VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1536, 24 July 1886, Page 3

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS.

'fo the ordinary mind the dread havoc accomplished by such *n eruption of nature’s forces as that iu Nt>w Zealand is hardly conceivable. Only a vague, uncertain idea can be conjured up, of the tremendous upheaval of a volcanic disturbance. Bn* the terror which even this faint picture of the truth presents to the mind, is perhaps superior to any inspired by other calamities. With storm and shipwreck we are fawiliar. We accept these disasters as inevitable. To accident by field and flood we arc so accustomed that they excite only a passing agitation, and fleeting sympathy. But there ie indeed something awful and stupendous in the action of an earthquake, which paralyses ordinary courage, and breaks down the bravest and most fearless. There is no art w itbin the reach of man, by which these Titanic convulsions may bo checked, subdued, or controlled. In the presence of this great movement, this bursting asunder of bonds that have long held the seething cauldron within the bosom of the earth in bounds, man stands powerless and Impotent. Even as they stood, who of ,'old beheld the waters encompassing the earth, swell and sweep over that earth, so stand we in the presence of a great earthquake, This is what makes these eruptions of nature so terrible to contemplate. The absolute helplessness of man under such circumstances appals and bewilders the best and bravest. And yet, regarded philosophically, there are terrors as dread and awful of familiar and daily occurrence. If we only knew how closely we tread upon the verge of death every day of our lives, this convulsion of nature in New Zealand would appear trifling when placed beside the dangers that beset us on all sides. The lives that were lost by this outburst at Botomahana are as nothing compared to the lives which are daily and hourly lost by disease, neglect, or ill-treat-ment. We read of sudden deaths every day in the newspapers. But we feel little trouble about these facts, heedless that we ourselves may be in peril of a similar fate. Who expected Sir John O'Shannaisy to die so suddenly, or Judge Fellows, or Judge BarryP And wo ourselves never suipsot that we may ooma to a similar pass. We deem all men mortal but ourselves. If we feel ill wo poohpooh any suggestion of danger. We are like those who, at Botomahana, have been living on the crust of a volcano for years past. They knew it, but never deemed that there was any chance or an eruption such as has overtaken them, So with us in disease. We forget or ignore the fact that perfect health under the conditions of modern civilisation is impossible, and that only by checking the insidious approach of disease can we hope to preserve our life forces unimpaired. Professor William Roberts of the Royal College of Physicians, London, discoursing of sudden death, speaks of the condition of those who suffer as “ part of a wide spread tissue degen oration, involving the entire body.” Diseases which culminate in sudden death are slight in origin, slow in development, and are traceable to minor causes, which, if taken in time could be driven out of the system. Like the volcano, they feed on themselves, until they burst forth and bring annihilation and death to those in whose blood the fire has existed, tainting' and poisoning the whole system. Hereditary taint, and the invisible poison which lurks in the arteries and vessels of the body are most commonly the causes of the ailment known as heart disease. But heart disease is essentially an effect ef the degeneration of the system, Sudden death may be traceable absolutely to stoppage of the heart’s action, but the cause of this is found in the disorganization of the blood, debility of the nervous system, degeneracy of the kidneys and liver. Heart disease, vertigo, apoplexy, paralysis, are all effects,not causes. The real cause is traceable to a weakened condition of the body, brought about by the neglect of come vital organ. Twitching and convulsion of the muscles, headaches, drowsiness, dimness of sight and hearing, nausea, persistent hot and dry skin, a peculiar transparent apperance of the skin swelling of the ankles, rheumatic pains, irritability, morose temper, shortness of breath, nervous dyspepsia—these and a hundred other symptons indicate the presence of grave danger. There are few who have not experienced one or many of these signals of nature. There are thousands to whom they are hourly familiar, but who live on, regardless of their peril, even as they did, who dwelt on the margin of the romantic lakes which gare now seething cauldrons in New Zealand. If these people would but realise that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the primary cause of their troubles lies in an abnormal condition of tbe kidneys, they could readily set themselves right, Warner’s Safa Cure is the acknowledged remedy under such conditions. By its use the poisonous and corrupt elements in the blood are purged from the system, and the Are and taint, which nourish and promote , disease cease to exist. Professor Ellery is of opinion that unless the convulsion in New Zealand is exhausted locally a wave of the earthquake may be expected to effect Australia, But however that may be, we have the consolation of knowing that there must be a termination to the disaster. Not so with disease such as we have indicated, unless wo are wise enough to fortify ourselves against attack by the use of the incomparable remedy above named. Then, secure against tbe enemy, we may calmly pass through the perils of contagion or infection such es overcome those who neglect the precautions which make us armour proof, even as the burning ashes and seething mud showers overwhelmed the unfortunate people who were victims to the terrible disaster at Botomahana.