The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-21
BLUE GLASS.
It's Miraculous Effects in Suburb of
Chicago
singular Rehabilitation of Denuded
Ham Bone, Some Horse and
Minced Puppy.
lChicago Times.1

less pretentious retreats about Chicago, is
| just now suffering violent attack of a con-
/ tagious disease recently developing in va
rious portions of the United States, but con-
| fined somewhat exclusively at present to
| Chicago and its immediate vicinage. The
| specific contagious principle of the disorder
appears to have been lying dormant for a
| period of several weeks, but owing to some
recent predisposing causes, suddenly gave
/ rise some three weeks since to intense febrile
symptoms, followed directly by decided
and pronounced eruption, in which latter
stage the malady appears to remain sta
/ tiOnary.
We are assured by eminent medical au-
| thority that the types of disease, like the
| types of character, change with the progress
| of civilization. 1t can not be thought
| strange therefore that this peculiar disor-
der, being of very recent development, is not
even named in the classification of diseases
| put down in medical works, and that ply
| sicians appear quite ignorant in regard to it,
| There can be no doubt of its cerebral charac-
| ter, however since its earliest manifestations
were among certain scientific sav&hs and
| its spread has been most marked and rapid
| among the more intellectual and thought
! full. The eruption patches are varied and
| peculiar in form, assuming singular geomet-
rical shapes-the rectangle, square, triangle,
| etc.-and are of livid or purplish blue. In
the nomenclature of the people, the disease
has received the appellation of the blue
grass fever, and its prevalence can be easily
ascertained by an examination of the win
| dows of the houses of the afflicted ones.
The foregoing, as the intelligent reader is
aware, is, of course, purely tigurative; but
the following incident may be assumed as
| actual fact:
Mr.. Peleg Donkescul, a prominent citizen
of Grassplatte, with a scientific turn of
mind. came home as usual the other night
4 nd vvbila aninvipo his nnanpd nn
| the conversation upon the all absorbing sub
| ject of blue glass.
II saw Chausen Mum on the train this
morning." said he to Mrs. Donkescul, who
sat opposite in detected attitude. sugges-
tive of headache. Ties got it bad.'
Got what?' said the afflicted lady but in
a tone which showed clearly enough that
she took no interest in other peoples affairs
in the present condition of her head.
blue glass; why, he related some of the
most astonishing things you ever heard of;
| and bis brother. who was with him, corrob-
| GRATED them. You know I'm no visionary,
Mrs. Donkescul. but Pm bowed if don't
| believe there's something in it, and'-here
| Mr. Donkescul hesitated somewhat timOr-
ously-"I thought it wouldn't do any harm
| to try it, anyway-three or four dollars
won't bust fellow-and l just went down
to Glaciers sld bought a few feet TO dis
| tribute among our windows. If it only
cures your headache, my dear, | shall be
| amply repaid for all my trouble and ex-
pense," concluded the polite Mr. Donkc
soul.
Mrs. Donkescul condescended wan smile,
and aroused herself sufficiently to inquire
what Mr.. Chausen Mum had said about the
effects of blue glass.
"Why he said that he nut some of the
blue glass in their dining room window the
night before last, and yesterday morning
I,oI 10, hor fnr hraolyfaof The
ham bone, pretty well stripped, was left on
the platter when they left the table, and
CHANGED to set right under one of the blue
rays from the window. Returning to the
room short time afterward to put some
plants where they would receive the effect
of the blue light, what was their surprise to
find the ham bone clothed in its ordinary
covering of muscle and fat again precisely
as it was before it had been touched with
the carving knifel'
"Oh. pshaw Mr. Donkescull," exc laimed
his wife, impatiently, ''do you think I'm a
fool TO believe such stuff as that? Nice ex
ample to set before the children-telling
such preposterou' falsehoods Ham-bone!
and the lady's nasal organ emitted pecu-
liar whizzing sound indicative of immeasur-
able contempt.
'Factl my dear went on the impertuba-
BILE Donkescul, "Munn said So and I've no
reason to doubt him. His brother verified
him. too, and even told something which is
still more wonderful. He said that he had
put some blue glass in the stable window in
order to test the remedial properties of the
blue rays upon his horse, which has
been lame for some time. l think
he attributed il to an affection of the
dorsal muscles, somewhere in the lumbar
region; but, however, the lameness disap-
peared entirely in less than three days
What is not so satisfactory, though, he
fnnnd fhaf tho hOrcaiC hair Ora IN a nrOHi-
gious length wherever the blue rays struck,
the whole of one side of the animal being
covered with alternate spots of hair of the
ordinary length and long locks which near
ly reached the floor He said it took him
two hours to clip it this morning, so if you
are skeptical about it, my dear, you can go
and see the horse for yourself. Another
thing he said was, that one of the blue rays
of light fell upon a knot hole in the stable
floor and, would you believe it. the wood
actually grew so that the hole filled up, and
there isn't a trace of where the knot came
out.r
"Peleg Donkesculr Maybe you think I'm
not possessed of ordinary common sense!
You may swallow such lies il you like, but
you can't blue glass my wits away. al
ways knew that no good would come of
your everlasting scientific experiments, as
/ YOU call them; but you'll be in the lunatic
asylum if you keep on at this rate. And be-
sides, you needn't think can't see through
your pretended anxiety about my head
aches-you know precious well that all you
bought that glass for was to experiment on
that bald spot on the top OF your head
much good may it do you"
Here Mr.. Donkescul WINGED visibly, but
he put on a bold front, and after stoutly de-
nyipg the allegation, proceeded to divert
the mind of Mrs. Donkescul from this dan
gerous sideissue by relating another Incl
dent demonstrating the marvellous effects
of blue light.
Pm sure, Matilda, it is very. unreasons-
BILE to fly in tantrum at me when simply
repeated what was told me; and what any
one at all familiar with the theory OF the
Il ,fo flo