Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-08-15
gCuriOSilieS Of Sciences.
INTERCOURSE WITH PLANETS

III tne wiz nights OF fancy tlle
thought has been excited in regard to
the possibility of knowing more of
these great moving planetary bodies in
the armament than has already been
chronicled.
Certain it is there is n mighty gulf
between them and this world that can
never be crossed, as balloons cannot
rise enough to get beyond the attrac-
ton OF the earth to pass into the sphere
of attraction of another, so rs to fall to
It, Therefore, if anything more definite
IS known respecting their physical as
poet, composition, products inhabit-
ants, or other particulars illustrative of
their character, it must be acquired
through telescope explorations.
Since there is no really apparent linn
itation to the increase of refractive
power of those instruments, the larger
the object glass and the more perfect
the lenses, all of which are constantly
improving and tending towards degree
of perfection not yet attained, it is
reasonable TO suppose, if there are large
structures, extensive forests, broad
rivers, or living beings in the planets,
future students OF astronomy viii dis
cover them. 1t is taking very mar
row view of Creative Wisdom to settle
down with the contracted notion that
unnumbered planetary bodies, by the
side of which our earth is an insigniti-
cant speck, were only made to twinkle
| in the sky for the qualification of few
star gazers, bats and owls.
DURRowINa ANIMALS AND INSECTS.
An astonishing number and variety
OF solitary worms, slugs, beetles, etc,
and moles. mice, squirrels, including
Iinnumerable earth-diggers, have their
/ homes from few inches to foot or
two below the ground. Apparently, to
our short sighted comprehension of
natures grand system of economy,
they are useless, needless, and pesti-
ferrous annoyances.
| A true philosopher, however sees in
their habits, their distinctive regulari-
ty of action, instrumentalities for
bringing about important results ON
which operations of the most compli-
Gated kind are essentially depending.
| They are each in their own individual
sphere of activity preparing the soil for
sustaining higher forms of vegetable
and animal life. They pillow burrows,
make openings for the ingress of water
for fertilizing roots, and, in short, the
surface of the earth in temperate zones
would, without their incessant toll, be-
come SO hard, compact and impervi-
Gus, serious consequences would be
apparent, when civilized man, with all
his resources IN art, could not accom-
plish so well and so pen fectly as these
insignificant and quiet operators.
There is II harmony, an adjustment
of means to ends, in the arrangement
of natures scheme of doing all for the
best, which challenges our admiration,
while 1t astonishes the profoundest
thinker.
SLooDsUCKERS.
Leeches are familiar things to those
who have been much under medical
treatment for acute diseases, within the
last thirty years. They seem to be GO
ing out of fashion, even among fash
ionable doctors, 1t being pretty well es-
tablished that the pnnctures made by
their saw-teeth, by which piece of the
wall of blood vessel is taken out,
sometimes produces an anomalous in
hammation rs bad as the malady for
which they are prescribed.
Mr.. Brickmore, a scientific traveller,
passed through section of country
near Sumatra where leeches we're SO ex-
cessiyely numerous as to be a terror.
They even dropped down from trees on
passing animals and men, depicting
them rapidly, and if not quickly re-
moved would drain out all the blood in
the body.
His hOrsewas stripped with their own
blood. dog looked as though he had
been run through pool OF clothed
gore. OF all the pests in the tropics,
whether mosquitoes, black flies, ants,
snakes, or viler vermin, these leeches
are the most annoying and disgusting.
How they were ever introduced into
the practice of medicine is inst as sur
prising rs some other absurdities sane
toned by science in IN age Of common
sense and cultivated Intelligence, and
by turning to books of authority it will
be found that pulverzed skull bones
OF an executed criminal, > and very much
later, even in modern times, DjHcpedcs
acknowledged insects--were ia
nous remedy in dispensatores pub
lished under scientific authority.
Another Forest of Rig Trees In Califor.