The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-03 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS MAGAZINES

The Commercial Travellers'.—This body having
lately risen into deserved inepor!ance, have set a
good' example to all similar societies and bodies,
by starting a magazine, devoted, of course, to their
peculiar intrests, and containing all information
or statistics relating to business ; but, neverthele.
the remaining articles will be quite as attractive to
the general reader as those of more pretentious
serials. Commercial topics are discussed in a
fair and business-like spirit, and the stories and
sketches contain some entertaining pass tges. We
trust it will succeed for the general benefit of a
body so enterpritdug and intcbigent.

Thl Train, which styles itself a first cl•3ss maga-
zine, hardly merits that title. It is, however, anew
publicat o.:, and therefore is not t:-) be judged se-
verely. The lovers of tl'e lminoroui will find
amusement in its pages, as it has several papers
elevated to the ludicrous.

Tait's Edinburgh Magazine opens a paper
on the Bank Charter and Currency L 7 ;vs, a sub-
ject which is now engrossing so much of public at-
tention. Two of the most attractive articles are
something of a similar character, being entitled
" Tangled Talk," and " Gleanings and Fragments,"
and both consist of short essays or slit-toles on
various topics. The story of " Broken Mf,mnries"
is continued with interest. There arc many other
articles, none of them very striking. The best
subject being "Frederick Schiller."

The Eclec:c Review has not a very attractive
table of contents. The practical politician ma),
however, be interested in two papers on the Sound
Dues and the Euphrates Valley route to India.
The Indian Archipelago conveys some useful geo-
graphical information. "The Treitment of th:,
Insane" is the topic of the opening- paper, and is
one which well merits the attention of all philan-
thropists.

Le Follet is, as usual, the authority for matters
of fashion, and its plates are as graceful and pretty
as modern fashions will allow.

DEATHS FROM SNAKEBITES IN INDIA.

Tha rinmb.r rf &falls arising from -snakebites in
the various zillahs and towns subordinate to this
presidency having been brought to the notice of
Mr. A. Bettington, Commissioner of Police, by
several magistrates, that gentleman addressed a
letter to Government to the following effect :
"I have the honour to report, fir the informa-
tion of the Government, that the loss of liie from
the bites of snakes in some districts of this presi-
dency is considerable. In the Dharwar Zillah, for
instance, no less than 16 deaths are reported to
have occurred within the last four mouths from
this cause. It appears that more deaths are occa-
sioned by snakebites than by tigers. I beg to pro-
pose for the consideration of Government that re-
wards be offered for the destruction of snakes,
eight annas for a snake of any kind, and 12 annas
for a cobra ; to be paid upon the product.on
of the snake forthwith by the Patel and
Kolkurnee of the village, who will forward the dead
snake (by the village Mhar), with the receipt, to
the nearest Mahulknrry or Mamlutudar. It is ab-
solutely necessary that the p aymeut should I.e
prompt, and the reward sufficiently high t) induce
people to occupy themselves in killing snakes. I
purpose to make no exception, because the carpet
snake, foorsa,' the whip snake, and the cobra (the
snakes most commonly met with), are all poisonous,
and there can be no exercise of discrimination. In
an exceptional case, it would not answer to with-
draw payment, whilo ignorant persons, unab'e to
detect the poison-fang and gland, were debating
whether the reptile was or was not poisonous. It
will be necessary also that the magistrate shall con-
tinue to urge and compel the removal of mases of
prickly pear from the villages. In many places it
does not exist in the form of a boundary hedge,
but in patches of greater or less extent, not only
occupying ground that might be turne I to other
purposes, but harbouring reptiles and infecting the
air."

In reply the Government approved and sanc-
tioned the suggestions of the Commissioner of
Police. The people, encouraged by the rewards
offered, are occupying themselve3 most actively in
destroying these reptiles. Each day nearly 300
dead snakes are brought in. Mr. Bettington saw
an immense number of every description ; the most
common of all is one called the "foorsa." The
civil surgeon of Rutnagherry knows no remedy for
the poison of this deadly reptile. Ammonia and.
other stimulants, if applied in time, are effective
antidotes to the poison of the cobra and some other
snakes, but are of no avail against the poison of
the foorsa. The poison does not act on the ner-
vous system, like that of the cobra, but on the
blood alone, which becomes corrupted in a peculiar
manner.—Bombay courier.