Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-04-08

twenty-five minutes without being Injured.
Shu,z claims that any land animal can be
taught to do the same thing, if taken 10 hand
Immediately after birth. His theory IS that
before birth the circulation Is carried on thrugh
the oval hole between the right and left arterlaI
canals. After birth the circulation is conduct
ed entirely by the lungs through the pulmonary
artery, and the oval hole in the heart is gradu-
ally closed through disuse. The vital functions
Of the amphibia are almost identical with those
of the land animals, including the human
species Their young are born on land, aud
wonld become incapable of remaining under
water, we're they not frequently forced by their
dams beneath the surface, aud thus the oval
hole of the heart is constantly kept open until
il becomes one of the permanent functions OF
the body.
Shulrz was convinced that all land animals
might acquire the same t.,culty, aud tested the
matter by immersing four new born pups III
water heated to blood temperature. lie first
kept ,hcm beneath the surface two minutes,
then five minutes, and they seemed to cnj y II
rather than otherwise When his child WIS
born he stole it from the mother while the lat
ter <lept, and rccklrssl y immersed it in water at
blood heat for four unucs, Keeping his hand
on the babe breast 80 that the puIsal III OF the
h, art could be felt
Shuliz states that it was twenty seconds after
immersion before the blood found its way along
the old channel with bounding percussion
which at once startled him and relieved his
suspense. Upon lifting the babe from the water
il was ten seconds before the lungs resumed
their duties, aud the circulation proceeded III
the natural manner. Shuitz then dressed the
infant and returned it to its mother so quietly
that she did not imagine anything UNUSUAL had
happened.
The day following, the experiment was re-
peated FIVE times. 1t was not for some time
that Shultz Informed his wife Of what he had
done, assuring her of certain fortune If she
kent the matter secret. But the shock pros
tratcd the poor mother for two weeks. DrrIug
the winter Shul,z never neglected the inlmcr-
sion of his child five times day from five to
twenty-five minutes each time. The boy is Il
blonde, and shows unusual physical strength
for child of six months. He can already go
round by the chairs, and his vuice is uucom-
monty powerful
He appears to have much better control OF
his movements IN the water than out OF it.
few peppermint lozcngcs were tossed in differ
ent parts OF bath three feet deep, in pursuit
of which the child eagery went, aud he was
| fully three minutes cndeayoring to secure them,
as he dropped them almost as fast rs he picked
them up Finally he CAME up with the candy.
appealing to be taken out.
Mrs. Shultz is not at all reconcilcd tn the
treatment of her child but Shullz thinks he is
doing humanity a favor by initiating II practical
method Of ubviating all danger BY drowning.
REBREATHED AIR The crowded, badly
ventilated school-room is often the place where
early in life. rcbreathed air commences its deadly
work. Not one schoo.room in a hundred in this
country is fit place in which to confnc child
rem six or eight hours of the day. The little ones
are hcrdcd together IL promlscuous crowd:
those of tender years and those more advanced,
the feeble and the strong, the sickly and
the we'll, arc all subjected to the same hours Of
study, the same school discipline, aud all
breathe the same dcleterous air. The hardy
and the strong may be able to resist the inhu
cnce Of the poison the weak and tender ones
grow pale and haggard, and struggling on
through their school-days live perhaps to the
age of puberty, and then drop into the con-
sumptive's grave. viii parents never awake
to the enormity of this evil?
Small, ill-ventilatcd sleeping rooms, in which
rebreathed air is ever present, are nurseries of
consumption These are not found alone IN
cities aud large towns or among the poor and
lowry Well TODD farmers daughters and
SOUS in the country,-thOse who live among
the mountains of the New England States,
where God's pure air is wholly uDde6led are
often victims Of consumption. How is this ex-
planned? Look into their bedrooms; examine
into their daily habits of life; and the cause is
made plain Old-fashioued freplaces are board
ed up; rubber window strips and stoves have
found their way into the most retired hooks and
corners of the land and the imprisoned noun
tain air in country dwellings, is heated 10 high
point and breathed over and over during the
days and nights of the long winter months. is
certainly true that girls 10 the country take less
exercise 10 the open air than those residing 10
cities They appear to be more afraid CT pure cold
air than city girls. Consumptionls not less rare
among females In the country than in cities, 10
the present age. 1t was not SO formerly. The
declarations OF grandmothers and old physicians
20 to show that fifty years ago, consumption
was hardly known in the lurals districts. The
winds whistled through the dwellings then ;
and the fire blazcd and roarcd upon the hearth.
Half the time 10 the cold winters, the backs of
the inmates were freezing, while the front parts
of the person we're roasting; and yet there
was less rheumatism than now, and no con-
sumption. Ecctange.
A SAD ROMANCE years ago wealthy
young Euvli,hman came to this country on a
tour of observation, and at the hotel where he
stopped, when making Boston his headquarters,
it was known that he was of an arlstocratc
family He was always 10 funds, and couse-
quentIy had plenty of friends. But the down
stair attractions of the Parker HouSethe bar
and the billiards got the better Of him, and
soon his habits were very Incorporate. More
than once he had been kept out Of the station
house by friends. His conduct finally became
such that the young Englishman had to change
his boarding place, and he went into Howard
street, notorious locality. In the meantime the