The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1872-03-31
NUMBER 9.

minutes fell on his face and never after
ward moved his limbs. Ae continued to
fowl, which died in Q minute and half
We threw In another, which died before
touching the ground. % On the
opposite side [of tho valley1, near large
stone, was the skeleton Of human being,
who must have persisted on bis back, with
his right hand Under his head. From being
bleached as white 40 ivory. Iwas anxious
to procure this skeleton, but any attempt
to get it would have been madness."
The oidlegend In regard to this valley
was that poisonous tree grew here named
the Upas, and If any one approached it tho
cation, however, proved the incorrectness
of the legend In regard TO- the tree, but not,
as it seems, in regard to the deadliness Of
the place. Nor was this latter exogger-
ated but Its cause examination proved to
be merely the Overlooking Of tho air with
carbonic acid gas. The origin Of the gas
has not been 60 clearly ascertained, but has
been supposed to be from some vent in the
earth supplying the gas faster than 1t can
be dissipated 10 the air. though the traveller
just quoted says, We could not perceive
any vapor, or any opening in the ground"
Nevertheless this gas is known to be aH
abundant product Of volcsnic action, and
conveyed to this spot faster than it Ia con-
veyed away.
But why are there not many such poison
ous valleys in the world Z The number OF
volcanic vents 10 great, and they are con-
tinuaiiy sending forth this same deadly
terial is concerned, every fire Is volcano
continually emitting this gas as it's CHIEF
product; and the amount of the whole may
be judged from the fact that an average
sized blast-furnace will send forth at least
two tons every hour. Still farther, every
pair of lungs is little furnace adding NO
inconsiderable quota; for the breathing Of
o population like that In New York wia
produce no less than four thousand tons
every day; and, the world over, animal
lungs produce fully twice as much as the
human. Still further, the various pre-
eesses Of fermentation and decay are
pouring into the air four times az
produce. Altogether, the beet compnta-
tion makes the daily production Of car
bonic acid gas from theae latter sources ne
less than eleven thousand million pounds;
and this in addition to what may be pro-
duced from any sources within the earth
Surely, in view of such numbers we might
ask, why should not the whole surface OF
the earth be made at length Upas va!aeyf
Suci, indeed it would have become. NOT
within the period since mans creation, but
since the earth's first creation, had It not
been for wonderful provision which has
been made for the cOnsumption OF this gas
as fast as produced. poison to all anime!
life, it is the indispensable food of sh veGe-
table life. However much, therefore, tae
former may send forth into the atmosphere
the latter is ready to absorb 1t all. We are
amazed at the immense sum witch repre-
sents the whole amount produced, but We
are no less surprised at some Of the hgpEs;
which tell of the amount required to sns'
tain all the plants which, are growing upot
the earth. These all are provided Will
little mouths, scattered thickly over theii
, leaves, which suck in the carbonic acic
, from the air, and, under the influence
, the sunlight, resolve it again into Its eie'
tDents, retaining the carbon to build up tue
o plant, but sending out the oxygen TO oe
breathed over by man or animal, OF To sus
: tain d flame, which will freight ~ agar
Y with carbon for stHl ah0tnef use y. sn'
plant. Aud thus the endless intercnang'
qoes on, The respiration Of maa is KEEP
nm by this distiiiation of the plant, and tn
niaut is sustained by the waste from tn
10 svstem of the man or the animal or els
"a by the destruction of some other plant
IL The number of these little hungr
j. mouths which the vegetable world oPer
70 take up mans poison, but its feod,
70 perhaps tho most wonderful thing in a
n this story of beneficent wonders. "A sing
u com mon lilac tree has million leavee, an
o about four hundred thousand millions
|, pores or mouths at work, sucking in ca
I; bonic acid while on q single oak tree
d many as seven million leaves have bet
IF counted" With such O consumption eve
g, the immense production dOes not seem I,
" great. The two are exactly balanced. II
0, air remains pure-the plants are all fed.
10 n. Y. Mercantile Journal.
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