the duration of this tribunal for
four years from the 15th of August last, and thenceforward
to the end of the next Parliamentary session. This
extension of time will not be more than sufficient to
enable the Court to get through the business at present
before it, and for winding up the estates which may
come within its jurisdiction during the next two years
some further legislation will be requisite. Although
four years have now elapsed since the institution of the
Court, and one-twelfth of the surface of Ireland has