The weekly union record., 1865-12-09
WRiTrsG MATERIALs-Consider

/
the materials Of writing. The first was
stone. Shells, plates of various materi-
ais, ivory, bark, and leaves of trees,
have been some of the early substitutes
for paper. Hesiod's works were written
on leaden tables. Montfaucan speaks
of book with eight leaden leaves. The
Romans put their public records on
brass. The laws of the Cretans were
on bronze tables. Copper plates have
been dug up near Bengal, dated cen
tury before the birth of Christ. Some
times, songs have been found on strips
Of leather. The Arabs took the Shout
der bones of sheep and carved remark
able events upon them and hung them
up in their cabinets. In a library of
Europe, there is letter upon piece
of bark about two yards long. In others
are copies of the Bible, written upon
palm leaves. The skins of animals and
serpents were also used. Wax was also
used in different forms, sometimes of
itself and sometimes on wooden tablets.
The Egyptian papyrus superseded all
former materials. This grew in large
quantities on the Nile. After the eighth
century, the papyrus was superseded
by parchment. Paper from cotton was
made as early as the ninth century !;
from linen in the thirteenth. The first
paper mill in England was erected by
German in 1888. Thomas Watkins
brought the art of paper making to per-
lection in 1715. The pens used in the
translation of the Bible were iron styles.
The Romans used ivory for writing. 1t
was not before the seventh century that
quilts were used. We possess no ink
in beauty and color equal to that used
by the ancients. The manuscripts writ
ten from the fifth to the twelfth century
are In better state of preservation
than those from the fifteenth to the
seventeenth century.
ADVANTAGES OF CRY1NG-A French
physician is out in long dissertation on
the advantages of groaning and crying in
general, and especially during surgical
operations. He contends that groaning
and crying are two grand operations by
which nature allays anguish; that those
patients who give way to their natural
feelings, more speedily recover from ac-
cidents and operations than those who
suppose it unworthy man to betray
some symptoms of cowardice as either
to groan or to cry. He tells of man
who reduced his pulse from one hundred
and twenty-six to sixty, in the course of
two hours, by giving vent to his emo
tons. If people are at all unhappy,
about anything, let them go into their
rooms and comfort themselves with a
loud bohoo, and they will feel hundred
per cent. better afterwards.
In accordance with the above, the
crying of children should not be too
greatly discouraged. If it is systematic
cally repressed, the result may be St.
Nitus' Dance, epileptic fits, or some other
disease of the nervous system. What
is natural, is nearly always useful; and
nothing can be more natural than the
crying of children when anything oc-
ours to give them either physical or ma
tural pain.
Probably most persons have expert
enced the effects of tears in relieving
great sorrow. Is is even curious how
the feelings are allayed by their free in
diligence in groans and signs. Then let
parents and friends show more indul-
gence to noisy bursts of grief on the
part of children as well as older per-
sons-and regard the eyes and the
mouth as the safety-valves through
which nature discharges the surplus
steam.