MISCELLANEOUS.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 20, 20 October 1883, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

According to an American contemporary, within the past six months the use of steel nnils in the United States has increased largely. They came into the market about a year ago, and found an immediate sale. One by one the leading mil coin'mnios of th • United Stites took up this line of manufacture until all now produce «<teel nails r'tru'arlv. No change in machinery was required Tlus knives for cutting ths ste jI plates dull much quicker than on iron work, but otherwise .lie cost of manufacture is not increased beyond the first coat of the steel bloom as coin paved with pig or scrap iron, which is used in tusking iron nails. Tho great advantage of tho steel nails is that thoy can be driven into hard wood as easily as an iron nail will go into pine board. We have seen steel nails driven into a white oak knot without bonding. Nothing else Jis now used in laying hardware floors, as i they require no boring, but are driven rendily. For all kinds of hard finish they arc especially adapted, and as so much hard finish is now employed their line imM now be on the increase. They are also used largely by oar builders, and l>oxmakers are increasing their demand for them. Boxtnaker-. have been using the betters grades of iron nails, a-, they desire those which can be drawn and redriven. Tha st -t'l nail meets this requirements better lhnn any other. The pursnil, perh ips a little unduly, of a now gam ' (sa^s a Ilome paper) has at I »st developed a now disease. Kven iti our amusement, nature sp-iih to warn tn against excess. W'jen skating-rinks were at cheir height of fashionable! supiemiey, vonng surgeons got to be quit;- 1 adepts in dealing with what is technically known is Collis's fraoiur; ; and there are certain doctors who, each succeeding month of May, recognise the familiar symptoms of II Academy headache." Th»» ueweut grievance is a little more acute in it*, suffering, and molt; obstinate in its delay. There are iL-licite slieaths which encase the muscles of the arm, find which may be wrenched and tiihtoited by special exercisa. Lawn-tennis is peculiarly favourable to this result, and " a lawn-tennis elbow " is -idded to the ills which nim'teont'i-cntury flesh inherits. The cure is peculiarly disagreeable, as " perfect rest " is one of the item«j in the doctor's programme A confirMied tennis-player can no more take perfect rest than a confirmed glutton can dine on cold meat. But he can play with bis left hand while he rests Ins right, and thus, if tennib elbow becomes anything 'ike as usual an ailment as tennis playing is an accomplishment, we shall find the number of loft-handed sensibly increase.