MISCELLANEOUS.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 249, 13 December 1873, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The medical and surgical histort of the rebellion (IS6I65) has been issued in two large and well-illustrated volumes by the United Stages Government. It contains, of course, a great mass of interesting facts. Reducing the enlistments to a standard of throe Tears, Ibe number of enliated white men appears to hmre been 2,073.112. The total number of commissions issued to white officers wa* 83,935, and the total number of colored enlistments was 178,895. From the tabular statements of deaths it appears that of 280,185 deaths from known causes, the proportion of violent deaths [ to the whole number was one out of every three deaths, giving an annual 88 per 1,000 of average aggregate mean strength ; or an annual ratio of 33 violent deaths and 55 deaths from disease per 1,000 of aggregate strength. The deaths from disease of the volunteer army showed an annual excess of 23 per 1,000 compared with those of the regular army. This is attributable to the imperfect and inferior stnmina of volunteer recruits. AI. Malsens has made some startling experiments on tho application of cold on alcoholic drinks, fully illustrating how extremes meet. He proves that cold, burn* as well a» heat, that a silver spoon with a, temperature 30 degrees (centigrade) below zero applied to the tongue will scald, and a morsel of solidified carbonic acid applied <o the skin produces the same effect as red hoi irtn. This principle hat been applied to wine and spirits j both have been congealed at 40 to 50 degrees below zero, and were pronounced excellent, mellow, syrup, and not too cold. At 60 degrees tbete new ices wero pronounced cold, and at 70 degrees below zero they were very much so. A ' nip' of such brandy, or a ' slice ' of rum so congealed, must be ' eaten ' out of wooden goblets or with wooden spoons, otherwise the mouth would be in reality ' burned.' The more water in the alcoholic drink*, the greater will be the volume of the frozen mass, (he water in that state being greater in bulk than the spirit. Indeed M. Malsens was able to remove the frozen water neparately. Heat is employed to preaerve light wines, and cold can be similarly applied in the cue of the exported wines of Franco, Spain, Portugal or Hungary. The time is perhaps still distant when we shall purchase rum, brandy, and wine by tbo pound rather than the gallon and bring it home in a paper parcel in place of a bottle, but industry will soon find out uses for the novel application of known effects An Ohio paper tells a very ■( range and startling story of the revelation made by a stroke of lightni' q a few day* since. The stroke, it seems, prostrated a splendid grove of oaks in the Miami Valley. Among them vu one which was rent asunder from top to bottom, and according to the narrator, the fragments, in falling apart, disgorged a gaunt skeleton, yellow with age, wbbh instantly fell to piece* and was scattered over several feet of tho surrounding pasturage. With tho remains weie also found a few buttons of ancient pattern, and a lent her pocketbook, in good preservation. This pocketbook told the aad and tragic story of the disentombed skeleton. It contained papers which were brown and discoloured, and covered with rude pencillings, scarcely legible, but enough could be deciphered to show that they had been writen by a soldier in the revolutionary army, a man, in fact, who had been an aid and companion of General Washington. His name wns Roger Vandoobur^, and ho held tho rank of captain. After participating in the privations of Valley Forgo nnd in the retreat across the Jerseys, and serving a brief time at West Point, he marched with St Clair against tho North-western Indians. On November 3, 1761, he was wounded and captured by the redskins. He subsequently escaped, however, and being hard pressed by Ins savage foes, he took refuge in this oak tree. The hollow afforded n convenient rrtrent, and he allowed himself to drop into it. Then, too late, he fouu I that he had miscalculated the depth of the hollow and there was no escape. The remaining hours of Ins life wero spent in writing a diary, the entries of which show a terrible record of human suffering, and during a period of 1] days ho painfully described his sensation* w he felt himself slowly starving to death. A Sacramento Lawyer teinarked to the Court, 'It is my candid opinion, judge, that you are an old fool.' The judge allowed bis mildly beaming eye to full ujtou the lawyr a brief moment ; then, in a voice husky \\ ltb suppressed toKiceo j'lici* and emotion, said, 'It is mycamlid ' (ipinion that jnu aic fined 100 \lnlLu-s ' i

Somo timo •inco a Judy culled uneit n celebrated foreign oculist in order to consult him iibouc her eyes, complaining that her power of vision had of 1-ito en nid.-rably diminished. At a glance the doctor s«iw that she nu it lady of rank and wraith. He looked at her eyes, shook hit bead, and thought tlio treatment would require much time, as there were reasons to fenr amnurosis in her cnae. Tin mutt advue her, first of all, a* she had informed him that she was residing at a considerable distance in the cou itrj, to more into the city at once, and thu§ enable him f o »cc her frequently — if possible, daily. Tbe lady then rented an efogant innnsion, moved into the city, and the physician was panctuul in his attendance. He prescribed this and that, and that ran days into weeks, weeks into month*. The core, however, waa still coming. The physician tried to consolo her. One dny tlio patient hit upon a curious scheme, and the di I not wait long to carry it out. She procured for herself a very old nnd poor attiro, put a hood of a tremendous v 9ize upon her head, took an old umbrella and a market-basket in her hand, and in these habiliments she visited her physician, seleating for the purpose a rain v day. She had so well succeeded in distorting and disguising herself that tho eyes of a lotef could scarcely have recognised her. SI c was obliged to n ait a long time in the ante Doin of the physician, with many othen who, like h«»r, were seeking relief. At last her turn came. 'Well, my good woman, what have you to compluin of?' ' Very veak eyes, doctor,' she answered. Ho took her to the light, and looked into her eyes, but faijed to recognise hi* patient. Shrugging his shoulders, he said 'Tour eyes are all right.' 'What?' ■aid she. ' Yes, I know- what I am saying.'. 4Bnt I hare been told that I was getting a—la — I forget ho#it is called.' 'Amaurosis?' 'Yes, that is it, doctor.' 'Don't yoa belieTO any supli nonsense. Your eyes are a little w«ak, but that is all. Your doctor it an ass !' 'An ' 'Yes, an ass ! Tell him boldly that I say so.' The Udy now arose, and in her customary voice laid, ' Yon are my doctor ; don't you know me ? ' The face that the sage counsellor made is simply indescribable. ' Gracious, madam,' be commenced ; but the lady would not listen, to any apologies and left him indignantly. School teaching at. Wodonga, near Albury (says the Banner} can scarcely be regarded as a peaceful occupation. Only it fortnight since, Mr Davis, tbe master of the State school, was summoned by the mother of one of his pupils, for having inflicted n hat was only a well-deserved chastisement. Tbe easo was, of course, dismissed, but tbe lady in question probably not satisfied with the decision of the Bench, thought fit last week, herself to settle accounts with Mr Davis. Proceeding to the school, she opened fire, by informing Mr Davis that the school was dirty, qualifying the remark with a choice oath. Mr Davis meekly replied that the room would be cleaner when swept. The mild answer, which is said to turn away wrath, did not have such an effect in this case, the lndy being only moved to more active measures thereby. Seizing a wicket stump, she remarked, " the school will be (adjective) soon swept," and then gave Mr Davis a whack on the head. After considerable difficulty, he managed to escape from her playful clutches, and summoned her to tue Police Court^^ where she w as sentenced to seven days' imprisonment, in default of paying the One levied The famous auctioneer, Mr Christie, once, while selling a collection of pictures, having arrived at a chef-d'omvre of Wilson's was expatiating with his usual eloquence on its merits, quite unaware that Wilson himself had just before entered the room. 'This, gentlemen, i» one of Wilson's Italian pictures ; he cannot paint anything like it now.' ' That's a lie ! ' exclaimed the irritated artist, to Mr Christie's no small discomposure, and to the great amusement of the company, ' he can paint infinitely better.' The Athenaum, in an article on amateur aotors, says :—: — " The Dublin audiences were more free and easy in their criticisms and comments than tho more du-nified personages in front of the Kilkenny 6tage — ' that Irish Versailles.' As an instance may ba adduced the circumstmce of an amateur actor who, on coming down to the foot-lights, was seen to have an undesirable rent in a portion of his costume. His cousin was sitting on the front bench in tbe pit ; and he immediately rose, and, in a stage whisper, sent over the orchestra and heard by all the house, ho exclaimed, ' Larry ! Larry ! there's the la«te taste in life of yer linen to be seen ! ! '» The Edinburgh Daily Review records an amusing conversation which took place in one of the galleries of the Bree Church Assembly lately :— Young Lady : ' Thece's old Dr A going to speak. Isn't he a bore ?' Old Lady (laughing): ' Well, I suppose he is ; but do you know I rather like him ?' Young Lady : ' I can't bear him.' Old Lady (after some time) : ' Who is that nice old gentleman speaking ? ' Young Lady: 'Ah! that's Mrß ,ofC .' Old Lady (hesitatingly) : ' Don't you think he is rather prosy ? ' Young Lady (indignantly) : ' No, meed, Ido not. Allow me to inform you that that is my father.' Old Lady : 'Oh ! indeed. Then I am glad I hit the mark so gently, because old Dkj A is my husband. So I suppose we have both got a lesson, my dear. Dont you think so ? ' Ancient (Pilgrim : " Ah, fair sir, all is changed since mj time ! No peas in your shoes now — no toil — no robbery — no danger — everything made easy ; in fact, quite ft pleasant ' excursion.' " Modern Pilgrim : "No robbery — no danger ? Does it occur to you, my venerable friend, that cur ' pilgiimages' are made by rail ?" Ancient Pilgrim " shuts up." — Punch. The editor of a Fredericksburg (Virginia) paper was asked by a stranger " if it was possible that little town kept up four newspapers," and tlie reply was "No.it takes four newspapers to keep up the town." "There is a good story told of Bishop Macrorie. He was sitting next a navy captain, who said to him, ' You have in your province two rival bishops, C and another fellow : wlncli of them do you incline to ? ' 'I am the other fellow,' replied Macrorie. Counsel (to witness) : 'No*, sir, what is the character of the plaintiff in this suit ? ' Witness : ' Her character is slightly matrimonial.' Counsel : ' What do you mean by a •lightly matrimonial character ? ' Witness : ' She's been ' married sev*n times.' If seven days make one week, how many will make one strong. One who is always taking from life, and never destroys it. — A photographer Something for the Alliance. — A new American dictionary defines delirium tremens as a " tight fit." An acute observert-says :—": — " A prominent badge of Aroericat. citizenship appears to be a soiled shirt with gold etnds." Kansas lawyers are fined for profanity and contempt of court when they undertake to quote Latin to the judge. Do ladies who envelope their shoulders in that feminine article of apparel called a ' cloud ' expect that gentlemen will look upon them as angels ? A lovely wife in New York, on the death of her husband, sent the following thrilling telegram : " Dear John is dead ; loss fully covered by insurance " The personal appearance of distinguished persons is thA first thing the present day correspondent makes a note of an#^ speaks of in his report. So one of them, tho other day, yeo saw Captain Jack, the Modoc Chief after his capture, remarked that his appearance would have been improved if he had been washed before he bad been ironed.