Gleanings.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XIV, Issue 677, 26 January 1894, Page 7

Gleanings.

Messrs Fletcher, Russell, aud Co., makers of gas appliances, have introdued a new process to supersede the use of Berlin black and black lead for protecting the cast-iron portions of their manufacture. The casting is coatea with a film of enamel, which is so thin that even the finest details on the metal are preserved. This enamel is said to be absolutely proof against rust, and preserves its qualities at any temperature up to a bright read heat. All colours are obtainable, including gold and silver, bright or dull, and as many as are wished can be produced on one casting. ******

Mr M'Guire, an American anthropologist, who has been endeavouring to reproduce in stone, wood, and bone the aboriginal weapons found in prehistoric tombs and savage haunts, has come to a conclusion which, if confirmed, will seriously affect the accepted generalisations on the subject. He is convinced, for instance, that the art of grinding and battering stone must have proceeded that of chipping, and that the neolithic—or new stone period—implements, which are supposed to have taken years to fashion, ‘ were really the work of a few hours.’ ******

Bacteria are likely to be blamed for all the ills the flesh is heir to. Professor Schenk now maintains that what we call a ‘cold’ is really due to these invisible pests. When one enters a cold room after being heated the bacteria in it flock to the warm body and enter by the open pores of the skio. Whatever may be said of his hypothesis he seems to have proved by experiment that bacteria in the neighbourhood of a warm body move towards it. The confirmed smoker may derive some comfort from the fact that tobacco is inimical to them. ****** Prince Bismarck was once urged by an official of the Court to recommend his son for a diplomatic post. ‘He is a remarkable fellow,’ said the proud father; ‘he speaks seven languages.’ ‘ What a wonderful head waiter he would make,’ said Bismarck, who has not a very high opinion of linguistic acquirements. ****** King Behanqin of Dahomey is fabulously wealthy. To an English correspondent he deplored the loss of 160 pots of gold stolen from him after his retreat before the French. He recently sent a cable message to England by the way of Lagos that cost £l3O for its transmission. In payment the king sent down to the coast coin that had evidently been buried for generations, including the currency of many nations. * * * * * * The nomination of Professor Story as Moderator of the next General Assembly has roused the ire of the Rev. Jacob Primmer, and he has declared that he regards the nomination in the light of ‘a deliberate insult to the people of Scotland, and to God Almighty Himself.’ To enumerate his crimes, Professor Story is a frequenter of balls, plays, and theatricals, advocates the opening of botanic gardens, museums, and picture galleries, and the running of trains on the Sabbath. ******

We drink more tea than our parents ; we take it oftner, stronger, and of coarser quality. The results are less obvious than those of alcoholic intoxication, but not less serious ; and in truth the time may not be far distant when the earnest desciples of the new temperance will plead with us with tears in their eyes : ‘ Give up the accursed tea, and take to cocoa, or even to be« r.’— The Hospital. ****** Of the late Lord Tollemache of Peckforton's consideration for others au amusing instance has been related

by his brother. One day at Peckforton be came down earlier than was bis wont, and happened to look into the drawing-room. He found the room ‘ not done,’ and littered with brushes and dusters. Extremely displeased, he rang the bell impetuously, and the inculpated housemaid was summoned but when she appeared, instead of administering the intended rebuke, he apologised to her for coming into the room so early, and was so full of excuses for his untimely visit that she said at last, ‘ Pray don’t mention it, my lord.’ ******

In Prussia the price of medicine is regulated by the State, and a new price list is issued annually. ***** *

In an article on * The Literature of the Sea ’ in ‘ Macmillan’s Magazine,’ the question how far Marryat’s novels are founded on fact is incidentally raised. The writer says :—An officer who sailed with Lord Cochrane in the ‘ Imperieuse,’ and took part in many of the actions so graphically related in the ‘ Autobiography of a Seaman,’ had a wealth of personal experience on which to draw, and could be content with the flimsiest plot in constructing bis novels, so strong is the taste of salt and adventure which they leave on the palate. Marryat’s novels are indeed often little more than history in disguise. Take, for example, the escape of O’Brien and Peter Simple from the French prison, the details of which are almost literally borrowed from the published adventures of a Captain O’Brien, whose repeated and eventually successful attempts to escape from various French fortresses in which, while yet a midshipman, he was confined as a prisoner of war, caused Napoleon to remark that the Irish aspirants gave him more trouble than ail his other prisoners. Rough and coarse as life afloat was then, and, indeed, ashore too, there is a healthy tone in almost all Marryat’s works; and so great has been their influence over the lising generation for many years that few grown men can look at the Blue Posts or walk along the Hard at Portsmouth without thinking of Peter Simple, or see Nix Mangiare Stairs at Malta without realising the adventures of Easy and Gascoigne and their famous cruises in the Speronare. -k * * V *

Vegetable Marrow Jani.

Wash and dry the vegetable marrows and pare them rather thickly : cut them in quarters and remove the seeds and inner part. Put the marrow into a jelly pan covered with water, and boil for about half an hour and then strain. Now cut the marrow all up into pieces about two inches long and one square and weigh. Take lib of sugar to Hb of marrow, and for each 21b one lemon. Boil the skins and inner part of the marrows for nearly an hour in the water the marrow was boiled in, strain and add to each lib of the sugar one teaspoonful of the liquid. Let this boil up, add the rind grated and the juice of the lemons, add all the marrow and one dessert spoonful of essence of ginger. Let the whole boil from half an hour to three quarters of an hour till the pieces of marrow look transparent. Taste if it is sufficiently flavoured with ginger, and put into pots. The marrows oug'lit not to be too ripe, as they are then rather tasteless, but good firm fruit, just getting ripe. Queen. * * * * * Certainly the best medicine known is Sanubr and Sons’ Eucalypti Extracts Test tis eminently powerful effects in coughs,colds, influenza ; the reliefis instantaneous. In serious cases, and accidents of all kinds, be they wounds, burns, scaldings, bruises, sprains, it is the safest remedy—no swelling—no inflammation. Like surprising effects produced in croup, diphtheria, bronchitis, inflammation of the lungs, swellings, &c.: diarrhoea, dysentry, diseases of the kidneys and urinary organs. In use ae hospitals and medical clinics all over thg globe, patronised by His Majesty the Kinof Italy ; crowned with metin’, anddiplomt Interatnational Exhibition Amsterdam Trust in this approved article aud reject all others