, 1860-04-12


For wesks the toisntiGe journals hays been
flsd with sulogiUma Of the modest DR.. Lesoar-
bault, who, between his visits to his patients
and with the most imperfect instruments posi-.
bio, found planet which the obserratorias,
With all their appliances Of art, had failed to
perceive. And yet II. Lererrier had predicted
that such body existed in q certain space indi.
Gated, and the Observatory Of Paris, and no
doubt those Of other capitals, had bsen for sew
eral years seeking its presence; but it was re-
served for an obscure country physician, in
remote and unheard-of village, to fiud the COW
eted plaret. Let not the reader imagine, how
ever, that the discovery was mere matter Of
chance; the Doctor made his calculations accord
ing TO the best principles Of astronomical knowl.
edge; hs found bis plunet on the blackboard
before finding it in the heavens. But when say
blackboard it is mere figure ofspeech, for when
ii. Lerefrier vent TO pay 4 visit TO the astron-
omicat doctor, to see his calculations aud his
former were made on pine board with piece
Of charcoal, and this pr ccous bit OF rural science
the learned Professor Of the Observatory
brought to Paris, and exhibited tc his astouished
colleagues Of the Institute. The fact il, the
Doctor YVES too poor to furnish himself either
with black board or the paper used for astron-
omical calculations, and be was in the habit,
when his board got full of planning it Of. His
calculations, Us verified by u. LeveTrier and The
Institute, wonderful to relate, had but an error
Of four seconds. What q lesson to the sasans
Of the Observatory, supported By tue govern.
ment, and surrounded with all the appliances
Of art!
The Government has paid to Dr.. Lsscarbault
an honor 1t does not give its military heroes CT
its distinguished men Of any rank: With the
decoration Of the Legion Of Honor, vas publish
ed in the .Noni1t1r notice of half column,
Of the Doctor to public admiration. The MEM
bers of the Society called tue Resse Scitnt.fque
offered the Doctor public dinner, but he refus-
ed because he could not leave his patients. The
Medical profession Of Paris renewed the offer,
but it was again refused, aud now they are 1aie-
ing By subscription enough money to buy him
set of astronomical instruments. The people of
the village Of Orgeres said to n. Leyerrier :*our
Doctor il very good man-wo all love him
very much but he occupies himself too much
with the stars" The new planet has not yet
received name.
While the name Of II. Leverrier is under the
pen, curious tradition occurs to memory in
connection with him which is not certainly gem
erally known; and it is precisely on account Of
this tradition that he is supposed to Luve gain
ed position 80 rapidly under the present Empire.
1t is be ieyed much more generally than one
would suppose in Tery :ood society, too
tlat the distinguished s nathemste'an is tue ot6-
belief, Napoleon III. never appoints 4 day Tor
fete, grand reriew, hunt. or any public cere-
mony whatever, without first consulting u.
Leverrier. And since tue sun is rarely at fnult
when these holidays occur. the people believe
naturally in the astrologers intall,bilisy and do
not find it remarkable that so wonderful man
is perpetuals in favor at the Palace.
Scientific men hare been employed for some
time in seeking an arti[icial light 1or the e4plo-
ration Of the c.vries Of tho human body. The
difficulties in the problem were to find a light
that produced no caIorie-a light which might
be condensed in tubes Ut small dimensions, and
which produced white flame. Messrs. du
None. and Ruhmkort],, Ru>s,ars. have arrived
u. these results. They employ tie empty tubes
Of (seissler, which do not transmit caoric undtr
the influence Of electric light These tubs are
hent aud interlaeed into a labyrinth, aud they
thus obtain vast quantity Of light in space 20
smull US will admit Of its use even in q cayity
heen used with advantage in the examination Of
diseases in all the cavities Of the body.
Among the curious documents lately rresept-
ed to tue Academy Of Medicine, under The head
Of Few inventions, was one with the following
title: N<edusoph1qie Spo"ts"ee ct Art;6cielk.
der thi. tu!e? Nothing less than an exposition
Of the manner TO llve on ones self; or, in other
words, cannibalism reduced to civilized and
l.umanitary institution! The world has already
learned how 10 live upon one another; let Us
see how II. Anselnier, the author Of tho
treatise in question, propo:es that man should
live off his proper self: He supposes tint q
man is lost at sea in n bout, and without pro-
visions, and lie then, in his argument, starts
from Tue principle that the body, dep,ired
Of ailments, nourishes itself as long as it
can at the expense Of its proper substance. In
proportion Gs this substance diminishes, tue in
tcrior temperature ofthe body diminishes until
death ensues. He proposes to combat tho c,n-
sequences Of inanition b. prac.cing light bleed
luys from the body. and drinking the blood. He
tried tho experiment Oh Two animals Of the
same ase, anh the same size aud condition. lie
deprived them both of ell nourishnent; the enc
died in th7 usual period from starvation; the
other, Which he bled snd caused to drink his
own blood, lived several days longer than the
first. From tbs, Ii. Ansetmier draws the con-
c,usion III 1t the system would be useful in pre-
serving tue lircs Of shipw1ecked individuals, 10
such point US to increase immensely the chan
t,fh hoin snraa