PARIS.

Southland Times, Issue 1642, 1 October 1872, Page 5

PARIS.

&— (from our own correspoxdext.) June 20. Last week there were SO marriages in the Belleville quarter of tbe city— so the crop of young Communists promises to be flourishing, in addition to the world being peopled. The total population of Paris, according to the census just taken, is 1,704,380 — -and shows a diminution of 5,600 as compared with 186(5. Further, there has been a kind of Hegira from the rich parts of the city to the less fashionable. I The Academy of Sciences has discussed , M. Eambosson's learned work on " Maternal education ; " the members were opposed to the principles laid down by Eousseau, of leaving the child to Nature, which made all things good, and suggested that when the infant's intelligence de--1 velopes, to lead it on by illustrated books and object lessons, without actually making the infant a scholar. Above all, the child's questions should be answered with studied intelligence, as its little brain can as well retain simple truths a 9 gross nonsense. By a happy selection of chaste illustrations youthful taste can be formed. It was lamentable to learn that many of the so called child's picture books are in France too often of an immoral and revolting character. The death of Marshal Forey has revived the discussion as to use of tobacco ■ ! the deceased suffered since five years from 1 paralysis brought on by excessive smoking. I The " Beds" of Paris demand that tobacco be untaxed, as it is an " article of food." The ordinary tobacco sold in France is called caporal ; the government has just introduced a superior kind, which the smokers call " sergeant." Tbe principal flower girl of the Jardin Mabille has come to grief; for some time ! she has been in the habit of " gatheriug" flowers in the city cemeteries — convey tbe wise it call— and selling them as boui quets to the members of the fast world ! A few days ago an humble hearse wound | its way to Montmartre cemetery, followed only by tlie regular number — four — o? undertaker's men, who, to lose no time, had purchased their bread and bottles of wine for breakfast, placing tbem alongside the coffin. The new hearse will change all this ; it will be a glass chapelle ardente on wheels, where friends can unite with the clergyman in tbe office of prayers for the dead, en route for the grave. | The " Alsatian giantess who has decided to remain French," is tbe newest patriotic prodigy at the fairs. At Versailles, the Communists conI deinned to be " shot " are called " scum" [by the condemned to be " guillotined " j at Boquette prison ; the latter in return I are named the " amputated." I Pome Manchineel trees have arrived in Paris from the West Indies. It is said they cause profound sleep to thoso who seek their shade. The citizens request the trees be at once planted around the palace of Versailles. The return, at last, of the very warm weather, bas brought to tbe surface a very old subject, still unfortunately very new, that of hydrophobia, and over wbich the scientific world is delivering battle. If we have no dogs ourselves, it is not amiss to know something about those of others. It is agreed on all sides that mad dogs can both, and do, very well eat and drink ; tbat when in a rabid state they display most affection for their masters ; and can be very mad although not at all foaming at the mouth. Kestlessness, scratching the ground, attempting to snap and bite the air, and above all tho peculiar barking-hoarse, veiled, weak, and suffocating whines, are the unmistakable signs of tne malady ; further, tbe animal will remain mute under blows, appear indifferent to pain, and will seize a red hot bar of iron, as cases have occurred where the tail has been torn off, without any agonizing expression. The French government bas published some interesting figures extending over a period of four years, and one-half of the country. From these it appears, 320 persons were bitten, 129 of whom went mad ; of the 320, 206 belonged to the male, 81 to the female sex, the clothing of the latter being a protection. Children run the greatest danger, from carelessness ; 97 of the bitten were between 5 and 15 years of age. As a counterbalance the virus seems to affect children the least ; in the foregoing 97, only 26 cases were mortal. Winter, not summer, would seem to be the period when the greatest number of dogs go mad. Sixty days after being bitten, the symptoms of hydrophobia show, eight months have been known to elapse, according to age, quickest with young people ; death invariably follows on the third or fourth day ; there being no remedy, doctors merely administer opiates to deaden moral and physical torture. When bitten, the wound should be at once deeply cauterized with red hot iron ; a knife blade or chisel raised to a red heat suiting in an emergency ; vitriol, nitric acid, &c, come next in efficacy. In Hayti the natives cover the wound with gunpowder and set on fire. Every bite of a mad dog is not necessarily followed by hydrophobia, but this latter, once declared, is incurable. A leading French journal is publishing the trial and execution of Admiral Byng, believing that the parallelism is very close between the unfortunate sailor and Marshal Bazaine. Be the admiral's cowardice true or false, no one has ever charged Bazaine with that weakness. Indeed the popular charge against the Marshal, treason, to advance his personal ambition, presupposes no small share of courage and daring. Headman Boch is for the moment the principal topic of conversation, and his improved guillotine, which has appeared before a limited public within the last few days, and obtained great success. The subject operated upon was the murderer, Moreux. The guillotine is now so perfect, that it can be packed up into something like a portmanteau, and the toy -copy is a very true one. The machine

is level with the ground, so tbe " patient" is saved the agony of mouuting a scaffold ; when lie arrives in face of an upright plank, three men strap him to it, run it under the scimitar knife — properly colored black — and his bead is struck off before be knows that it will be. An iron I bucket has been substituted instead of the osier basket to receive the bead. The " improvement" will not be adopted, as Moreux's head made a sickening noise as it bumped from side to side, throwing up sawdust and blood. The remains were conveyed to the cemetery at Ivry, called the " Turnip Field," and dropped eoffinless into a grave ; the clothes of the deceased become the property of the assistant executioners, but generally are of no value; the coat is generally taken to rub the machine with oil. What is the fatality that drives crowds of respectable people to visit the new machine in the dismal out-house where it is stored ? I should state that tbe people living near the cemetery where the guillotined are interred have a tradition that the first moonlight light following a new burial, a procession of headless men comes oft' in the graveyard. The public is also taking much interest in the marriage of M. Boch's daughter with a young draper, chiefly on account of her papa's public position, aud also because she is really a beautiful girl, and possesses a little fortune acquired through her father's economy over quarter of a century in his present business. Was it the dread that such an alliance might take place, that the present republican government notified that all civil engineers in its employment should submit full particulars as to the social state of their intended brides before being granted permission to wed ? The heat continues to be very intense, but not so trying as at St. Petersburg, where roses blow in the morning, fade at noon, and fall to dust at sunset. It is very difficult to preserve fish for more than a few hours, even between ice or coated with lime juice • electricity is accused of working this misfortune, tbe greater because it is difficult to catch your own fish ; the banks of the river are crowded with anglers, but it is questionable if all of their " takes" would, after twelve hours patient hope, make up a single dish. M. Thiers, like others — Berryer to wit — bas a mania for sitting all day iv the sun, bobbing for anything in the river, and complains tbat cares of state deprive him of his chief pleasure. There is much difference of opinion as to the fate of Duhourg's appeal for reconsideration of his sentence. Several of the jurors are backing his claim for clemency, but public opinion is hostile, remembering that his wife that he premeditately killed was sinned against as wel! as sinning. A large tea shop has been opened in Paris, with a signboard having a painting thereon of " Saint Confucius ;" a grocer on the opposite side of the way hangs out the fide ot a tea-chest, with the usual hieroglyphics. Dr. Kouget is a warm partizan of Darwin's theory that we are descendants from that man and brother, the monkey. Not long ago his carriage was blocked in the street, and he commenced to scold and get crimson, when the crowd suggested, " since you are a monkey, doctor, take a jump."