The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-05-14 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDAMJ.

• Lillian, or the Stone of Destiny,—for which see Westminster.
abbey.

CURIOUS COINCIDENCE.—It has been remarked that the
fifty-six individuals who signed the declaration of American
independence, have all died within the space of fifty-six years
after the signature of that act ;—that all the presidents of the
United States have died at the age of fifty-six ; and that the
Union was well nigh being dissolved fifty-six years after its
foundation, through the dispute respecting South Carolina
and the Tariff.

ROASTED AND BOILED MEAT.-It is well know that, in
whatever way the flesh of animals be prepared for food, a con-
siderable diminution takes place in its weight. As it is a subjeet
both useful and curious in domestic economy, we shall give the
result of a set of experiments which were actually made in a
public establishment ; they were not undertaken for mere
curiosity, but to serve a purpose of practical utility. Twenty-
eight pieces of beef, weighing 3801bs. lost in boiling 731 b. 14oz.
Hence the loss of beef in boiling was about 20%1b5. in 100 tbs. ;
nineteen pieces of beef, weighing 1901bs. lost in roasting 611bs.
2oz. The weight of beef lost in roasting appears to be 32tbs.
#' 100Ibs. ; nine pieces of beef weighing 901bs. lost in baking
2711i5. Weight lost in beef by baking is 301bs. #' 1001bs ;
twenty-seven legs of mutton, weighing 2601b5. lost in boiling,
and by having the shank bones taken off, 621bs. 4oz. The
shank bones were estimated at 4oz. each, therefore the loss in
boiling. was 551bs. Boz. The loss of weight in legs of mutton
in boiling is 21Ibs. #' 1001bs. Eighty-five shoulders of mutton,
weighing 3501b5. lost in roasting 109 tbs. 10oz. The loss of
weight of mutton was 31%1b5. 100 tbs. Sixteen loins of
mutton, weighing 1411bs. lost in roasting 49tbs. 14oz. Hence
loins of Mutton lose by roasting about 353ilbs. 4, looms.
Ten necks of mutton weighing lOOlbs. lost in roasting 321bs.
6oz. From the foregoing statement two practical inferences
may be drawn. First in respect of economy, it is more profit-
able to boil meat than to roast it. Second, whether we roast
or boil meat, it loses by cooking from one-third to one-fifth of
its whole weight.-Philosophical Magazine.
PREDISPOSITION TO DISEASE FROM INTEMPERATE DRINKING.
-It is unquestionably true, that many of the surrounding.ob-
jects in nature are constantly tending to man's destruction.
The excess of heat and cold, dampness and dryness, and vicis-
situdes of the seasons, noxious exhalations from the earth, the
poisonous vapours from animal and vegetable matter, with many
other invisible agents, are exerting their deadly influence; and
were it not that every part of the human system is endowed by
the Creator with a self-preserving power, a principle of excita-
bility, or, in other words, a VITAL principle, the operations of
the animal economy would cease, and a dissolution of the organic
structure take place. But this principle being implanted in the
system, reaction takes place, and thereby a vigorous contest is
maintained with the warring elements without, as well as with
the principle of decay within. It is also true, that artificial sti-
mulus, in whatever way applied, tends constantly to exhaust the
principle of excitability of the system, and this in proportion to
its intensity, and the freedom with which it is applied. But
there is another principle, on which the use of ardent spirit pre-
disposes the drunkard to disease and death. It acts on the
blood, impairs its vitality, deprives it of its red colour, and
thereby renders it unfit to stimulate the heart and other organs
through which it circulates,- unfit also, to supply materials for
the different secretions, and to renovate the diflerent tissues of
the body, as well as to sustain the energy of the brain,-offices
which it can perform only while it retains its vermilion colour
and arterial properties. The blood of the drunkard is several
shades darker than that of temperate persons, and also coagu-
lates less readily and firmly, and is loaded with serum, appear-
' ances which indicate that it has exchanged its arterial properties
for those of the venous blood. This is the cause of the livid com-
plexion of persons who are in the habit of drinking to excess,
and which so strongly marks the drunkard in the advanced state
of intemperance. -Hence too, all the functions of his body are
sluggish and irregular, andi the whole system loses its tone and
energy.

THE MONTH OF MAY.—May the third month in the year
of Romulus, became the fifth in that of Numa, and has ever
since retained the same station in the calendar. Thirty-one
days were assigned to it by the founder of Rome, while his
successor reduced them to thirty; Julius Caesar restored the
odd day. The name of the month was fixed long before the
time of Romulus; the ancients considered it sacred to Apollo,
and on the first day the Romans offered sacrifices to Maia, the
mother of Mercury. This would at first sight seem to fix the
origin of the name to the goddess; yet, learned commentators
have contended that Romulus continued the name in honour of
his senate, who were distinguished by the epithet of Majures,
(or the great council.) The Saxons called this month Tri-nalchi,
the young grass, then in the vigour of its growth, being so
heartening to the cows as to enable them to yield milk thrice a
day. In the old Cornish language, the name of the month was
Me, an evident alteration of May. In this month Nature
appears to deck herself in her gayest attire, and clothe herself
with all the colours of the rainbow ' the hawthorn, laburnam,
lilac, honeysuckle, and all the fruit trees, are in full blossom,
while the lily and the tulip are ornamenting the &Tardens, and
the daisy and cowslip spangling the fields in all directions.
The whole country seems one mass of blossom, from whence
breathes a perfume as salutary as it is delightful. Ancientd
painters embodied May in the shape of a lovely countenance
youth, clad in a white and green robe, embroidered with various
flowers; on his head a garland of white and damask roses; a
lute in one hand, and on the forefinger of the other a night-
ingale, which first warbles its even' song in this month.

CANAL NAVIGATION.—A short time since we noticed some
experiments which had been made on the velocity with which a
boat was drawn on the Grand Junction Canal; these and other
experiments have since been repeated by Mr. Rennie, and the
results are such as entirely to corroborate the assertions of
Messrs. Houston and Grahame, the inventors of this new mode
of trackinc, boats, and to justify all proprietors in !adopting it.
On Tuesday and Wednesday week, the boat Swallow, which is
constructed of iron plates, and especially brought from Scot-
land for the purpose of running on the Grand Junction Canal,
was accurately measured and loaded with weights equal to her
full complement of passengers, when it was found that she
measured about seventy feet long and six feet wide. The boat
was then drawn to the straight part of the canal, about five miles
from Paddington, and the horses were put to different speed,
varying from four to eleven miles and a quarter per hour, when
it was found that all speed from four to eight miles was attended
by a considerable wave, but above eight miles the wave went on
diminishing in the same ratio. The force indicated by the dy-
nomometer was also less, and there was no doubt that, had the
speed been augmented the wave would have diminished to no-
thing. A fact so remarkable, and, at first sight, at variance
with the received doctrine of the resistance of fluids, excited
great doubts in the minds of scientific men as to the accuracy
of the assertions made by Mr. Grahame; but it was the opinion
of Mr. Rennie, and it was afterwards corroborated by experi-
ments, that the diminished resistance was owing to the boat
rising out of the water. Be this as it may, one great point was
established, namely, the complete practicability of attaining and
keeping up a velocity of ten or eleven miles per hour, which is
equal to the speed of the best coaches. Boats now run con-
stantly on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Canal and Lancaster
Canal, with goods and passengers, with a speed of ten miles per
hour, and at half the usual cost.
SUPERSTITION.—The times of the dominion of superstition
also, as history teaches us, are always times of earthly cala-
mity ; for the moral corruption which accompanies superstition
necessarily, also, destroys all the foundations of earthly pros-
perity. Thus the times in which superstition extended itself
among the Romans were those of the downfal of civil freedom,
and of public suffering under cruel despots.-IVatson's Theolo-
yi&xl Dictionary.—[ls not superstition the most oppressive
scourge of Ireland at this day ? Does Catholicism promote or
oppose superstition ?—Correspondent.i
THE MlLLENiusi.L—Some two years ago, our readers
may recollect that a large tree on the beautiful estate of Drums
formed the place of habitation for a hawk and wood-pigeon,
which we then considered an evidence of the approach of the
niilleniuin. When we now announce that this season a tree in
the north of the county was found to contain the nest of a
hawk, a wood-pigeon, and a thrush, it must be acknowledged
that the signs are thickening around us !—Fife Herald.
AMERICAN DUEL.—A duel took place a short time since, in
one of the Western States, in which there were six combatants
,on each side, who attacked one another with swords, pistols,
and daggers, with the most savage fury. Three were left dead
on the field, and nearly all the rest were left wounded, till at
length the weaker party retreated.
'IRE COTTON TRADE AT STOCKPORT.—We have been fa-
voured with the following extract from documents furnished to
the commissioners in the above inquiry, which we publish, be-
causeit will give some idea of the importance of the cotton
trade in this town :-36 master spinners and manufacturers em-
ploy in their mills, 11,444 work-people, whose wages amount
to £6,689 Bs. 10d. weekly, of these
326 are betwixt 9 and 10 years of age
381 10 .... 11
710 11 .... 12
2923 12 .... 18
7101 upwards of 18
Many mills are not included, because no returns have been
made.—Stockport Advertiser.
CANAL NAVIGATION.—A company has been formed for the
purpose of introducing steam navigation on the canals of Bel-
gium, and several iron boats, with the paddles at the stern, are
at present building in Manchester, to be used by this company.
If the experiment should succeed, we shall very soon have
steam boats uu all the English canals.