INTERESTING ITEMS.

Northland Age, Volume VI, Issue 3, 6 September 1909, Page 2

INTERESTING ITEMS.

i r-4 The egg of the Mexican humming* hirh is scarcely bigger than a Pin’* head, f 1 Last year 210,845 passengers passI (id through the Suez Canal Of these, l 81.4J1 were soldiers. ’ A well-known scientist has invented An absolutely reliable mechanical ' time-fuse tor big guns. The Admiralty paid to the Marconi Company £20,000 for their patent J rights. The output of coins at the Royal Mint has often averaged 1,000,000 a rtay. 1 "Masking a fleet," is to lock up, or , hem in, an enemy’s fleet in such a manner that it cannot put to sea. Eight .Victoria Crosses were won at Korke’s Drift by 130 British troops, a record for any single action since the institution ot the order. tty Ihe French (Government employs 17,148 people in its Si a to tobacco factories. The great majority o* the employees are women Stuttering children nave lately *>ecome alarmingly numerous in Germany. The public schools contain 80,000 of them. The increase in the number is believed to be largely du« to mimicry. A weird practice has been introduced at Detroit, U S.A. A member ot one of the churches there bought a phonograph, and sang into it his three favourite hymns, "Rock of Ages," "Lead Kindly Light," and "Nearer, my God, to Thee " in his will he left a request that the phonograph should reproduce his voice at. the graveside. in accord a rica with his wishes, the dead man was allowed to sing at. his own funeral. The scheme for the reorganisation of the Chinese Army. . . provides for. . . thirty-six divisions of 12,000 men ea'h (4.80,000) by the

year 1917. There are at the present time at. least 100,000 troops drilled and equipped on modern lines, and . I believe they present a sufficiently formidable force to prevent anyone from light! v taking up arms against them. Ido not believe in the existence of a Chinese Army for purposes other than those of securing the nation against undue interference with its internal affairs at the hands of foreign Powers —lhe Earl of Ronaldshay. Professor Schleich, of the Virchow Hospital, Berlin, has discovered a new anaesthetic (producing insensibility). Jt consists ot two parts of ethyl-chloride, four parts of chloioforin, a nd twelve parts ot sulphuuc ether. This mixture boils at ** very low IcmjK'rature , j n iact, ui the normal temperature of the body. It any one clasps a phiaj cum turning it in his fist tor a lew minutes it boils gently. The patient inhales the vapour of the boiling iiquid and quickly it produces freedom Hum pain, then sleep, jf the Phial be held under his nostrils so that lie continues to inhale vapour, 1 his sensory nexves arc- blunted, he

becomes anaesthetised. IT of. Schfeicii insisih that there Is ,iu danger in using the mixture. He has employed it in mure than 15,000 casc.s liotli in private and hospital practice He has used it as sedative m, nervous diseases and i u a.ri,.,lioas ot the hcail and as a , : , cotie to ease the excruciating pains nlueii characterise some diseases of i lhe ‘“ter,ini oijjaus. its simplicity and harmiessness recommend its use In war, says idol. Sehieich. He suggests that each soldier could I* provided easily with a small quantity of the liquid in a suitable tube, which ne could use lor house!! until lie lound himself m u I(J surgeon's hands. it would be impossible for a soldier to administer an overdose to himself. H e taJi *MiV*D first.