GLIPPINGS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1892, 21 August 1884, Page 4

GLIPPINGS.

A ropi/LAtt school' , in the north. of Shropshire rejoices in the possession of a second master of n highly original turn ot mind. A few days ago oue of tin biggest pupils in the school, who take* tht: lead in all the exploits of fresh am enthusiastic youth, was " called up ' for a brief niteiview. One of the par tics to the dismission was a lony ltbht cane, guaranteed to curl aionnd u fellow and make him sing. " Bt:nd down," observed the second master inainu.itingly. " Shant," remarked the pupil, who was a fair head and shoulders talle? than the pedagogue " I beg your par don ?"' said the latter. " Shan't," repeated the lad ; "so take it out of that. I'm not goinir to be caned ; I'm not a boy." " 01), very well," said the master, " very well ; if yon won't be treated as a boy, come down stairs and be treated as a man." He took off hi? coat as he spoke and rolled up his sleeves. They adjourned to the playground, and the cocky youngster, revelling in his superior build, and the diminutive sec ond master had to set-to. In about ten minutes the master had given the lad as : sound a thrashing as ever he had in his life, and subsequently he prevailed upon him to take a gentle caning in the sanctity of an upper room. There is no moral to this story. Fluids and Fat. — The removal of surplus fat from the body by appropriate means naturally forms a subject of interest to the Avell-to-do classes. Various modifications of solid diet having had their day, the consumption of fluids is now undergoing regulation in respect of quantity among those who find their own presence insupportable. There is something in this theory, inasmuch as liquids, merely as such, materially aid the digestion and absorption of the food with which they are taken. Again, several of the fluids in most common use are, diiectly or indirectly, fat forming. Thus cocoa contains a very large proportion of fat, coffee a considerable amount, along with amyloid substances, which are also leprcsonted in tea to a much smaller extent, and which leadilypass, by chemical decomposition, into the form of fat. Beer, wine and spintaie all fattening, partly in consequence cf their saccharine and staiohy constituents, and partly from their tendency to hinder excretion of waste products of food, and, when acting on any but a languid frame, to hurry and to slur that methodical oxidation by the blood on which the maintenance of sound tissue depends. Genet al opinion, we are sure.will bear us out in saying that when the. solids consumed aie modeiate in amount and digestible, and when the fluid is mci ely fluid, not fatty or amyloid in its'composition and not stimulcnt, free drinking will not influence obesity. We can call to mind hea\y iliinkuis of water and regular consumers of tea, moderate in diet otheiwise, whose habits eugendeied not the slightest tendency to corpulence. We should without hesitation, recommend their practice to the stont, and should rely for the reduction of their bulk not on any further ?lteiation of their diet, which might easily bocanied 60 tar as to starve their moe impoi tant tissues, but on the nmintenanoii of regular and sufficient physical exercise. — Lancet