THE EDITORS SCRAP BOOK.

Southland Times, Issue 18059, 31 January 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE EDITORS SCRAP BOOK.

Professor Brown Sequard has made exDerimeuts to determine whether the human oreath is capable of producing any poison* sua effects. From the condensed watery vapour of the expired air hie obtained a ooißorioita liquid, which, when injected tinder tjse skin of rabbits, produced almost immediate death. This poison was not a microbe, but an alkaloid. The distinguished professor considers from these experiments that it is fully proved that the expired ait, both o? man and animals, contains a volatile poisonous principlo which is much move dangerous than carbonic acid. The effect of poor ventilation in a sleeping-room- or public hall is thus made clear. The prisoners in the terrible " Black-Hole ot Calcutta " no doubt died of this volatile poisonous principle, and the same process of poisoning is going on in hundreds of homes in a lesser degree which, if allowed to go far enough, would result as fatally Sickness, weariness, fiintness, and simifor signs of this poison in the system emphasize the cry for better ventilation. In the summer-time, many weak, sickly people build up and grow strong simply because they live most of the time out of doors and get fresh pure air. Hot weather is enervating, while cold weather is invigorating, and it would seem that people ought to build up in the winter iind run down in tha summer. This would be the case if rooms were better ventilated in cold weather, and more fresh air was breathed into the lungs.

Those people who consider that there aro too many holidays in Australia may count them up and compare the number with the total of the holidays in the United States, which is generally believed to be the country of the most treasure, pleasure,, and .. leisure. — New Year's Day, Janiiavyl ; Lincoln's Birthday, February 12; -Washington's Birthday, February 22 ; St;:-J?atriek's .Day, March 17; Decoration Day, May 30 ; Independence Day, July 4 . Labour Day, September 1 ; Thanksgiving Day, November 2 7 ; and Christinas Day.

Ono of the late Archbishop of Canterbury's most arduous duties was the writing of letters. In the corridor at Lambeth ah oak sideboard stands just outside the Archbishop's library, ami there the' letters were piled up by hundreds every day. The Archbishop himself always - read thos<s marked " private," and three, secretaries attended to the rest. The secretaries sometimes drove with him to a meeting reading letters nil tho time. When Dr. Benson first became Archbishop he sent off about 10,000 letters in the year ; latterly the number waa somothing like 15,000.

A miscellaneous collection of curios from numerous sources was recently sold by auction. It included uative skulls, carved imugC3, clubs, shields, &c„ from New Guinea, Chinese and Japanese ornaments, aud a historic flag. This flag is of linen and hand-painted, with the crown, rose, shamrock and thistle, and tho words, •' King land Constitution." It was used at the time of the Coronations of George IV. and William IV. It originally belonged to Miss Wykeham, afterwards the Baroness Wen man, a descendant of William ot Wykeham. She was a Court beauty, and a friend of Queen Adelaide. This historical flag realised jCS Bs. The other principle items were : — Nelson's silver wine strainer, with inscription, •' Capt. Hardy, night-cap brewer, charged with deepest love to his illustrious chief," £i 10s.; large Roman dish, found in a tomb on Mount Carmel. M 10s.; fine red lacquer pagado from the Temple of the Sleeping Bubdha at Peking. £10 10s. ,- choice gold and turquoise flinl and steel box from the Imperial Palace. Peking, .£ls 15s. ; and a silver watch formerly the property of Lord Nelson, .£9 9s. The native skulls from New Guinea, the traffic of which is now stopped by \ht British New Guinea Government, realise^ from £3 to £5 a pair.

It is Letter to be brief in business announcements, and the Putney fishmongci who announced "Winkles is Riz" was «' model in his way. Even brevity, however has its pitfals, as the Dewesbury Swimming Club discovered last year when, in adver tising its annual ball, it announced on th placards, " Dress optional." It was a harmless sensation, almost happy enough to have been deliberate, but such slips are not always made with impunity. There aro some, says the " St James., which aro unfortunate—as, for example, the one displayed in a shop window in North London, which ran s " Our superior butter is one shilling per pound ; no one can touch it." Annual sale going on," ran another ; " don't go anywhere else to be cheated — come in here. There was something wrong, too, about the advertisement which asked for a boj who could " open oysters with a reference," and that of the furrier who undertook to " make up gowns, eape3, &c. for ladies, oui of their own ekin." The advertisement of a phaeton for sale was curiously awkward. It ran j- " To be disposed of, a mail phaeton, the property of a gentleman with a moveable headpiece as good as new." Here are one br two others of the race : Widow in comfortable circumstances wishes to marry two sons." " Wanted, an organist, and a boy to blow the same." " Wanted, a room for two gentlemen abouL-thirty feet long and twenty feet broad."

It is an error to suppose that the Hebrew population is rapidly, and in all lands,- increasing. This may be true in BiL-sia, Austria, and Koumania, also, perhaps, in England and in the United States. In Germany it is certainly not the case. Until lSSO^Gennan Jews increased at a more rapid rate than the Christian population; but since that year a distinct failing-off is perceptible. An examination of the rate of births conclusively proves this. From 1820 to 1866 the number of Jewish births was 37 per thousand of the entire population. In the following four years this percentage sank te 30. During the past nine years it has sunk still further to 22 per cent,

A Japanese girl's marriage dowry con* asts of nothing beyond her dresses, a little writing-deik, a box of cosmetics and other toilet necessaries, a couple of little dining tables, and a few lacquer plates. Japanese women do not inherit fortunes, and in families where there is no eon one is aboptcd as an heir. Women of the poorer chuses axe most to be. pitied. A husband is as free as a bachelor, and can do exactly as iie chooses. A man marries when he likes, and when he tires of his wife he may put her away and take another with aa little f ass as we make about changing our tradespeople. These exchanges, or divorces, are most frequent among the poor, but are comparatively taw among the upper classes.

A royal wedding isa very expensive affair, not only for those who give it, but for each guest. The presents necessarily cost a great deal, for only the richest and rarest gifts can be offered to Eoyalty. Besides a gift each guest must leave a sum of money for every servant and attendant in his host's house. As there are numerous attendants, and each one must receive a " tip" according to his rank, a great deal of money is necessary. At the marriage bf the GranS Duke and Duchess of Hesse, the guests left altogether £1,759 to be dis tributed, besides distributing over £1,500 worth of gifts among the. servants before their departure.