The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-01-28

A GASBLER.-Among theinnumerable anec-
dotes related of the ruin of persons at play,
there IS one worth relating, which refers to a
MIR. Porter, a gentleman who, in the reign of
queen Anne, possessed one of the best estates
in Northumberland, the whole of which he lost
at hazard in twelve months. According to the
story told of this madman-for we will call him
nothing else-when he had just completed the
loss of his last acre, at gambling house in Lon
don, and was proceeding down stairs to throw
himself into carriage to convey him home to
his house in town, he resolved upon having one
more throw to try to retrieve his losses, and i'm
mediate returned to the room where the play
was going on. Nerved for the worst that might
happen he insisted that the person he had been
playing with should give him one chance of re-
covery, or fight with him. His proposition was
this: That his carriage and horses, the trim
kets and loose money in his pockets, his town
house, plate and furniture-in Short all he had
in the world-should be valued at a certain
sum, and be thrown at a single cast. No per-
suason could prevail upon him to depart from
his purpose. He threw and lost. Then con-
ductng the winner to the door, he told the coach
man there was his master, and marched forth
into the dark, dismal streets without house or
home Or any credltable means of support
Thus beggared, he retired to an obscure lodg-
ing IN cheap part of the town, subsistng part
ly on charity, sometimes acting as the marker
at billiard table, and occasionally as helper
in a livery stable. In this miserable condition,
with nakedness and famine staring him in the
face, exposed to the taunts and insults of those
whom he had once supported. he was recog-
missed by an old friend, who gave him ten gui-
meas to purchase necessaries. He expended
five in procuring decent apparel, with the re-
malnder he repaired to common gaming house,
and increased them to fifty; he then adj journed
to one of the higher order of houses, sat down
with former associates, and won twenty thou
sand pounds. Returning the mex: night, he lost
it all, was once more pennless and after subsist-
ing many years in abject penury, died ragged
beggar in St. Giles.
A New Sc1ENcE.-The Albany Journal has
the following aIusion to new science, with
"some unpronounceable high Dutch name,'
which German philosophers and writers are
now exercising themselves about:
German writers, who are usually the first to
unearth novel specuations, are discussing new
science. 1t goes by some unpronounceable
high Dutch name among them, which in Eng
lish means ''the Physiognomy of the Human
Form'
Its theory is that the body indicates in great
degree the quality and characteristics of the
mind. Not only the shape of the head, (phre-
nology, or the shape of the features, (physiog-
nomy, or the hair and ompexions, (tempera-
ments, are to be taken into account. but the
whole frame-hand, arm, leg and foot; elbow,
chest and back; face and head, &C.,
&c.-if studied carefully in detail, are as indi-
catlve of character in man, as they are speed
and bottom in a horse.
The proof of the truth Of this science, they
say, is that every body practices it. Every
body judges more or less Of character from per-
sopal appearance. We meet man whom we
have never seen before, and without exchang-
ing single word with him, set him down, in
our minds, as proud, a reserved, an affable,
or good -natured man, from barely looking at
him. Based, as this Judgment is, on careless
scrutiny, it is sometimes wrong, but oftener
right; and were the scrutiny careful, it would
be always reliable.
The same general assent is implied in the
numerous familiar terms used to express mans
character by speaking of a single part of his bo-
d dy-such as long gheaded,' shallow brained,'
'brazen faced, hard -featured,' 'stif-necked,'
open -faced,' close mouthed,' 'wicked-eyed,'
"a good hand "a cunning hand Hence, too,
the universal test of looking man in the eye to
see he is honest, or watching his walk to Judge
of his disposition.
Wecopy the following remarks from the Bos2
ton Medical Journal in which they are credit
ed to doctor Coventry, as forming portion of
an address delivered before the State Medical
Society; "There is one subject which requires
a more extended notice than it has usually re-
celvcd from our systematic writers. | refer
to the influence of the suns rays. Every ply
siologst knows how absolutely necessary they
are to !he growth Of plants, and the etioIating
effect their absence or withdrawal has upon the
Is it unreasonable to suppose that
they may have some influence in causing or
preventing tuberculosis? 1t seems well estab-
Ilshed, that tuberccs may be produced in ami
mails by confnlng them in very close and dark
apartments, on a meagre diet, Dr.. Hall says
that by this means he produced fatty degcner-
alions in animals, which he considers analoc~
Gus to, if not Identical with, tuberculosis II
the city where reside, there was an office con-
nected with q large mercantile establishment.
~ 9itAteSd tie>u VIC iCfSl HliOilC uJOH II.
It was in the rear of the building, with single
window, and that SO surrounded with buildings,
as to exclude the sun. The occupants of the
office died, one after another, until the proprie~
tors became alarmed, and had the office re-
moved to another part of the building. Ono
Of the occupants | attended, when III the last
stage of his disease. He entered thE office IL
strong, healthy man, with no hereditary ten,
dency to the disease, and temperate and regu-
ar in all his habits; but in less than two years
he was carried, like his predecessors, to tho
grave, a victim to consumption. In his case |
was never able to discover any cause, unless it
was occupying that fatal office, where he wa=
book keeper
NATURE, THE LIFE SAvER.-Introducn a
very interesting account Of the extraction of q
,ork from the body Of man, wherein it had
oeen imbcdded for years, the Bostor Medical
Journal Zone of the best periodicals of the kind
n the country has the following:
"Surgeons in the course of their practice, are
called upon to extract articles ola
'ery extraordinary nature from the human
oody. Needles and pins, for instance, are Of
Al I i i