The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-06-12 00:00:00

PROFESSOR SYMES THOMPSON ON
COUGH.

In London, on Monday evening, Professor Symed
Thompson, F.R.C.P., gave an interesting lecture on
" Cough "in Gresham College, Basinghall-street. He
pointed out that cough was not a disease, but a
symptom, and illustrated its value as an early evi-
dence of chest disorder. There was really such a
thing as an art of coughing. The main condition
to be observed was to take a deep inspiration, so that
there might be a good current of air to remove
the obstruction. In cases where the surface of the
thrtiat was BO dry that irritation was the conse-
quence, the atmosphere might be moistened by means
of air evaporated from a kettle such as that invented
by Mr. Courtney, of Clarges-street, London. On the
other hand, if there were an excessive moisture on the
throat surface, a cough was an absolutely desirable
thing which tended to get rid of it. Cough was fre-
quently caused by elongated uvula, enlarged tonsil,
and derangement of the digestive organs, as well
as by affection of the lungs, so that it was a mistake
to suppose that any one remedy could be a specific
for a disorder dependent on organs so diverse.
He advised them to use simple remedies for a
cough, such as sipping cold water, swalloving barley
water or linseed tea. He also recominended the effer-
vescing lozenges manufactured by Mr. W. T. Cooper,
of Oxford-street, London, by the use of which they
might removathe irritation more easily than by taking
large qunntities of physic. Lastly he warned them
not to be too impatient to get rid of a cough, as undue
haste very frequently rondered recovery hopeless.
When properly understood a cough was often a valu-
able indication of the state of the system.
The lecture, which was illustrated by diagrams and
experiments, was listened to with great attention by a
numerous audience.

PROPOSED UNION OF ENGLISH-.
SPEAKING NATIONS.
In London, on Monday evening, at the Social
Science Association, I, Adam-street, Adelphi, Dr.
Cornelius Inglis read a paper on "The more Intimate
Union cf the English-speaking Nations:" The Earl of
Rosebery presided.
Dr. Inglis said he had been induced to take up the
subject by Americans, who assured them that their
countrymen would support the proposal. At first he
thought of travelling in the States to ascertain this,
but it seemed to him impertinent for an Englishman to
obtain the consent of Americans whilst utterly ignorant
of the feelings of his own countrymen. Hence this at-
tempt to open the discussion. The proposal would be
practically for the reunion of the United States and
the British Empire. They were both already vast
unions, containing amongst themselves greater diffe-
rences than existed between the heads of each con-
federacy. Was the separation principle established by
the United States and Great Britain to continue as the
rule,, and Australia and our other colonies to separate
in time, all forming separate nations, jealous of each
other, and liable to war and all its consequences?
Or should the United States and Great Britain, by
reunion, set the opposite example, and try at least to
consolidate the whole permanently, abolishing all war
frontiers amongst themselves. The proposal was not
to reduce all to one government, but that each part
should govern itself as it thought fit, leaving those
born in any part free of the rent, as an English-
man in Australia or an Australian in England,
requiring no naturalisation, and not losing his
rights in his native country by settling else-
where. What was the use of philanthropists and others
talking about the harmony of nations and abolition of
war if the easiest practical steps towards such objects,
the reunion of the English nations, and the abolition
of war amongst them, could not even be attempted?
They already 'agreed in many things. The usual
religions were of the Protestant type, or Biblical,
with freedom of Judgment; they disliked war,
instead of deeming it a glorious, humane occupation;
they both loved freedom and hated all impediments to
intercourse, trade, and expression of opinion, and
having one language they were easily fellow-workers in
science, literature, ..tc. If they could harmonise the
example of a vast union will be shown to all the world.
If they could not it would be practically telling the
rest of mankind that such unions were impossible.
He granted the greatness of the difficulties, and there
would be need of time, much patience, and the skill
of experts in each particular difficulty, that details
had better not be settled at once. Dr. Inglis con-
cluded by urging that the attempt should be made like
the civilised beings we profess to be.
In the discussion which ensued, Mr. Joseph Brown,
Q.C. and Mr. Freelandpointed out the utter imprac-
ticability of the proposal.
A vote of thanks to Dr. Inglis for his paper was
passed.

ORIGIN OF SIMNEL 02UKES.—A happy couple having I
a domestic dispute as to whether a pie or pudding
should form part of their day's dinner, wisely deter-
mined to compromise tho matter by first boiling and
afterwards baking their piece of confectionery. This
double act of cookery produced the " Shrewsbury
Simnel ;" and the cake received its cognomen from the
names of the couple whose taste 6 and differences
caused its discovery, and who resrecti77ely bore the
names of Simon and Nell,

EGG-EATING HENS.
At a recent meeting of the Farmers' Club of the
American Institute, a letter from a boy of thirteen
wag read, asking how hens were to be kept from eating
their own eggs. He had an inclined nest with a hole
in one end a box beneath, and found that to be the best
way. Mr. Ely said that the hens should be given cer-
tain quantities of pounded oyster or clam shells to eat.
They must eat something to make their egg shells, and
lime and some hard substance was required. Dr. Smith
said that the fowls got enough lime in their ordinary
food, and that they did not need to be given pounded
shells. Nature provided them with what they wanted.
He suggested that Mr. Ely should shut up a hen, and
keep pounded shell from it, and he would find that the
eggs would have a shell. Mr. Ely said that he had
tried that very experiment, and found that the hen
dropped only soft eggs. Other members of the club
agreed with Mr. Ely that it was necessary to give hens
pounded shells. Mr. Wolf said that the hens needed
lime to make their egg shells. If they got it in their
food pounded shells were not required. If they c:id
not get enough lime in their food it should be given
to them in some form. A stranger asked how it was
that so many eggs came from parts of the west where
there was no shell? Dr. Wellington said that the
fowls got what lime they needed in the water they
drank. Mr. S. E. Todd said from the middle of
December last until the 25th of March the ground had
been covered with snow all round his premises. His
fowls could not have access to the ground, and had not
been supplied with lime or oyster-shells, yet they rolled
out the eggs covered with hard shells every day. They
found plenty of lime in the mush and milk and other
feed which they got every day.—Live Stock Journal
and F'ancier's