DISEASE AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Patea Mail, 19 January 1882, Page 3

DISEASE AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN.

The Nelson Colonist makes reference to what it terms a horrible disease common among the children attending the Eiwaka school:—“ From enquiries we have made we gather that the disease referred to is'of a scorbutic nature in a most serious form ; indeed, it is stated on the authority of a medical gentleman, that it is not only contagious, but ■ that it is also next to impossible to eradicate it, at all events, for many years.”

A subscriber writes that while mounting his horse opposite Dale’s mart on Saturday morning, with a parcel in his hand, the animal bolted and threw him, hurting his shoulder. A bottle of tea in his pocket broke, and because it looked like ■ beer some bystander said he was drunk, whereas he had not taken beer or spirits for six months. - He complains that jeering and liutruo remarks were made by one or two bystanders, instead of helping him out of his plight, and .seeing if he was hurt. He protests against such unfeeling conduct, and asks why every man is -not to have fair play. The work of excavating the Panama Canal is now to commence on a large scale. At a consultation in Paris, the engineer’s reports showed that considerable expense is likely to be saved by the easy nature of the soil for working. The engineer has returned to Panama, and working parties are to operate at 3 points simultaneously, ’ namely at Colon, where a, temporary shelter-port will be created ; bn the summit of Galabia, in the middle of the Isthmus;! and, lastly, the earth derived from this will serve to form the great bar at Ganiboa which is , to keep back the waters of the Chagres. A Dunedin journal says a rumor is current that an action involving £20,000, arising out of a recent failure in Dunedin, is to be commenced by a well-known company against a Dunedin firm. • Jem Mace, of English prize-fighting renown, has been brought up at the,, Melbourne Police Court on a charge of gambling, and fined £25. For remainder of Reading Matter , see next page.