TOWN AND COUNTRY NOTES

Western Star, Issue 2215, 21 June 1898, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY NOTES

(from our own correspondent.) SUPREME COURT. r Tho temiarv sittings of the Supreme j. Court commenoed in Invercargill on the 13» b inst., and the criminal business, being nousually heavy, occupied nearly the whole of l the week, up till Wednesday or Friday at any t rate. On the civil side tbe most important j case is that of Fleming v. Bank of New Z?a- j land, and Thursday, *he 23rd, has been definitely fixed for'taking it. The other oases will be proceeded with to-day. < EXPORT OF FISH. I The fishing establishment at Pegasus, < Stewart Island, is now in full swing. Last j week 168 cases of frozen blue cod were sent over for shipment to Melbourne and Sydney. These frozen fish are admitted duty free in both poits, and when there are subjected to the smoking process so that smoked blue cod, a toothsome delicacy, is placed on the market at a moderate price. Groper is reported to be very plentiful just now. A consignment of 86 was received for the local market. Now, groper is a more eatable fish than people are generally apt to believe. When nicely boiled it eats very well. ABOUT WAR. In these tim°e when we look to onr daily pacers to give an account of actual warfare between two powerful nations, it is interesting to recollect that the greatest distance shot has been fired is a few yards over 15 miles, wbioh was tbe range of Krupp’s we'l-known monster 130-ton si eel gun firing a shot which weighed over a ton and a quarter. The combatants in tho present struggle are unequally matched, as the Americans seem to have tbo bast supply of long-range and quick firing guns. But, after all, warfare nowadays is a dreadful thing to contemplate. The following weighty words are therefore worth taking notice of i —“ Wars arc io be deprecated, whether carried on for absolutists for the suppr ssion of liberty or by republicans for the advancement of freedom. War may ’strengthen the empire of despotism, but it cannot possibly advance liberty. It strengthens wrong, for whatever motive it may bo waged, because it turns men’s minds away from improvement, and evokes the worst feelings of tho human heart. Freedom can only b.vs and flourish in an atmosphere of intelligence and virtue; war, with its intrigues and vindictiveness, vitiates that atmosphere, Sad consequently impedes the growth of tho principle for which it was waged.” NATIONAL GRANARIES. The question of establishing national wheat stores in Great Britain has been agitating the public mind for some time. A committee of members of parliament and leading agriculturists has lately been taking evidence on the subject, and their report was expected to be issued shortly. It was indicated that the reserves of wheat in hand were very short, and in time of war the ! result wonld be most disastrous. Tbe 1 quantity consumed per week; of English ’ and foreign wheat was 500,000 quarters. Hence it was suggested ton milllipn 1 quarters should be stored in national granaries 1 One writer stated that he ha) kept English 1 wheat for one year and foreign wheat for 1 five years in excellent condition. It is estimated that there will be a shipment of 5,000,000 quarters of wheat from tho River Plate this year. E . TUBERCULOSIS. The report of the Royal Commission on ' Tuberculosis was presented to the House of Commons on 26th April last. The Commission recommended that funds be placed at ■ the disposal of the Board of Agriculture for - the preparation of commercial tuberculin, and 3 that stockowners be encouraged to test their 5 animals by the offer of a gratuitous supply of tuberculin and the gratuitous services of > a veterinary surgeon. It appears that the 3 Danish government, by tbe expenditure of a ■ very small sum in the gratuitous distribution i of tuberculin, and the provision ot free veterinary assistance bad, np to May 1897, inB duoed the Danish farmers to test and separj ate as many as 144,000 cows and heifers. t INFLUENZA AGAIN. '* Since writing on the influenza plague J several cases have come under notice where fc pneumonia has superveued, and one valuable life has been lost. The same authority - already referred to gives tho following hints 3 as to "treatment, and as residents in the 1 country districts cannot always command the j services of a doctor on short notice, the 3 recommendations may prove useful: j “ While warmth in bed, if the sufferer is one of those contented beings who can lie in bed, r is very serviceable, I cannot say that doing , so can kill tbe bacilli, but it helps to kill 1 secondary symptoms. Warmer clothing i when out of doors; as much light, nutritious i food as can be taken; aperients; stimulants only jf ordered by a physician, because their action is only temporary, they are merely * cheques drawn upon the Bank of Health, and • they have got to be paid for, as reaction is certain to follow. If they seem to warm the ! blood they in reality cool it. Well, as to medicine proper, some find great benefit from quinine, while it increases the headache in others. Of coarse, the patient should let the doctor see to tho prescribing. Nevertheless, the medicine called antipyrrhiuo, taken by itself, generally relieves tbe beadaobc in a few hours. At the same time a mixture of silicilate of soda and bromide of potassium does much good. Ido uot believe in giving prescriptions in newspapers. They are often dangerous, but any respectable chemist will give the doses according to strength and age.”