PRECAUTIONS AGAINST SMALLPOX.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 181, 31 July 1872, Page 4

PRECAUTIONS AGAINST SMALLPOX.

Although it appears that the recent outbreak of smallpox in Victoria has been effectually limited and virtually "stamped out," it will be interesting, in view of possible future visitations, to print the following "Precautionary Hints on the Threatened Approach of Smallpox." The lines which state, in a graphic form, the danger and the means of safeguard, are by Mr Alfred Power, Chief Commissioner of Poor Law, Ireland. No. 1. The Skin. There's a skin without and a skin within, A covering skin and a lining skin, But the skin within is the skin without Doubled inwards and carried completely throughout. The palate, the nostrils, the windpipe and throat, Are all of them lined with the inner coat ; Which through every part is made to extend — Lungs, liver, and bowels, from end to end. . The outside skin is a marvellous plan For exuding the dregs of the flesh of man; While the inner extracts from the food and the air , What is needed the waste in his flesh to repair. While uVgoes well with the outside skin. __ You may feel pretty sure all's rkht within ; For if anything puts the inner skin out Of order, it troubles the skin without. ■ The doctor, you know, examines your tongue To see if your stomach or bowels are wroDg; If he feels that your hand is hot and dry, He is able to tell you the reason why. Too muqh brandy, whiskey, or gin, Is apt to disorder the skin within ; . While, if dirty or dry, the skin without Refuses to let the sweat come out. Good people all ! have a care of your skin, Both that without and that within; To the first you'll give plenty of water and soup, To the last little else beside water, we'll hope ! But always be-very particular where You get your water, jour food, and your air; For if these be tainted or rendered impure, It will have its effect on your blood— be sure; The food which wil ever for you be the best Is that you like most and can soonest digest; All unripe fruit and decaying fle.sh Beware of, and fish that is not very frefh. Your water, transparent and pure as you think it, Had better be fiiter'd and boil'd ere you drink it, Unless you know turely that-nothing unsound Can have got to '.t over or under the ground. But of all things the most, I would have you beware Of breathing the poison of once breathed air; When iv bed whether out or at home you may.be, Always open the window and let it go free. With clothing and exercise keep yourself warm, And change your clothes quickly if drenched in a storm; . . " For a cold caught by chilling the outside skin Flies at once to the delicate lining within. AU you who thus kindly take care of your skin, And attend to its wants without and within, -Need never of smallpox feel any fears, And your skin may last you a hundred years !

No. 2 — The Blood. Six thousand years after bis era began The astonishing fact was discovered by man, Tbat the blood in bis body does not remain still, But rushes along like the race from a mill. Certain vessels call'd arteries, hidden within The body, conduct from the heart to the skin; . While others called veins throughout every part Of the 8 j stem conduct irom the skin to the heart. The heart every instant gets fill'd with new blood, Prepar'd, as you'll see, irom the sir and the food; And this new blood is driven throughout the whole frame As from a force pump by the force of the same. The blood in its passage leaves everywhere Some of what it has got from the food and the air, Which is all taken up, ere a moment be gone, To replenish the tissue, the fat, and the bone. Throughout the whole structure— bone, muscle, .. or skin — Where the arteries end the veins begin, And changing its color from red blood to black, The blood enters the veins and is so carried back. When the old blood arrives by the veins at the: ' heart It is mixed and churned up, in a chamber apart, With a thick milky fluid, nutritious and good, ; Which the stomach and bowels have drawn from ' the food. • It is then driven oflf by a similar force To the lungs, where the air cells receive it, in course, Where at every breath it takes up through the skin •- The trateriai parts of the air within. Thus regeaerate, vigorous, lusty, and red, And once more forced back on its fountain-head, To the artery-chamber it rushes amain, And is ready to start upon service again. What we get from the air is equal in weight To what we derive from the food which we eat; But what we breathe out, I must tell jou once more, Is of jpoisons the worst, as I told you before. In a much clearer light you now may perceive '< " What -ictyhoped you'll hold fast and devoutely f, v-;'7belieye, ,;•;,; ; " r. ." . . "That for health and enjoyment the very best fare Is the soundest of food and the purest of air. Then show. that you value your, blood and your. . '._ ,, ---'slSiu^7-' i vr' ; -' ' \ : ' Remove every nuisance without or within; Obey all the laws that are made to that tnd, , _ And regard the inspector of. health as your friend.; If your 'bouse has a taint, employ in goo 1 time, Either carbolic acid or chloride of lime; But of all dwipfelftantß the earth is the bestSmells, cbxer'd by earth are ior- ever at rest. With ail these precaution^ don't fear any harm, Andyield to. vo .panic or foolish; alarm; Whenthe'sene^^^ Sur.veysyour;defen^ your guard.

The Victoria Government are about to receive two calculating; machines from England for use in the Treasury. Adelaide has been sufferiug from coal famine. Hart's flour mill was obljged to stop operations for want of coal. Men against Steam. — A most exciting contest came off at Fort Rowan, at Sydney. Two gentlemen made three bets as follows: — First, that twenty picked men could bold the steam tug, Watchman, of twenty-horse power; second, that ten men could bold her; third, that twenty-five men could stop her while under way and the men to Lave one hundred feet of coil to get under way.- The tug lost in all three contests. Two minutes were allowed for each trial. The contest was witnessd by a large number of spectators. A Vert Curious Story is told by the Sydney Morning Herald : — " The craving for food by tlie helpless young has in many cases been known to prompt, kittens and whelps to take milk from very different genera of the mammalia; but one of the most extraordinary incidents of this nature is related to have oocurred lately in Sydney. The circumstance has no such features as would render publicity objectionable, and tho authenticity of the subjoined statement is vouched by the husband of the woman referred to. Mrs Byrne is a married woman, residiog in Devonshirestreet, Sydney — her~husband. a native of the colony, being well known in the metropolis. Some months ago she bore twins, one of which died, and the surviving infant (now about seven months old) became ailing. This the mother attributed to an insufficiency of milk. For several days she observed peculiar scratches about her bosom, unlike those that would be produced by the child. However, she arcribed them to the ' efforts of the child when hungry at night to get at the breast, and look the precaution to pare the child's nails. Still fresh scratches were noticed. No rats haoVbeen seen about the room until the cat started one, which had found a hiding place behind a small cask; Immediately the rat found itself chased it ran. to Mrs Byrne, as if forshelter. The scratches on her breast were at once identified, as those produced by a rat's claws, and the impression that this creature had robbed her during the night of the milk for which her child was pining was supported by the fact that when the .rat wa3 killed she had a plentiful supply." Is it possible that our respectable contemporary can have been hoaxed ?