TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7382, 7 August 1889, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Those who carry back their memories about fifteen years ago when the bicycle was first coming into extensive vogue, will remember that both the machine and its rider were looked upon by no means with general favor. Owners of horses regarded the bicycle as a species of infernal machine devised by the evil one for the express purpose of frightening their steeds. Sometimes the bicyclistwere not very skilful, or not very judicious, and by steering too closely to timid old ladies and nervous elderly gentlemen, laid themselves open to the undying enmity of those far from insignificant sections of Society. Had the " Sorcerer " been at handj.with his stock of "penny curses" he would have done a roaring trade. " Mr Punch " reflected the prevailing spirit, and so far forgot his usual good humor as to become downright savage in bis onslaught on the " cads on castor 3," as he politely termed them. Looking at the popularity which the pastime has since attained, it seems as if the times just referred to must have been somewhere back in the Middle Ages. The other day no leas a personage than the Eight Hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons presided over a public luncheon of cyclists held at Leamington, and waa loud in his praise of the exercise. No fewer than 500,000 people in the United

Kingdom, he said, used cycling in some form or other. He declared that it was a healthy and invigorating sport—"a sport which had opened up new vistas to this generation, which had enabled them to bear the strain of ordinary daily life, and which he trusted might conduce not only to the bodily welfare, but to the mental strength of every patron of cycling." Not without reason the Right Hon. gentleman put in a word of warning against overdoing attempts to " beat the record." He referred in particular to one cyclist who had started from Land's End and went to John O'GroaPs House, a distance of 861. miles, in five days one hour and forty-five minutes. This, he said, was a feat which he did not wish to recommend. They were not all of them physically formed so as to. be able to perform a feat of that kind, nor did he recommend foolhardy feat 3. Used rationally and in moderation, there is no doubt that cycling has added greatly to the enjoyment of life, and has brought fresh air and change of scenery within the reach of thousands who would otherwise have been pent up in cities, amidst bricks and mortar and a murky atmosphere, while they are now able to revel in the sweet sights and sounds of the country.

The Victorian Government do not believe in tinkering with the rabbit pest but have gone in for dealing with it in a comprehensive fashion. The Budget for this year contains an item for rabbit wirenetting fence of .£150,000. The Colonial Treasurer said the Government, after careful inquiry, came to the conclusion that the best thing that could be done was to take steps as soon as possible for a united effort to exterminate this pest, aud to place a sufficient sum of money on the Estimates to do that effectively, not to confine themselves to an expenditure of so much this year, so much next year, and possibly also of something for a third year, but to devote at once a sum of J_150,000 to clearing the country of this pest. The other colonies and Victoria, he added, found that the expenditure year by year was really equal to throwing the money into Hobson's Bay. It did not lessen the pest in any degree, and the money was simply dribbled away year after year. Again, the Minister of Lands, in iritroducing the Rabbit Destruction Bill, spoke to very much the same effect, and gave some striking figures as to the proportions which the pest had assumed in Victoria. The Government, he said, had spent £145,000 in ten years in endeavoring to to remove rabbits from Crown lands; local bodies and private individuals had expended a [considerably larger sum on private lands, but the pest was worse than ever. It was estimated that the Government expended j_20,000 a year on the work, the Shire Councils and private individuals .£IOO,OOO a year, and that the rabbits destroyed crops and grass to the value of _350,000 a year. Our Victorian neighbors have been wise in taking advantage of their splendid surplus this year in making a bold and determined effort to get rid of this destructive nuisance. They could hardly spend any of their money to better purpose, and we congratulate them on the manner in whioh they are going to work.

" Sal Volatile " is a remedy which used to meet the eye very frequently in the pages of novels some years ago, where it was invariably applied with great success to bring round the heroine after the numerous fainting fits in which she used to indulge, particularly towards the middle of the third volume. Ladies in fiction don't faint so frequently now as they used to do. What their practice may be in real life we will not pretend to sufficient experience to be able to say. Our impression is that they have improved in this respect since lawn tennis became more popular, but that may be taken for what it is worth. However, certain it is that one does not hear so much of sal volatile asl formerly, (and when we came across the name in an English paper the other day it was like the reappearance of an old friend. A chemist was summoned at the Bow street Police Court for selling sal volatile prepared not according to the requirements of the British Pharmacopoeia. A scientific witness was called to inform the Court what sal volatile should be, and replied, " A solution, partly aqueous and partly spirituous, of carbonate of ammonia, with certain essential oils of nutmeg, cinnamon, and lemon, thereby constituting a stimulating alkaline solution." Needless to say our re-peot for the drug is immensely increased after this impressive description. The fault charged against the sample sold by the chemist was that it had not sufficient ammonia, and only about half the required quantity of alcohol. It was made pretty clear, however, that the difference arose out of what is now known at Home as the Battle ot the Pharmacopoeias. The chemist's preparation was made according to the London, the scientific witness contended that it ought to have been made up according to tbe British Pharmacopoeia. The case was ultimately adjourned. It seems that there is a marked difference between the two standards. For instance, the scientific 1 witness laid stress upon the fact that hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid) was double as strong in the London as in the British Pharmacopoeia, and any chemist making up a prescription written with the intention of having the medicine made up according to the latter, might cause very grave results if he went by. the former plmnnacopoaia. This sounds alarming on the face of it, but aa a matter of fact we believe it is thoroughly well understood among all chemists that unless specially ordered otherwise the British Pharmacopoeia is to be followed. A few doctors, principally among the older practitioners, prefer the Pharmacopoeia Londonensis, but it is only occasionally used.