The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-11-26

| New YORK defpef ~ Brothers. Chicago
western News Company. g. 8, 81
We took mp this book carelessly, intending to
skip over 1t saiaeiently to catch the thread of
the story and get general idea Of its character.
After reading dozen pages few will be able to
lay 1t aside without reading it through. This
is not on account Of the plot, which is simple
enough, but rather on account of the style,
which is as vivacious a. French novel, and its
many rich aud racy incidents and sprightly
characters. The sole blemish of the novel Is its
loose morally, in which it is as Frenchy as in
the vivacity of its style.
On THE USES OF WINE, in Health and Disease.
By Francis E. Austin Editor of the London
Practitioner. New York J. S. Redfeld, 14O
| Fulton street. Chicago: Western News Com.
pany.
The little volume (of some IS pages is made
up Of series Of papers which have recently np.
peared in the "Practitioner," Il medical Journal
of high reputation. printed in Loudou and re-
published by Macmillan & Co., in New York
The uses of wines are treated in two aspects-as
a beverage for the man in health, and as a medi-
cine, in disease. The first question presented
for solution il, the individual in health ever
use wine to ADVANTAGE To answer this, the
author g1es infinitely into the constituent quail
| ties OF many different wines, and their physio-
| logical action and while he comes to the con-
clusion that wine can be used to advantage AS
| daily drink byss large class of persons, without
danger OF provoking symptoms of chronic ma.
lsise or alcoholic poisoning; yet such use must
b subject to suudry Imperative conditions, Of
which the following are the chief:
/. Wines for daily use by healthy adults
should not, on the average, contain more than
70 per cent absolute alcohol; or per cent is
| better.
2. II wise be used as the daily drink, it is
best % far as may be, to use only one kind at
time, and no other form Of alcoholic LIQUID
T. Sound, natural wines are to he obtained at
the best economic advantage from the Bordeaux
district; the red wines are to be preferred.
A. Rhine wines (whits) are equally excellent
but more expensive.
s. Hungarian wines are also, in many nstan.
| ces, excellent, but are at present too dear for
daily use except by the rich. They are also I'M.
equal in quality, owing to defects of manutac
| ture.
The equivalent in alcohol of half bottle
day Of Bordeaux or Rhenish wines for sedentary
PoisoHS VI dHu u Uottie udy Tor active
men is the utmost limit that can be used with
safety.
The medical aspect is treated in style to in
terest physicians only, and no extracts would
interest the general reader
The only pity Is, that the volume is con-
fined exclusively to the consideration of foreign
wines, in their pure state, whence it can be of
comparatively small value as guide TO the Use
of the vllainously adulteratcd article almos.
universally sold in this country under the name
of foreign Wines or to the pure nature wines OF
this country.
HARPER's MAGAZINE for December Harper &
Brothers, New York. 81 year.
The December number commences the forty.
first volume Of this standard magazine The
No. opens with profusely illustrated article
upon the brooklyn Navy Yard" Another
illustrated article gives a history of the Ecu
meuical Council under the head of Pho Mono
and his Councillors" "Frederick the Great j.
continued with illustrations, the chapter open
ing with the seven years war. Among the
| stories, the most attractive to most readers will
be THE Rock Of the Legion of Honor" bv
Berthold AuerLach. "Anteros and Anne Fur
meas" are serials just commenced "The Som.
Of fire." an illustrated poem by Thomas Dunn
English. will be great source of attraction in
every family. The Easy Chair discourse in his
pleasant way, and the editorial department. has
lost none OF its former sttractivcness
A few extracts from the number before II,
will. we imagine, not be unacceptable to our
| readers. The first is from Frederick the Great:
THE BATTLE OF PRAGUE.-"This battle
! writes Friedrich, (which began toward nine IN
the morning, was one of the bloodiest of the age.
The enemy lost twenty-four thousand men, O!
whom four thousand we're prisoners. The P.us.
sian loss amounted to eighte, thousand hit
ing men, without counting Marshal Schwer,u.
who was alone worth above ten thousand.
This day saw the pillars of the Prussian iuian.
try cut down"
Immediately after the battle Frederick wrote
rather stately letter TO his mother, informing
her OF his victory, hnd that he was about TO pur-
sue the foe with hundred and fifty thousand
men. Fifty thousand of the defeated Austrians
entered Prague and stood at bay behind it, ram
parts. Frederick seized all the avenues. that no
provisions could enter the city, convinced that
starvation, combined with vigorous assault,
| would soon compel the garrison to surrender
themselves, the city, and all its magazines On
the 9th of May Acknowledgement with red.hot
balls commenced. The siege lasted six weeks,
creating An amount of misery over which angel.
might weep. The balls of fire were constantly
kindling wide and wasting confagrations Soon
large portion of the city presented only heap
OF smculdering ruins.