USEFUL HINTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2122, 13 February 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

USEFUL HINTS.

HOCKING t'IIIMUIEV. Dojv'l rock babies, eithri in crib or c^iair. The* motion in nn uuhmlihy one. Tiy it ! RiK'k yoni-elf halt .i-i-liour without interruption, und koo how your head fci-ls .' lam jilad rorkus ire Loiug out of fashion. They h.ivi' mj n• «l thoiiKuud-i of phildren. Don't «'hum it* br.tini* by trotting it on kme, or ihuMUUjr it tip .iiwl down iv vim li n d». X"!u* but a hi-t-'l t-» OK'ii^ tiiinbhr miul'l ftfiml hu<h nonwt-e. How tunny fatal bend diseases liim oiiyin it- il iv tin-common practice of lln* nur-ory I know not, hut inn ccitain tlip number m«i»t Imvo bct'n very large, ■in.l th it myriads !i ivo b (>cn mischievously a (Ice tod, who have n t did. ,

TItKATMbNT OK MtM'KI.KS. tie\cral correspondents wiitc to us lh.it iv a recent number of the British Medical Jounnl the following recipe for fuckles was givt-n :—"A solution of perchloride of mercury, made by dissolving twehe proms of the perchloride in two ounces of rectified spirit, and six mincps of dist'lleil w.iter, is recommended as useful in the ticatmunt of freckles. The solution is dabbed on daily after washing and at bedtime." Our opinion has been asked residing the efficacy of this treatment. AH we can say is that such a. mivture, in our opinion, might prove highly dangerous in the hinds of thu public on the plain ground that perchloride of mercury is a powerful poison, and in the quantity recommended would constitute a source of danger should such a mixture be left outside tho guardianship of lock aud key.

THi: HANDS. The hands, like the face, require (says on English medical paper) very little covering, while, on the contrary, their usefulness i" apt to bo somewhat interfered with by gloves. The blood supply of the hand is liberal, nnd the circulation within it free, and it is thus well able to resist ordiuary cold, and to bo indifferent to ordinary fluctuations of temperature, Except in quite cold weather, gloves may be regarded rather ai ornamental than as necessary to a perfect atti re. The constant wearingof tight kid gloves must somewhat impair the circulation of the part, and render the hand nttentuatcd by discouragingthe proper use of \U muscles. A white and emaciated, "delicato " hand, is, however, at the proscut time admired iv Indies, and there is, therefore, some reason for constant glove wearing. Individuals with feeble circulation*, as well iv tho-^e who are liable to chilblains on the hand, and to chappins* on exposure, are obviously more in nred of home hnndcnvcring than are pcr«oni in perfect health. Accoiding to Dr. Buck, silken mid woollen gloves aro more apt to lead to chapping than are glovei made of kid or dosr-skin. Tim kid plovo, by the density of its Ktructuro, affords protection ;iyrain>t wind, but a* a protection ugninbt cold it is comparatively valueless.

A Loxdon paper, of recent date, says it is reported that a great scheme for the defence of India has beou'-'laid out. It is a huge undertaking, but the Indian Government has approved of it. and it now awaits the sanction of the Home authorities. The cost is calculated to be no les3 than £80,000,000 steiling, to be spent in eightfyeais. The plan includes the defence of Singapore, Ceylon, Aden, Bombay, aud Kutrachee. The latter place will be a most important post. This, to begin with, i-i[a larga order, but it is by no means all.' In ptusuauce of the new scheme proposed for the protection of India, a l.iilway will be made to Pisheen, passing through a 'strongly entrenched '.camp there. The Khojak Puss is to bo fortified, and a powerful post created at Clnnnar, which will be the terminus of the rail Thence to Caudal'ar all the earthworks and bridges are to be made so that rails can be laid down iv a few da,\s. It is also pioposed to havo the earthworks and bridges prepared fora i ail way from Ca»dahar,to Cabul. Iho scheme of the defence of India shows that Peshiwur ia to be strongly fortified and a stiong post established at ,1 mm ood, and a strategic line of raih is to be laid along the banks of the Inilus, connecting the post 3 of Kobat, Dtsra Ismail Khan, Attoclc, &c. The pi in, moiuoMT, provides tint liaihours uf refuge for woinm, childu*n, the s>iek ami invalid-, arc to be formed i>t the hill stations of Muna, D.illumsio and Knssanli. If Russia t;ives ns time to carry out all these things we ought to be able to hold her in check very easily.

Mrs Bryant D.Sc, read at the Anthropological Society an interesting paper on the methods of scientifically testing the character of children. She had set a large class of girls, aged about thirteen, to describe from memory a certain room or a cci tain picture. The exercises wero examined for the respective qualities they yielded—(l) Of perception or the power of seeing things ; (2) of apprehension or the power of seeing what the things were ; (3) of inference ; and (4), of imagination. Each of tlipse gave some valuable sub-results. Thus, under perception, came the faculty of order. Some children would describe the objects without auy arrangement, others according to place, and a very few logically, or according to the relative importance of the objects. Under imagination came pesthoticism, subdivided into form and colour, the dramatic or story-telling instiucts, the sense of humour, and what Mrs Bryant called emotionalism. It was noteworthy that the emotional girls, who used plentifully such adjectives as "lovely" and "sweet," bhowed the greatest deficiency in the 'more valuable faculties—iv other words, emotion was mostly found to be a substitute for thought. Mrs Bryant claimed for such tests as these considerable efficiency both as regards education aud the cho;ce of a profession. She had endeavored to extend the tests to the higher intellectual faculties, but the lesults, though striking, were uot sufficiently certaiu for soieirtitic purposes.

A Royal Battue.—A royal battue is a relic of medieval days that shonld be frowned down in every civilised cominuuity, but it is a sport iv which princes of high degree find especial favour. In all the great European States there are vast preserves iv which game of all kinds are bred for hunting purposes, and when a royal battue is arranged the game is gradually driven by a host of beaters to a certain spot in the forest where the monarch and his assembled guests arc ready for the slaughter. In France, Germany, and Hungary there are big game that fight for their lives, but in England, pheasauts, partridges and hares form the most prominent part of the game card. The Prince of Wales and his sons on their visit to Fastwell Park> the seat of the Duke of Edinburgh, indulged in this recreation, and, with other visitors to the number in all of twelve guns, they bagged no less than SOO pheasants, as well as GOO rabbits in a single day. The Court crier au» nounces w ith great gusto that the young Prmces have become excellent shots, nnil the same day had the honour of beating their father. The Priuce of Wales anil his two sons, George and Edward, all happened to be together in one hot corner, where they brought down betwem them no less than 127 pheisants, Prince George killing 54, Priuce Edward 48, and the Prince of Wales but 26. The Prince, however, is au experienced rifle shot, ami on the same occasion brought down a fine red ileer weighing upwards of 25 6tone > which happened to run across one of the drives where the party were pheasantshooting. The Priuce shot the deer at a ,(lis^ance of about. 500 yards, and killed it with a single shot. As pheasants command a very fair price in the London market, there is no doubt but that the thrifty Duke turned many an boncst penny on the week's battue.—American paper. .