Miscellaneous Items

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 112, 11 March 1893, Page 4

Miscellaneous Items

For the first time last year Australia became an exporter of brandy to London. In all eight shipments arrived with 1456 casks, containing about 52,400 gallons. The prejudice -which attended its first introduction has almost disappeared, and Australian brandy now sells with a readiness which encourages the belief that it may become an important feature in the exports of Australian produce. The first consignment of the new vintage has been pronounced by experts an excellent vinous spirit, resembling in color and flavor fine French cognac, A <jontiueatal demand is springing up for zt, enquiries having been made both in Germany and Denmark. No doubt the "operators" in Europe will work up this Australian spirit into the best known and most popular Continental and English brands, and re-export it again to these colonies. A Speedy Cure for Whooping-Cough. — Mohn, a Norwegian physician, is reported to have been able to cure, whooping cough by means of inhalations of sulphurous anhydride. In the first instance this was done accidentally while disinfecting some rooms, subsequently it was done by burning six drachms of sulphur per cubic metre of space; the bedding etc., being well exposed to its influence. After the room had been closed for four hours, ventilation was restored, and the children put to sleep in the beds impregnated with the sulphurous vapours. In the morning the cough had ceased. A good story is told of an experience of one of the candidates for the Dunedin mayorahty. He visited a house for the purpose of soliciting a j voto, and his knock at the door was followed by the appearance of a tidy little woman with a baby in her arms. ; After stating the object of his visit, a man appeared on the scene and took his stand behind the lady. Continuing his remarks, the candidate, to gain the favor of his hearers, began to tap the baby on the cheek in the rue old fatherly fashion, "A fino 4 chubby boy," he said ; "very like you * ver y like you, indeed," he added, turning to the man. To his surprise this compliment rather discomposed both his listeners, but the candidate put it down to thoir modesty. His own discomforture may be imagined when it was afterwards explained that the reason he bad lost two good votes was because that man happened to be the next door neighbour, paying a kindly visit to his friend who was down with the influenza ! — Clutha Leader. Stockings made of human hair are worn by Chinese fishermen as a preventive against wet feet.