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Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1704, 19 June 1874, Page 2

Effects op Different Stimulants.— The following is a translation of a paragraph found in (he writings of Professor Yon Liebeg, the distinguished German "chemist:—'• The white wines are hurtful to the nervous system, causing confusion of language, and convulsions. The stronger wines, such as champagne, rise quickly to the head, but their effects are only of short duration. Sherry and strong cider are more quickly intoxicating than" the generality of wines, and they have a peculiar influence on the gastric juices of the stomach. The intoxication of beer is heavy and dull, but its use does not hinder the drinker from gaining flesh. The drinkers of whiskey and brandy are going to certain death. Claret is the least hurtful, and, in some cases, really beneficial. "—Bow Bells.

The Yaltte of a Comma.—-Tie Brooklyn Argus, a New York paper, furnishes us with a-aingularirisjtancepf a ftopbeing ; put iiija wrong place^inprinting an act |of Congress. Among the articles added tothei free list in^th9}itariff of At^u^fe: 1872, were placed •' fruit plants, tropicaV and semi-tropical," for the -purpose of ; propagation and cultivation. In printing this, a comma was placed after the word fruit, and the effect oftfts-was'td jmfc all 1 kinds of fruit on the freediifr. /But the customs-officers, not noticing this,_eontinued to collect the dutyas p«for«, until it amounted t02,000,000^01^ On its then being pointed out tothtm they undertook to get the^error corrected^ by \?%s rintroduction of a new bill during the present ■esiioh, which has been done, but they refuse to give lip.any of the money thui illegally obtained. This is not a %solitary instance in which administrators of the law have acted under a wrong impression as to how it really stood, albeit, not in precisely the same way.- From tliis we have not been altogether exempt ourselves, as will, we believe, be made manifest during the easuing session of Parli. ment, " ■**

A Parisian Ball.—An elaboratelyfurnished ball has just been given in Paris. II far exceeded any given there in honor of the Shah, a^d transoended the celebrated ball to which, in 1867, Baron Haassmann invited the sovereigns then present in Paris. The aspect of the grand courtyard, which had been transformed into a dancing-room, wa« most original. The arcades on the ground floor were covered -a with mirrors, round which were trained *- climbing plants and profusion of natural flowers. The second tier of ar-^ cades on jhe fipst floor was, hung with prim. >on silk curtains, heavily ' fringed with gold, and the smaller xqW bfarchej above was filled with palms and other ejpotipa. A~ veii of rose-poloped sjlk', ipan- ; gled with stars, concealed the glaged roqf, The eflect of the electripal light streaming down through this drapery was quite unlike anything ever seen before. It looked like the rays of a full moon finding their way into a brilliantly illumined Moorish Court. -Vast as were the dimensions of 1 the ball-room, it was so densely crowded that dancing was not always conveniently carried on. Marshal MacMahon.came late .in the evening. Pew uniforms were noticeable among Jhc seven thousand ■■attests; of the Tribunal aiid Chamber q£ G.qmmcVce. Qyring to f'he hekyy 'iiM. pontinuoi+s raiu there was much'difliculty experienced both in reaohing the ball and m getting away from it.