MISCELLANEOUS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 222, 30 May 1873, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Effect.-of Alcohol on MusctjiAß Exertion.—Dr. 'Parkes, of the Natly Hospital, is pursuing his inquiries into the effect of diet and exercise on the bodily condition, and on the elimination of certain products from the animal economy. His last experiments were made on a soldier, a Scotchman,. powerfully built, and thiity years- of age. The exercise was walking and digging,-, and anyone who has handled a spade knows that to dig for nine hours a day is not easy work.' The experiments were continued daring sixteen days, and were brought to a close with trials of the effect of brandy. After drinking four ounces of brandy, he fancied " he could do a great deal of work, but when he came to do it, he found he was less capable than he thought." After" a second dose, his -ina-, bility to work was increased, and he had palpitation of the heart; and a third dose, taken eight hours after completely neutralised his working power. He threw down his spade, and being a good runner tried to take running exercise, but -was unable through failure of breath. Dr. Parkes observes : " The man's own judgment at the end:of the trial was, that he would prefer doing the work without the brandy ; and when asked for his reasons, he mentioned ' the increased thirst; the heaviness in the evening, • and the fluttering at the heart/" And commenting on the case the doctor adds :—As the effect. o£ labor alone is to augment the strength, and frequency of the heart's ac-

tion, it would appear, abvjously improper to act on the heart's till more by Alcohol. —'Chambers' Journal.' ■Mr.. Henry Lester Horn, the oldest midshipman in the navy, died a few days -ago, in his eighty-first year. He entered ?Jie navy in 1807, was with the fleet 'luring the battle of Corunria in January ISO 9, embarking the sick and wounded, and was severely wounded in an attempt to cut out some merchantmen in Quiberon Bay, when every man iri the boat was- ' either killed or wounded by the batteries suddenly opening fire. His father Lieutenant James Horn, when stationed at G-ravesend, in charge* of the pressgang, during the mutiny at the Nore, performed the hazardous service of carrying a des--" patch from the Lords of the Admiralty to" the admiral, which resulted in. the termination of the mutiny and the opening of the navigation of the Thames. For "his he received a silver salver from the merchants of the City of London. "Wbestlixg.—ln its report of Easter' sports at Napier, the ' Hawkes Bay Herald' says :—" The wrestling was the best ■ part of the day's entertainment. After a few hard contested struggles between the Cornishmen had been got through, a tall athletic Maori" entered the lists. His Christian name was Hoi-i; with reference ' to his surname we are in ignorance. He evidently knew nothing of science of the game, and apparently did hot trouble himself at all about it. Whatever antagonist ventured to encounter him he seized hold of him without the least concern as to where s or how his grip was taken, and by . sheer strength laid him on his back, in general almost"without : -a" : s'truggle." : 'lOne r: man he had seized hold of by the thigh and was on the point to all appearance,"of <* throwing him over his shoulder, whea the stewards interposed;to stop him.. The crowd cheered Mr'.-Hori with much enthusiasm, and none joined in the applause more heartily than the men from which he had won his laurels. They went up - to him and shook hands with him and did all they cquld to express to him the sincere and fervent esteem which they felt for so distinguished a master of their art. They will be able to write home to their friends in England that.there are, after allwrestlers in the world for whom the Cornishmen are not a match." "'""