The Osceola times., 1877-09-08
Scientific and Useful.

Laurel leaves produced from the COM
mon laurel.tree, when scalded, will be
found a good sedative poultice for the
purpose of allaying neuralgia.
Dom Piatt says Bret Harte is refused
foreign appointment by Secretary
Evarts because he is in debt. He has
wife and four children, writes slowly and
lives extensively.
Dress coats of various colors have been
introduced in London. They are formed
of marine blue, plum color, claret and
green of medium shade, with pantaloons
of corresponding color, and white
waistcoats.
In the mountains of Kumaon and of
Nepal native sulphate of aluminium,
resulting from the oxidation of pyrites
in contact with shales, occurs, which is
called by the native salsjt; it is very
highly esteemed for its medical virtues
and often realizes its weight in silver on
the plains.
In gathering mushrooms correspond.
ent says he never uses knife, but twists
the mushroom around, freeing it from
the roots; he does not approve of cut
ting, as the stem in decaying frequently
destroys the small mushrooms near it.
When the beds get exhausted and the
supply fails, he gives liberal application
of water heated to one hundred and
twenty degrees, in which he puts a little
salt. This 20 stimulates the bed that
second crop of mushrooms, often as good
as the first, is the result.
Epglish veterinarians, physicians and
horsemen generally are joining in cru
sade against bearing-reins," which ore
declared not only To be source of grievous
discomfort to the animals but to impair
their present and future usefulness and
a large number of leading London con.
sultants, persuaded thereto by Professor
Flowers, the eminent comparative anato-
mist, have discarded the cruel ornamen-
tation of checking their horses heads,
even in the fashionable regions of the
west end.
Between Bordeaux and Bayonne there
is large stretch of sandy desert, where
on there is little vegetation save here and
there patches of pine trees. From these
trees there runs resinous matter which
is collected and sold by the inhabitants
of the region. This substance has re-
Gently been studied bv NJ. Guillemare,
and he has announced to the French
academy of sciences that he has pro-
duced three kinds Of oil from the material,
all rich in carbon. containing respectively
eighty, ninety and ninety-two per cent of
that element. The light yielded on burn.
ing the oils is remarkable for its whiteness
and steadiness, and is said to he suitable
for lighthouse illumination.
According to Newcastle, England,
paper, the craft of rail-way-spring. makers
is threatened with a very serious compe-
tition. A circular spring has been in
vented it is made entirely by machinery,
and is said to be free from any defects Of
the present hand made springs. The new
springs are made of solid round bars of
steel, highly polished, cut and bent into
elliptical forms, and bound together in
sets to form springs. Four or FIVE bars
form the top and bottom Of each spring;
and it is intended as further improve
ment to have spiral spring, also machine.
made, to be placed in the center at the
top and bottom set Of springs. This would
act as duplicate; and in case of accident
it would support the entire weight of the
c,rriage.
DIR. George Johnson, an English physi-
clan, has reported another case Of poison
ing by homeopathic camphor, the note,
Of which were furnished by Mr.. Grubb,
Of Warminster. England. A young gen.
tleman, aged eighteen, wishing to cure a
cold, took on sugar. in the course of six
hours, seven doses Of homeopathic cam
phor, each dose containing three drops.
Within Ave minutes after taking the last
dose, without the slightest warning, he
bad an epileptic fit, which lasted more
than a quarter of an hour. Since the
attack he had been feeling queer" and
at the time Of Mr.. Grubb's report,
month after the accident, he had not
fully recovered. Cases such as the above
cannet be too widely known. The Use
of camphor for the cure of cold is rapidly
extending. and the people who use it have
not the slightest idea that they are play.
ing with poison. !