MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2581, 26 January 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

(KliOM OI'KOWX COIIKKsrOXDEXT). The principal topic of the week has been f the breaking up of the droughty and it j did break up with a vengeance. To say . that the rain was general all over the . colony is but a mild way of putting it. The country was perfectly deluged, floods being'the result, the like of which have never been known in the previous history of Victoria. They were heaviest in the Mount Alexander water-shed, and upon Oastlemaine and surrounding district the Hood gates opened with terrible velocity. Almost without a moment s warning the waters rushed down the dried and silted up creeks, carrying away bridges dwellings, haystacks and everything lying low enough to obstruct their course, and in a few hours eflecting damage that can only be estimated in thousands of pounds. Unfortunately, also, there was considerable loss of life, and this constitutes the one sad feature in connection with the long hoped for and thrice welcome rain. The Medical Society of Victoria has held its annual meeting, and the public generally will, no doubt, he interested to learn that "a very satisfactory state of affairs was revealed." I don t qui.e know in what sense this should be taken. Does the satisfaction apply to the medical gentlemen themselves, or, to the community upon whom they practice and from whom they draw their tees . The statement is somewhat ambiguous, and lam inclined until I hear an) thing to tl.c contrary to interpret its imbuing satisfactory to the faculty—that is plenty of business on hand. In v lew lam further strengthened by certain iniormation conveved in the Presidents rearing address. Uut of every 10,000 ot the population, eight die annually from a typhoid fever—a disease that is the product of uncleanliness and might he prevented. Again, I notice that during the last year no less than lb-0 eases of tho malady were reported to the Central Hoard of Health, and of th<--e 41'3 terminated fatally. Of a truth things aie looking up—for the doctors. Dr. Youl, tho city coroner is a grim humourist. He has held during the past year an average of more than an inquest per day, and as he never allows his spirits to flag on such occasions he has been afforded full opportunity of displaying his singular wit. The very sight of a corpse'is sullicicnt to sot the playful doetor off, and now that we have a new and more cheerful looking morgue his piocecdings at some of tho inquests held there are diverting in the extreme. The other day he informed a witness that if he didn't take care he would soon hold an inque.-t upon him—a warning which the individual in question took seriously to heart, more especially as the prospect of being when " deceased" the subject of the coroner's morbid jokes was something which his sensitive nature could not contemplate unmoved. On another occasion this delightful raconteur stated to the jury that he frequently saw in the streets men upon whom he had held inquests and registered as dead. This is all very well, so to speak, but what troubles me is this—Did the worthy coroner return the fees paid to bini in connection with those inquests. That seems to me to be the point of the whole

affair. I have been much struck in my walks around the suburbs, by the inordinate amount of garden rubbish burning that is going on. Whether this is the best time to burn garden rubbish is a question susceptible to considerable discussion, but it is the popular season. Groat care should be taken in the composition of the burning heaps. If there are no old rubber shoes handy, a length of oilcloth makes a good substitute. Iheie is nothing, of course, that emits the peculiar flavour of burning rubbish, unless it is hair, but hair is too costly to be considered for a moment. A piece of old oilcloth about three feet in length, subjected to a slow llame, can be smellcd by the most ordinary nose the distance of ten gardens, and to many it is just as satisfying as burning' rubber. It is best that the man should gather the rubbish. This is so evident as to be not worthy of awy discussion. A woman with a long-handled rake is more dangerous than a bad drain. What rubbi-h she gets together scarcely compensates for the damage to the rake or to herself or to any one who happens to be in the same yard at the time, and is too gallant or tuo helpless to take the nearest fence at a flying leap. The crowning performance is when she has got her skirts inextricably tang led up with the implement. She then goes into the bouse, leavitig the rake at the foot of tho verandah steps, with the teeth upwards.