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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 205, 29 August 1874, Page 2

•; Laughter as a Medicine. —A short time since, the Sanitarian reports, two individuals were lying in one room, very skk, one with brain-fever, and the other with au aggravated attack of mumps. They were so low that watches were needed every night, and it was thought doubtful if the one sick of fever could recover. A gentleman was engaged to watch over-night, his duty .being to awaken the nurse whenever it became necessary to administer medicine. In the course of the: flight, both watcher and nurse fell aaleep> man with the mnraps lay watching the clock, and saw that it was time to give the fever patient his potion. He was unable to speak aloud, or to move any portion of his body except his arms, but, seizing a pillow, he managed to strike the watcher in the face with it. Thus suddenly awakened, the watcher sprang from his seat, and falling on the floor, awakened both the nurse and the fever-patient. The incident struck the sick men as very ludicrous, and they laughed heartily at it for some fifteen to twenty minutes. When the doctor came in the morning he found the patients vastly improved, and said he never knew so sudden a turn for the better. Now both are up and well. Who says laughter is not the best of medicines? says the London Medical Record. And this reminds the writer of another case. A gentleman was suffering from an ulceration in the throat, which at last became so swollen that his life waa despaired of. His household came to his bedside to bid him farewell. Each individual shook bands with the dying man, and then went away weeping. Last of all came a pet ape, and, shaking the man's hand went away also with hla hand over his eyes. It was so ludicrous a sight that the patient was forced to laugh, and, laughed so heartily that tbs abcess broke, and his life was saved.

(For remainder of News see fourth page.)

*?The -New Zealand Tablet draws attention (o the disgraceful manner in wbjcMmraigrants are .being crowded into Otago. Every available bailding, s^ whether owned by Government •or by private persons, is crammed to exces?, and it .is. stated that hundreds are wandering about unable to find shelter. -^TJie .{Wellington correspondent ;of the Canterbury Pre«,ln a letter of a recent date, says: — " The long-expected debate on the Licensing Bill came off last night and so far as it has gone has disappointed everyone — the hon. member for , Bapgitikei hinaßelf. ' The various gatieries.w.ei;e, crowded to .excess—the ladieV'dne half-an-hour before the House met — by persons who expected treaty but the House itself jp&ipftfc, fairly 'filled. Mr Fox commenced his remarks by disclaiming any intention of making a sensatippai speech but straightways did so. Widows and orphans,-/ broken down colonists and ruined^ homes, the results of strong drink were set against millioniare brewers, and distillers who rode in golden carriages and we're buried in golden icoffins; we were told every criminal was a drunkard; and three lunatics oat of every four were the victims of intemperance. Mr Fox did not speak, he raved and shrieked. His speech did not contain a single fact, •*hd was wholly devoid of argument! He even forgot what was daajUl_his position and descended to a personal* attack on Mr Wakefield, and wanted to ergue; with El^ until Mr Speaker called him to order. It was an utter failure; and although there was a faint attempt to applause when be sat down, . it is- r generally admitted that it was / about the worst he has ever made. Mo ,Vdgel,"Vho followed, having little tf answer, spoke.very moderately indeeJ, He at once went to the bottom of toe question The permissive principre, without, fair compensation, meant cdnfiseatipn, and would never be tolerated. The men of the -people, not only hare, bn^iiv every part of the world, Were opposed to repressive legislation, wftich was the proper name for * permisnve ' legislation. Nothing but an unworkable Act could be expected from a [man who bated drink, and ali the Go 'eminent was doing was to render the Act qfi"ißßt year practical ; to dot tle i's and to cross the t's of that met sure, altbou^r Mr Vogel's own opinion was fri -favor. of repealing it altogether ' .The following extract is madl by the fiewcastle Pilot from a letterlad'drssed to a resident of Newcastle, by a friend -at Noumea, New Caleddbia. The letter is dated July 15th, 1874\— W;e_have had no less than five du«s here in one; day. The first was beL tween two mounted troopers with swords, and • resulted fatally; one of the combatants being run through the ttecVexpired shortly afterwards. The others w>re all with pistols, and. the results ,were not serious.. -There was also a very large fire at the Government stores to-day. The military were all called out for the purpose, it appeared, of compelling ail who were in the neighborhood of the fire to assist 4n, extfeguishjng the flames. One English digger who was there was walking ' 1 the fire wWi a French him batsE The Englishman refused with great determination, and the i Frenchman struck him with the flat, of 'hia aabre. The Englisman | thereupon rushed upon his adversary whom he immediately deprived of bis ( - sword, and gave him a good thrashing. ! Six or seven French troopers, sword in hand, attempted to arrest the Britisher, j when two more Englishmen arrived, I ensued, which was i gueUea with some difficulty by a num- ! eber of the troops. - \ .^.'Tno'tateßt theory about comets' tails ls-propcunded by an American astro- ; nomer, whose name escapee us. It is j $** . com eta have no tail j that the tail «».- nothing, aad that the comet is \ _ a«oompanied by a tail, not as a monkey I "if^jttff if? caudal appendage, but like a \ fSP-tfjfr h ", shadow. In other words, : ™ftM&i&* »«» 'appearance, and this £JP?&Hf e >Js9 assumes, is occasioned l &jfilttfey<f notion -6f the ; comet as it travefe^brSi^h the attennated : g'as or j atmosphere that is supposed to fill I ■IpMßMnfllif -Ellery's communication in ; * h ?i*s^< ft^ papers feVes rW air of • l pWd4i«lity to the theoryV'for he telFs us lhat.our celestial visitor is hastening ' away from jUB ajt^thje rate ; pf two million | two hundred thousand miles per day, ' or ninety .thouaaod miles each hour, or ; one thousand, five hundred miles each minute. Thft is tall travelling, and it ! is no wonder if, it decomposes thej atmoßphere. .. Greased .lightning wouW' travel after that comet in vain, a « The last American Census^ returns show the existenco of mor^ trades and professions among women than oneV wqoldsßnjiqseposeible. Besides women ' farmers, there are 45 fetnsle stock-h&PPZfy-A r^bers, ; 2 osttersV 3.; prpf esaiopaj .'. . lijui ters an d trappeYs; 6- lawyers, 555 ' pbyaicians, 97 clergy wpraeo,,, 7 sex^us,rulO canal ,]ffl9!!& n v* j« "'^S? wo^» X^PH or > 4 W.^^rJ^/gODsmit^Sgfttoppwder number ot afflza ! n8 l rae<shan*rcß;'ia yen lors, telegraph operators, . and teachers of navigation. " ;

life, but in the case of astronomy, where part of a second would involve an important error in the calculating the revolution of a star, the matter is grave. . Hence why in the observatories of Paris and Greenwich, the timepieces are- kept in deep cellars, where uniformity of temperature can be airaost secured. The pressure of the air also acts on the movements of clocks, that is to say, they vary like the barometer. The barometer rises when the air presses, and this increased pressure of the air sensibly creates a resistence to the pendulum, and consequently the clock goes alow, but advances when the mercury falls, that is to say, when the pressure of the air has diminished.