, 1876-12-02
CURIOUS CLIPPINGS.

DR.. Forgett remarks that most prac.
tltloners must have experienced the
difficulty in mapping out organs accu-
rately by percussion in cases accompan-
led by pain. or whore the necessary ex-
animation might imperil the patient
The idea occurred 10 him of substitu-
ting for the rougher method of percus
sion the auscultatlon of musical vibra-
ton, and for this purpose he employs
first an ordinary differentlal stethoscope
with one oblong chest-piece to fit into
the intercosial spaces, the whole made
sufficiently stiff to be held in stu by
the mere pressure of the head; and Sec
ondly, piece of flexible steel, bent as
bow, and held tense by catgut. The
mede of working is as follows: Place
the stethoscope over the organ to be
examined say the liver; then take the
bow in the left hand. and placing it
with either of its eXtremities firmly
upon the skin over or against the organ
begin to twang the catgut with the right
hand, moving the instrument toward
the order under examination. The ra-
tionaIe is that solids give clear musi
Cdl uCl6, anu Cdsltlco tuu Vi COu-
tanning air give dull note. The in
strument can be applied in the detec-
ton of indurations, assesses and cavi
ties, and it enables various organs, as
the kidney. spleen, liver and heart, with
its cavities to be accurately marked out.
Very few people are aware of the
great value and immense profits to be
: derived from the eucalyptus. For fuel
and timber the tree is alike invaluable.
We were shown this week a prettily
carved drinking goblet. "a hub for bug
gy,and piece of highly polished plank
ins, all made from an ordinary gum
tree little over two years old. The
San Antonio Eucalyptus Company has
just been inaugurated with a capital Of
$62, 500 made up of l, $50 shares of $50
each. The property is situated six miles
from Los Angeles and a mile from the
railroad 1t consists of 800 acres of very
fine bottom land, capable of growing
trees without irrigation: there are
already between 40, 900 and so 600 trees
planted out in forest form, all OF which
are in a very thrifty condition, some Of
them as high as twelve feet, and in addl.
ton there are some 10000 ready to
plant out this FAN. An acre of trees
yields 40 cords of wood when planted
eight feet apart, and the Directors cal
cula.e on "a profit in four years, after
deducting all expenses, of about 500
per acre. In addition TO these facts, it
may be added that the gum tree is es
pecially valuable for railway ties. piles,
fence posts, furniture and ship building
purposes.
There is nothing more curious on our
coast than the mud islands at the mouth
of the Mississippi. They were lifted
from the bottom of the sea; but how, is
mystery. Some have risen or subsided
in single day. and the gas. coming
from them few feet below the surface,
keeps up continual turmoil of the wa
ter above, while from all of them the
gases which raised the escaped through
small but apparently bottomless craters.
In some of these springs the water that
shoots up IS several degrees colder than
it is in the surrounding sea; and the
craters of one of them on Osgood's
island has a mineral flavor, and is sold
IN New Orleans drug stores us specific
for rheumatism. These islands never
rise in channels of navi4 alton, but al
ways on their edges. Some Lave a little
vegetation, but greater number are
bare. On oEe of these, near he south
east pass. brick fort, constructed by
the Spaniards, is slowly sinking into
the sea. On Gordon's island still grow
a grove of fig trees century old, AID
near them graveyard in which are
headstones bearing Spanish names and
dates one and two centuries ago. AS
the delta strips work seawaId, they keep
an equal distance in advance; and thus
rise where formerly was deep water, and
often bring up fragments OF wrecks lost
more than one hundred years ago.