Items.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 5124, 6 November 1891, Page 4

Items.

The Post reports that during the progress of an entertainment at the Wellington Opera House two young women appeared on the stage in opposition to the wishes of the Committee, and contributed a vocal duet. The singing was below the average, and the contributors were subjected to frequent interruptions. After they had retired. Mr R. Johnston came forward and explained that the committee had struck the item off the programme, but nevertheless the young women had persisted in appearing. The committee regretted what had taken place, and trusted that the audience would not blame them in any way. Home Tooke, being asked by George lIT. whether he played cards, replied, "I caunot, your Majesty, tell a king from a knave." As to the treatment of influenza, that is hardly the subject for a non-medical paper. As a rule, confinement to one's room is the sole treatment required. But you cannot impress that 011 the busy man. He pooh-poohs the slight affection until he is in the grip of a more dangerous enemy than the influenza. After the attack is the most dangerous time ; then want of care will almost surely lead to a relapse or the more fatal pneumonia. I will quote from Sir Morell Mackenzie the following words, which are pregnane with warning, and a fitting conclusion to my article : "For some little time after the mast trivial .attack of influenza the greatest care is necessary to prevent relapse, and it will be well if extra precautions are taken-against catching cold for a considerable period afterwards. Of the consequences of influenza it may be said, with the most literal truth, that he that loveth danger shall perish in it." —Newcastle Chronicle.

The rei>orts which have reached England from Chili concerning the efficacy of the Mrinnlicher rifle as an engine of war have induced the War Office authorities to test its capabilities. Though it is the weapon with which the Austrian soldiers art-almost exclusively armed, there are no restrictions placed upon its sale outside the Austrian dominions. Information has come to England, from a source that can be relied upon, as to the capabilities of this weapon, which is declared to be even superior to the Lebel, this being from English surgeons who have treated the wounded. The rifle possesses the power of driving a bullet through a whole rank of men, and it has been demonstrated that the wounds are clean cut, and not jagged and splintered as in the case of other rifles.

Young Wife : "John, mother says she wants to be cremated." lToung Husband : " Tell her if she'll put on her things I'll take her down this morning." It is stated that one of the Sydney wool companies has a burring machine recently imported from America which effectually eradicates all burrs and other extraneous matter from sheepskins, and its work is done in the most satisfactory manner. Skins thickly matted with burrs and seed are put through this machine and turned out clean and free, without doing the slightest injury to the wool, while its value is materially enhanced. Colonel Granville Sevier, of the Tennessee Militia, receives this peculiar compliment from the Nashville American : " Wherever the Colonel moves, grirnvisaged war puts 011 a cheerful countenance, and giggles across the bloody gulf at the angel of peace." Judging by the phenomenally crowded state of Raquet-court (the headquarters of the London Society of Compositors), the printing trade in London must be in a condition of temporary collapse. One day last week over 1200 members "signed the book " as being out of employment. This, it may be noted, refers only to "society hands," the very flower of the trade, and takes no account of compositors outside the union pale. Mr A. W. Tuer, the well-known publisher, writes to the Pall Mall Gazette : "This morning, just after leaving my home on Campden Hill, I was passed by a white smooth-haired dog, who held in his mouth a newspaper packet, which he dropped in front of the street pillar-box by St. George's Church, and, turning round, proceeded to express his contempt for newspapers in general, and that one in particular, after the manner of his kind. He then scuttled back the way lie had come. On turning over the packet with the point of my umbrella, I sawthat it was stamped and addressed in a-'female hand to someone in the country, so I picked it up and dropped it into the box. The owner of rhc idiotic brute, who no doubt has often been to that pillai -box for an airing, will probably hear that the newspaper arrived safely. She will assume that her pet stood on its hind legs and posted it. and she will then lush into the Spectator. But perhaps this plain statement of fact may be the meaus of sparing us another wonderful instance of animal sagacity."