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West Coast Times, Issue 388, 20 December 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

A Consummation in Suegeey. — Instantaneous Areest of Hemokehage. — Dr. Richardson, who succeeded in perfecting the means of causing local anasthesia, by means of an ingenious instrument for dispensing the fluid over the affected part in a very fine spray, under which surgical operations can be done without pain to the patient, has made an application of tho same proceeding to the immediate and total arrest of hemorrhage. He had observed, in the first instance, that chilling in a high degree, as by the anasthetic spray, prevents all venous and capillary and even arterial hemorrhage. Ho was therefore led to think that if tho ether used for tho first purpose, could be supplemented by a styptic which would spray evenly with it, a highly important desideratum in surgical practice would bo supplied. Accordingly, he devised a Zylo-Styptic Ether Spray. It consists of a solution of absolute ether chargod by saturation, at a low temperature with tannin, and afterwards with zyloidine. This compound ran easily through the spray tube and produced good local anasthesia. In order to test tho styptic characteristic of this preparation, he directed the spray upon a mass of previously defibrinated blood. In five seconds the whole mass of it was thoroughly solidified. But even this effqet was slow compared with what took place in blood newly drawn containing fibrine. In this case it coagulated in a second. This styptic ether can not only bo applied with certain effect to open wounds, but as successfully in the case of those alarming medical events, hemorrhages of tho uterus. This styptic ether will become of standard service to tho medical practitioner, to surgeons on board sliip, and to army surgeons. On the , battle-field, and under the instruction of a surgeon, it could be used by an orderly, so as to instantaneously arrest hemorrhage. Wife's Commaitdments.— l. Thou shalt have no other wife but mo. 2. Thou shalt not take into thy house any beautiful brazen image of a servant girl to bow down to her and serve her 5 for I am a jealous wife, visiting &c. 3. Thou shalt not take tho name of thy wife in vain. 4. Remember thy wife to keep her respectably. 5. Honor thy wife's father and mother. G. Thou shalt not fret. 7. Thou shalt not find fault with thy dinner. 8. Thou shalt not chew tobacco. 9. Thou shalt not be behind thy neighbor. 10. Thou shalt not visit the rum tavern ; thou shalt not covet the tavern keeper's rum, nor his brandy, nor his wine, noi 1 anything that is behind the bar of tho rum seller. 11. Thou shalt not visit the billiard hall. And the 12th commandment is, Thou shalt not 3tay out later than nine o'clock at night. — "New Britain Record." Electeicity peom Heat, Conveetibility of Foece. — If electricity Avill afford us light and heat, so heat applied to various metals will give us electricity. Since Seebeck, in 1822, found that an electric current was generated by heating the junction of two dissimilar metals, thermo-electricity was simply a a large abstract addition to our knowledge without practical value, until Nobili found" that the thermo-electric pile, connected with a galvameter, was a thermometer of wonderful delicacy. But ifc is now ascertained that its primary value as a source of dynamic electricity, was wholly undeveloped. Our readers arc of course awaro that the thermo-electric current is due to a difference in temperature between the two opposite faces of the elements of the pile. Marcus of Vienna was the first to obtain the electric spark. He constructed a powerful thermo-electric battery from an alloy, for the positive metal, of copper, zinc and nickel 3 and for tho negative, autimony, zinc and bismuth, tho elements of this battery were so arranged that their lower junctions could be heated by a row of gas jets, while the upper were cooled by a current of water. The electro-motor force of one of these elements was equal to 1.35 of a Bemsen cell. Six of them are sufficient to decompose water rapidly, and melt a fine platinum wire. The conversion of tho heat into electricity was shown by the fact that the water used for cooling tho upper junctions of the couples was much moro rapidly warmed when the circuit was broken than when closed. More recently Professor Wheatstone has constructed a strong chromo - electric battery, composed of sixty elements, connecting the terminals of this battery a brilliant spark was obtained, and platinum wire fused. Water was decomposed and 0 lectro-plating done. In fact, all tho effects obtained from a small voltaic combination were reproduced with ease. The electro motor force of this battery was equal to two of Daniels' cells. These recent experiments seem to show that thermoelectricity is destined to play a far moro important part than it has hitherto done. " The great constancy of the current will be one of the chief arguments in its favor. Like windmills, thcro-electric batteries might be erected over the country, and entrap — finally convei'tiug into mechanical motion and thus into money — tho gleams of sunshine, which would be as wind to tho sails of the mill. If this can be so, what a store of powor is constantly wasted by the non-use of the solar rays poured on the desert. Can we not utilise this with tho thermo-electric battery ; can wo carry the force of Sahara's sun through wires to Cairo, and niako it burn in Greenland ? The future must answer. Lot England not be disheartened by anticipated destitution of heat from he exhaustion of her coalfields. My son, if thou wilfc wear tight boots, there are three bad things thou wilt inevitably suffer — namely a bad corn, a bad gait, and a bad temper.