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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 73, 26 March 1874, Page 2

Acuriousphenomenon(BaysGalignani) is now existing in Paris Dr Tanting received on Monday the visit of a young girl of IS, named Maria Vardun, living with her mother in the Rue du Columbier and afflicted with tho ififirraity of nyctalop8 — that \b to say, she loses the faculty of sight iu daylight, and recovers it in darkness. Although her j eyes do not. present any special morbid character she is forced -to keep hor eyelids closed during the day and to cover them wifch a thick veil. On the other hand, when tho shutters of a room are hermetically fastened she reads and writes perfectly in tho deepest darkuess. The euro of affections of this kind is said to be extremely difficult. According to a recently published statement, there are 348 theatres in Italy, 307 in Austria, 150 in England, 44 in Russia, 33 in Belgium, 22 in Holland, 20 in Switzerland, 15 in Portugal, 10 in Svveeden, 10 in Denmark, 8 in Norway, 5 in Greece, 4 in Turkey, 3 in Roumauia, 3 in Egpyt, nnd 1 iu The general total of dramatic, lyrif, and musical artistes and employers is 2,155,800 women, and 3,027,006 men. M. Gimbert, who has baen long engaged in collecting evidence concerning tho Australian tree " Euculyptua Globulus," the growth of which is

surprisingly rapid, beeideavnt'tßiniDgT gipautic climensioDS, has addressed nti inler.e_Bting ; coinuaunication to the Acadpmy of Sciences. This plant, irf riow oppearpVposgeflseaan extraprainrtry pow^r of . destroying miasmatic influence" in fever stricked^Ndistricts. It has the singular property of absorbing ten times its weight of water from the soil, and of emitting antiseptic camphoroue effluvia. When sown in marshy ground, it will draw it up in a very short time. The English were the first to try it at the Cape, and withiff""two' or three yeors they completely changed tho climaiic condition of tho unhealthy parts of the colony. A few years later, its plantation was undertaken on a large scale in various ports of Algeria. ' At Purdock, twenty miles from Algiers, a farm isiltiated on- the\ banks oft the Homyzo was noted for its extremely pfstileniialair.) In the spring: of. 1867 about 1300 of tho eucalyptus were planted there / In Jufyj of the : same year—the time when tho fever season used to set in— not. a, single - case ocoruredy.yet* the trees were not more than niud feet high. Since then, com* plele immunity fiom fever has been maintnined. Another farm, in the neighborhood of Coostantine, was equally in bad repute — it was, in fact, mere marsh land. A number of these trees were planted, and now farmers and children enjoy excellent heolth. Iq the island of Cuba diseases are fast disappearing, from all . the unhealthy districts where this- tree has been introduced. A railway station-house iin th^ department of itlie Var was so pestilential that the officials could not be kept, there longer than a year. Forty of these trees were planted, rtndj it is now as healthy as any other placer on the line. It is doubtful whether this beneficent tree will grow' id other but hot climates, but it is hoped that, ex-r porimentß. will be ncaie J to determine this pbiut. . .-...: r i- - - — - t

- Contrary to the usual experience of tbose who import sheep 16 the colony (says the Wellington Independent,) some pure-bred animals brought out in the Wemyes Castle have beeu extremely fortunate. Fifteen valuable aoimals were placed on beard tho vessel bave arrived in first-clues condition, with the addition of five others lainbe \ during the voyage. An increase of twentyfive per cent after a loug passage is an incident worthy- of record, andone that speaks well of' tli'e care bestowed upon them on their way out. At a recent election meeting in Dnnedin, the following extraordinary questions were put lo the candidate: — Are you in favor of estublishing State , soap works? Are you in favor of fencing in the Town belt for the protection of young women? Will you give up your ideas on the domestic ! policy of th,e ancient Peruvians? Are yfyj in favor of earthquakes? Some of these were answered, but in regard lo others the candidate observtd a judicious silence. . The Melbourne correspondent of a ' contemporary writes as follows : — The [ wanton destruction of our State forests ; is engaging the attention of the, Commissioner of Crown Lands. The quantity of timber tbose " destroying angels," .those " demons of destruction" (as the papers have been calling them), the sawyers and splitters wasie in getting what they want is prodigious. Their licenses have allowed them to roam over tho forests without let or hindrance, and wherever they go they leave behind obstructions to (lie pro- ' gress of others, and do not fail to furnish fuel for the first bush fire that may be kindled. The following extract from a letter in one of the Rockhampton paper?, will show. in some degree the dangers attending gold-mining pursuits on the newly-discovered field at the Palmer River :— " The blacks are very bad ; everybody has to cary firearms. Two.. storm, and his gun would not go off. They tried r to surround him, but ho got away ; they got his blankets and everything but his gold. There are no troopers here, and the whites are no good after them, so they have the best of 'it so far." The following singular advertisement appears in the Fiji Times: — "Mr Cornelius Smith, engineer, being about to visit the colonies, wishes to dispose of all or any part of bis tools — consisting of forge, &c, stock?, dies, vices, grindstones, lathes, drills, and oiher tools too Dumerous to mention in Smith will return to Fiji g^SffllSf. 0 present Government has been anmmgbut, and annexation has tuken ffißda|^pGrod save tho Queen!" WsgEsßßM azeite d es Gampagnes recom~WflSsSßk dip. tho extremity of slips for |n^HH|iri collodion containing quite afijßm|Pcotton as the ordinary material Sgrafn photogrophy. Let the. first coat Pry and then dip again. After planting the slip, the development of the root ■will take very promptly. This method is said to be particularly efficacious in.,wobdy slips, and to succeed well in ecions of the geranium, fuschia, and similar plants. From the Rangoon J.'ail wo learn that Dr Dougall, the senior medical officer at the Andaman Settlement has been successful in his treatment of leprosy and other ekin diseases of a similar nature, effected by the application of oil extracted from the Gurjon tree, which is reported to abound in those islands. It is . however too premature to say whether this loathsome disease can be radically cured by this treatment. If s^, it would be a great discovery in medical science. A remedy appears to have been found for the noxious effects of mercury on the health of those employed in factories "where this metal is used; ammonia is stated to have the effect of neutralising its vapors, aud in a looking-glass manufactory in France, whero the place is sprinkled every evening with -ammonia, tho health o{ the wotkpeqple I docs not now suffer.