Excerpta.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XIV, Issue 755, 13 July 1894, Page 7

Excerpta.

Abuse of Hospitals.

A Miser Bowled Out.

They say that many people in Great Britain resort to hospitals who are perfectly able to pay for treatment at home. Such a mean habit is not, unknown in other countries, ami even among very select people. It is told in a Paris journal that when Velpeau, the celebrated French surgeon, was at the zenith of his fame, a very rich and very aristocratic nobleman presented himself at the hospital in order to obtain an opinion regarding bis case, which was found to require careful treatment and a delicate operation. Before deciding to entrust himself to the hands of the great surgeon, the prospective patient enquired what would be the amount of the honorarium. ‘ I shall require 4,000 francs,’ replied Vel peau. Upon this the Marquis looked very black, hesitated for a moment, and then bowed himself out. Eight or ten days later a footman in livery, with carefully shaven face and powdered hair, presented himself at the out-patient department of the Charite. His malady was duly diagnosed, and being considered sufficiently serious and interesting, the man was admitted into the surgical ward. As long as the case was under treatment Velpeau did not utter a word, but when the patient was cured and wished to leave the hospital, the operator, approached the bed, surrounded by his class, and said : ‘ Sir, I am extremely flattered at having had the honour of contributing to the amelioration of your health. There now remains only a small formality for you to fulfil. You will be good enough, in return for my services, to pay 10,000 francs to the local charitable fund.’ The spurious lackey grew white as a sheet. ‘ You will pay the money or not, as may seem best to you,’ continued Velpeau, calmly ; ‘ but unless you do so, the whole of Paris shall know by tomorrow that the Marquis of X. usurped the place of a pauper in a charitable institution.’ The poor Marquis bad no option but to ‘ stump up.’

Fire Extinguisher.

A bigger enemy to fire than water is reported to have made its appearance. It is bottled up in a sheet-iron cylinder about a foot and a half long, and comes out in a thin stream for six or seven minutes consecutively. The inventor, who is a Frenchman, to prove the efficacy of his tool, filled a big box with tar, poured on kerosene oil, and set it alight. After it had burned furiously for some time, the contents of the extinguisher (the contents of which are known only to the inventor) were directed against the flames, which quietly went out in less than a minute.

There is a yew tree near Staines believed to be over 1,000 years old. Beneath it was signed the Magna Charta, the keystone of English liberty, and beneath this same tree Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn had their trysting place.

Certainly the best mcdicme known is Sanubr and Sons’ Eucalypti Extract. Test its eminently powerful effects in cougbs.colds, influenza ; the reliefiiinstantaneous. In serious cases, and accidents of all kinds, be they wounds, burus, 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, Sc.; diarrhoea, dysentry, diseases of the kidneys and urinary organs. In use at hospitals and medical clinics all over the globe, patronised by His Majesty the King of Italy ; crowned with medal anddiplomt Interat national Exhibition. Amsterdam Trust iu this approved article and reject all •there