Original Correspondence. SLAUGHTER HOUSES.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 27, 6 December 1845, Page 3

Original Correspondence. SLAUGHTER HOUSES.

To the Editor of the Nevo-Zealander. Si r> — it m ay be anticipated that the Legislative Conncil will he summoned by His Excellency on his return from the Bay of Islands, and many new enactments passed. I think it fitting opportuuity t kerf ore to call your attention to a most important matter requiring some regulation of the Local Legislature, and I trespass without apology on your columns more particularly, as in reference to the same subject, Captain Grey ef- | feeted much good in South Austialia. Fortuj nately for the Inhabitants of Auckland, this spring has been more than ordinarily tempeiate, and the heat of summer has not yet commenced, or else the numerous Slaughter Houses throughout the town with their noxious garbage, would have been insufferable, and most injurious to the health of the inhabitants. It is impossible, Sir, in the present state of Auckland, without seweis or watercourses, unless the Local Legislature interfere, to prevent disease and fever from arising. The number of butchers' shops in the most narrow confined parts of the town, with their. pig styes and slaughtering places attached, are sufficient to excite the greatest alarm if the weather in a few weeks, becomes hot and and. It has been suggested long since, that Freeman's Bay, would be an excellent place for the Slaughtering House for the whole town. . I am not aware of the precise nature or terms of the regu- \ lation on this matter adopted at Adelaide by Cap- i tain Grey, but I have understood it was most admirable and accomplished its objects. The inhabitants of Auckland would I am certain feel deeply grateful for some such regulation so that the existing ivuisance, during all hours or

the day, of the cries of dying pigs, and of the intolerable effluvia from the slaughtering places shall be promptly and wholly abated. I trust these few remarks will direct your attention to the matter and secure your assistance in urging on the Government to preserve the health and add to the comfort of our fellow citizens. *■ I am Sir, &c, AMICUS.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Sir, — By your giving publicity to this note, certain mistakes may be rectified which appeared in the translation of an article taken from the Maori Gazette ? published in your Journal of the 29th ultimo. First, for " At the head and stern of the canoe " read " the head of the canoe." Secondly, for " This war will go on fora number of years," read "This war will not continue for a number of years", I am, Sir, Yours, &c, Charles Davts. Auckland* sth Dec, 1845. [We insert the above letter in justice to Mr Davis, to whom we are greatly indebted fora translation, (of the author of which we were at the time quite ignorant) of the senseless twaddle published in this Maori Gazette. Since our last exposure of this trash, there has appeared a subsequent number for Ist November, and we shall next week give a further proof to our readers by extracts from it, although not from the pen of Mr. Davis, that the funds of the Colony are not more grossly misappropriated than in the-conti-nuance of such useless puerile publications. — Ed.]

To the Editor of the Nelson Examiner. ; [From the Nelson Examiner.] I Sir, — As there appears considerable ignorance i amongst the agriculturibts of the settlement resJ pecting the origin and qualities of the noxious weed called drake, which unfortunately got such general introduction into our crops of all kinds last season, and in some instances has been largely ground up with the wheat, to the great risk of injury to the unwitting consumers, you will, perhaps, in the absence of any more fitting medium, now that our agricultural Association is defunct, permit me a small nook in your columns, to lay before the reader some information a« to this pest of our crops, which 1 happened to meet with the other day, and which may tend to put the farmer upon his guard how he allows the intruder possession either of his fields or his stomach for the futui c. A good deal of speculation has taken place amongst us with respect to the derivation of the drakeyin consequence of its very general diffusion, and its rather mysterious appearance in corn the seed of w hich was apparently quite pure. Some have maintained for it a sort of spontaneous genelation j others a previous dormant existence in the soil j whist others again, in coincidence I believe with many Canadian farmers of >newly brokeu land, contended fot its being a mere degeneration of the wheat itself (or other corn), in consequence of a swampy or otherwise unfavourable state of the land. But few that 1 ever conversed with on the subject have had any precise knowledge of its true character and qualities; and though most of our husbandmen must have seen the weed in England, none that I am aware of have had sufficient practical acquaintance withit to identify and name it. Considering it however as a species of rye-grass, 1 (happened the other day to turn to the article Lolium, in the " Penny Cyclopaedia," and there I found an account of lolium temulentum, which has satisfied me that drake is nothing but the English darnel. As all persons to whom this information may be useful have not the Cyclopaedia by them to iefer to, yon will perhaps allow me to furnish so much. of the ai f icle as relate to the species. "2, Lolium temulentum, or darnel, with elliptical awned spikelets, straight awns longer than the palese, glumes the length of the spikelet, and an annual loot. ! Of this species mention is made not only in all parts of Europe, but in Japan, New Holland, China, and Monte Video ; it is remarkable as being the only well authenticated instance of a plant belonging to the order of grasses, i n w hich narcotic o r even d eleterions pro perties have been found. The grains are said to produce intoxication in man, beasts, and birds, and 'to bring on fatal convulsions. According, to Christison, darnel when mixed with flour and made into bread, has been known to produce headache, giddiness, somnolency, delirium, convulsions, paralysis, and even death. A few years ago the same author tells us, almost the whole of the inmates of the Sheffield workhouse were attacked with symptoms supposed to be produced by their oatmeal having been accidentally adulterated with lolium j and a case is on record of a small farmer near Poictiera in France having killed himself by persevering in the use of darnel flour for making bread; his wife and servant, who discontinued to eat it, escaped, but were vi- )4 olently affected with vomiting and purging." As most persons had darnel in their last year's wheat crop, in one degree or another, it may be worth while, wit'i a view to preventing any unnecessary alarm ordestructiou of remaining stock, just to mention the proportions in which it may be safe or otherwise toconsumeflourso drugged. If the grain to be ground contain as much of darnel as one-fifth or one-sixth of the whole bulk, which was the case with my own, then )ou may be pretty sure ,the result will be in the space of a few hours, and according to the quantity taken, headache, giddiness, somnolency, intoxication, if not also the incipient degree of delirium. Where the proportion is greater, I suppose the other symptoms will ensue as mentioned above. Where it is less, for instance, only a twelfth or a twentieth, the eflect will not be very perceptible, except perhaps in a feeling of drowsiness and an mci eased action of the bowels. When the proportion is considerably less than the last, the Hour may be considered to all intents and purposesbaimless and wholesome. 1 am, &c, Oct. 23, 1845. Anti-Darnei.,