The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-20

Pans, January q, 1852.

l hardly know whether your readers retain any
other than political interest in Paris; but the fol-
lowing details upon tho alimentaon of the city,
which digest from report Of the Chamber of
Commerce. can hardly fail to be read with profit.
The million inhabitants Of Paris devour annually
$4,000 oxen, $4,000 cows, $4,000 calves, SOC. 900
sheep; it pays twelve million dollars year for
bread. three mllions for cooked or prepared meats
(sausages, &c.,) four millions for cake, pies, and
sugar -plums There are seventeen classes of pro-
vision dealers, according to the Chamber Of Com
Inerce, upon whom the city principally depends
for its sustenance viz: butchers, bakers, brewers
burners of coffee, cooked, dried, and prepared
meat sellers, chocolate makers ,confectoners milk
butter, and cheese dealers, distillers, mineral
water manufacturers, manufacturing groceries,
icc-crcam sellers, makers of alimentary preserves
pemen, sugar refiners. makers of pastes, concen-
trations, &C., for the table, and mustard and vim
egar manufacturers.
There are in the city 1878 patrons, or mastcrs,
belonging TO the seventeen trades IL employ ten
or more workmen; 1906 employ from two to ten
l.494 work alone employ u single assistant.
Strange to say, the largest establishments those
employing ten or more workmen, neither the
sugar rs6ncrs, the brewers, the distiIlers;
the piemen the first upon the line for the nun.
Der Of hands occupied. The 3,673 patrons give
employment TO lO.42S work-pcop.e 1881 men,
1894 women. and .0S3 boys. The receipts OF the
alimenters of Paris about 100000 900 francs
year. OF this tho butchers receive rs 900 600,
the bakers 50 900 0O0 the sugar rcfiners "a O00,-
600, and 30 on in proportion
There arc 4O2 cake and pic shops in Paris, prin-
cipaly in the rich quarters there are 90 upon the
boulevard alone. Their annual sale amounts to
1900 900 francs, or a fifth of the consumption of
bread. The confectoners (entrey distinct in
France from the piemen) do business to the
amount OF 900 900 francs year.
There are GOA bakers. employing 2,646 journey.
men. The price Of bread ia regulated every fort
night by the project of police. according to the
price and supply Of flour. No bakery can be cs-
tablished without special authorization. None can
be shut up without giving a six months notice to
the municipal government. No baker must re-
duce. arbitrarily, the number of his patches; his
daily supply must be regular and reliable
There are 3si charcutiers. selling annually six
teen million francs Of beefsteak, pies, sausages
patts do fois gras, stuffed fowls, game. &c. The
police regulations in regard TO tainted Suspected
meats are ~, s.,
Itwill he eeen, from these few details, that the
alimentation Of Paris IL serious matter and for
centuries the various governments which have
succeeded each other have considered it an affair
peculiarly their own. Hence the numerous sys-
tens of supply, plans for victuang the city. in
vented by French statesmen from line immemorial
Whenever the harvest failed, the government natu-
rally had to bear the blame. since il had taken up
on itself the responsibility of the supply; and in
times of famine, riots and rebeions against the
authorities have always cnsued. The Chamber OF
Commerce, in its report, deals deathblow at ali
governmental systems Of the sort. On the day
whom private industry shall DO betlered by no
othor bonds than simple police regulations. the
problem Of the vicualng OF great centres Of popu-
lation will be dehnitively settlsd. Three things
only necessary. securities for life and for pro-
perty. aud easy and prompt means Of communi-
cation.
An interesting paper upon the dissemination OF
iodine was read at The last session Of the Academy
of Sciences. by chemist of distinction, M. Chatin
This substance, at first supposed to be confined 10
sca-water and certain mineral spings. has been
discovered in the three Kingdoms of nature. At
the time Of its first discovery it considered
a mere chemical curiosity. II was afterwards
found to possess valuable med cnal qualities; and
still later, it assisted in the development Of art
that would have existed without il; that Of
daguerrsotyping. M Chaplin discovered iodine in
the ashes OF water-cress and other aquatic plants;
taking hint from this fact. ho continued his ex-
poriments, and revealed its existence in frosh
water; he afterwards discovered il in the ground,
in the air. and, in fact, every where.
Still, Notwithstanding It's universal disscmina
ton. there some localities where IL il scarce.
whether in the air, the water. or the soi. that NJ
Chains most active agents failed to reveal its
prsssnce. In all such places the people are found
. TO be siokly, degraded, and ignorant. After many
experiments, and long and conscientious investiga-
tons. M Chatin declares II his belief that, without
iodine, not only man, but the whole animal king
dom, would disappear from the face Of the earth.
In referring TO these extraordinary revelations
M. Fouca ultsays:
/" What esson for those who despso abstract
Investigations, and such seom TO offer none but
purely scientific interest! Who would have thought
when Courtois discovered iodine and the public
nothing in IL 10 admire but its beautiful violet
vapors; when Gay Lussac publishcd his splendid
work ON THE new substance; who would have
thought that science made the conquest of great
industrial element and at the same time one Of
the most important bases OF public health; and that
II would thus obtain the means Of equaliIing health
among the Inhabitants Of the globe; for II Is to
the point that led by these invesuga tons
upon the onnipresencc Of iodine, and its relative
abundance in different countries"
In the zone OF territory surrounding Paris there
natives, either goitrous idiotic; and ii 10
found that the volume Of ar brcsthcd by man in
twenty -four hours contains from two hundredth
toaon hundredth part Of rnilligrsmme Of iodine;
that the volume OF water drunk contains as much
moro, nId the volume OF lood consumer as uucn
more.
Proceeding southwark. and taking a zone Of ter.
ritory passing through sossons, goitre begins to
appear, though idocy 10 unknown; and it 10
found that the quantity Of iodine in the water
sibly diuinisbos
In a third zone, that Of Lyons and Turin, goitre
becomes frequent. The quantity ofiodine breathed,
drunk, and Consumed by man in twcpty-iour
hours, falls to five hundredth, and even 20 a one
thousandth part OF milligrammc.
In a fourth zone, that OF the Alpine valleys,
goitre and idiocy endemic; and tho quantity OF
iodine Ia the food, water, and air Of the country,
decreases to such degree that the daily dose is
lees than the two thousandth part Of milf
gramtne.
To effect restitution Of iodine TO those countries
where !. is scarce is now the duty of science; and
II Will be seen that the means proposed by M. Cha
tin TO the inhabitants Of such countries are ex-
trcmely simple. In the second zonr, or that OF
Scissors, The rivers and running waters only seem
10 be deficient in iodine. The inhabitants should
use rain .wnler for mr. aud drinking nurnnses