The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-22 00:00:00

isctilaneons 4ntelligturt.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

COMFORTING TO HIS FRIENDS.—The Medical
Circular states that a patient, suffering from inflam-
mation in the chest, recently submitted his expectora-
tion to a scientific authority. The practitioner con-
sulted wrote back: "It is evidently of parasitic nature
but with respect to the precise individuality of the
entophyte I have not yet decided quite to my satisfac-
tion. My mind still hovers between two conclusions
viz., as to whether it is an aborted specimen of a cy-
clocotuloid macromalacooidium, or a highly developed
cryptococceous megalocyst of a strongylopleuron batra-
choleucocopridon.'

TiE LARGEST PIECE OF PORCELAIN IN THE
WORLD.—The great Wall of China.—Punch.

LADY DOCTORS.—The Semaine, published at
St. Petersburg, gives the following particulars
concerning the lady doctors in Russia :—"During
the scholastic year 1874-5 the number of female
students reached 171. Twenty-three are married.
Fifty-three had before received their diplomas as
teachers, and the • professors of both schools of
medicine and surgery expressed themselves much
pleased with their progress and application.'
WANTED TO KNOW.—IS the "nimble nine -
pence " made of quicksilver ?—Fun.
PAY DAY.—" One who Pays on Wed.nes-
days " writes to The Times :—" Statistics have lately
been published which show that the greatest amount
of drunkenness takes place at the end and beginning
of the week. Now that Saturday is 41 half-holiday
and Monday a recognized ' spree ' day, the almost
invariable custom of paying workmen on Fridays or
Saturdays exposes them to irresistible temptation, and
I venture to think that if employe* could be induced
to pay wages in the middle of the viteek it would prove
a practical step in the right direction. The evil becomes
greater and more widely-spread in proportion to the
increase of wages
THE VENTILATION, OF RAILWAY TUNNELS.—In
London, on Tuesday evening, at the meeting of the Insti-
tution of Civil Engineers, Mr. George Robert Stephen-
son, president, in the chair, the above subject was brought
forward in a paper by IVIr. Gabriel James Morrison,
M.lnst.C.E. Discussing the quantity of fresh air that
must be supplied to railway tunnels accprding to their
length and traffic, and the beat method of introducing
it artifically, the author claimed to have shown that
tunnels less than half-a-mile long, with large open spaces
at the ends' might be left to themselves, even when
traversed by frequent trains at short intervals; that
in tunnels up to about seven miles long natural venti-
lation might be trusted to, provided they were advan-
tageously placed, and the traffic was light; and,
lastly, that with a heavy traffic of both passengers and
goods,. where the number of trains approached one per
sTE
et shafts
evenaft s was b
y artificial the longest
e nvst
en
hour in each direction, a tunnel of seven miles with-
honcoiuf ordinaryldbekeptiewehomolee.-
tives were used. Referring to the various expedients
suggested for superseding the coal-burning engine by
hot water, or compressed air locomotives, or by dis-
carding locomotive power in favour of the pneumatic
wtihlaicti
system, the author gave his adhesion to the rope, as
presenting fewer disadvantages than the others.
EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE.—A Ministerial Crisis
in France.—Punch.
COMMUNION OF SAINTS.—The Daily Tele-
graph of Monday says :—" Dr. Cumming informed his
congregation last night that some time ago he preached
at Balmoral on the subject of the Communien-of
Saints in Heaven: He dwelt in his sermon on the
doctrine that all souls in a better world would recog-
nise those whom they had known on earth, and find
pleasure in conversing on the events which had hap-
pened to them on earth. At the close of the-sermon
the Queen, who was one of his hearers thanked him
for the comfort which the subject of his discourse had
afforded her. He felt honoured by the recognition of
so excellent a sovereign, and he was assured of the truth
of his doctrine."
A FATAL ICE ACCIDENT. Towards three
o'clock on Sunday afternoon some ten or twelve boys
were sliding on a pool in the vicinity of Garrison-lane,
Birmingham, when a large mass of ice near the centre
gave way leaving six lads struggling in deep water.
Owing to the rotten state of the surrounding ice and
the absence of boards or other mechanical appliances,
the spectators were unable to render effectual assist-
ance, until a young man named Shettle stripped and
plunged into the pool. He succeeded in grasping and
bringing to land one of the drowning lads, who was
soon restored, but in trying to rescue another by
crawling along the edge of the ibe, he lost his balance
and fell in and was with difficulty rescued himself.
Following Shettle's example, another Man—Minchell
—plunged into the pool, and brought to shore a little
fellow only six years oldovho survived, however, only
a short time. Another young man named Hodgetts,
who afterwards waded into the water was apparently
seized with cramp, and sank before assistance could be
rendered. On the arrival of the police the pool was
dragged, and the bodies of three boys were recovered.
Two other lads were reported missing.