Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-09-11
Facts for the Curious,


According to BoerhaAve, the healthiest child
rem are born in January, and March.
serpents annually si,4l their skins, which
remarkable as it may first appear, extend over
their eyes.
The natural small pox usually carries off eight
in every hundred attacked with it; but Of three
hundred inoculated only one dies.
Ofone thousand infants fed by the mothers
milk, not above three hundred die; but the
same number reared by wet snurses, five hun
dred die.
China, properly so called, contains about three
hundred and fifty millions of souls, and extends
over 90 degrees of latitude, and 30 of longitude
or 400 square degrees
The flea, locust and grasshopper, jump two
hundred times their own length; equal to
quarter of a mile for man.
There are in man five hundred and twenty
seven muscles, two hundred and ifty-seven of
which are in pairs. OF these no less than one
hundred are constantly used in the slmpl act of
breathing.
The average depth of the Atlantic ocean Is
set down at 1900 feet, and that of the Pacific
at l8 900. On the western side Of st. Helena
soundings have been made, it is said, to the
depth of 81 600 feot--fve miles and q quarter
without touching the bottom
In man the brain averages in weight l-36th
of the body; in the dog, l-12Oth in the horse,
1.45Oth; in the sheep, l-750th and in the OK,
I,8OOth. Generally speaking, eighteenth of the
brain is composed of water.
The first code of written laws possessed by
the Athenians was prepared by Draco, man Of
stern and rigid character. These laws punished
all crimes with death and, on account of their
sangulnary character, are said to have been
written in blood.
There are $4,000 seeds in the capsule of a
tobacco plant; and Ray, the celebrated bolanist
counted in the head of poppy $4,000 seeds. -
1t has been calculated by many naturolists that
the elm tree produces yearly G30,000 seeds.
If the feathery gis of small perch could be
unfolded and spread out, they would nearly GOV
er a square yard This will not appear so extra
ordinary when it is recollectcd that the nerve il
dogs nose is spread in so thin web that it is
computed TO be eqnal to four square feet.
In the human skeleton there are are two hun
dred and ffty-two separate bones. Hard work
ing people sometimes have an extra number
which are formed near the joints of the thumb
fore-hnger and toes. They are useful in lncreas
ing the power of the muscles wherever they
grow.
The aorta, or principle artery of the whale
measures about foot in diameter, and the quan
tity of blood thrown into it at each pusation, has
been estimated at from ten to fifteen gallons
the rush of this fluid is quite audible to the har
pooners when about to strike the animal.
! A watch consists Of 992 pieces, and in making
it 90 trades and about 200 persons are employed
remarkable instance of the effect of labor ii
augmenting the value of raw material, IS afford
ed by the balance-sprlng of this instrument
One farthings worth of iron will make 1857
balance springs, the market value of which Il
about 1924 nearly 81, 4OO!
When rabbits, sqirels and various othe
lsnawing animals, are fed on soft meats, thel
teeth sometimes grow so long and crooked as Il
prevent them from taking food; and instance
have occurred, in which, to preserve life, it be
came necessary to break off or extract the teeth
Dr. Darwin was of the opinion that if a dea