The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-11-22
Nuggets of knowledge.

The organic acid found IN certain
polyp0rus fungi which grows on the dead
trunks of oaks has yellow color, and il
80 very insoluble in water that the
slightest trace of it; on the addition ol
salt or soluble sulphuric acid, leaves thC
water turbd. The fact that turbidity
may be so produced has suggested to
Prof. G. Stahischmidt the expodiency OF
employing the soluble polyporates as in
dicatOrs in alkallmetry.
1t is gravcly stated that the marks of
cutting instrument, supposed to have
been stone AK, have been found on one
of the fossil trees Of the Calistoga "pet-
triicd forest" If authenticated, the di,-
covery would imply the presence of man
in California during a pre- & lacial epoch.
The fact that there are ammonites among
the fossils of that locality, points to an
antiquity that was not attributed even to
the famous scull of Calveras.
IN several districts of China, especially
near the sea coast, there have been ex-
tensive visitations of locusts. The de-
struction by the insects is said to have
been very great, aud the estimate of loss
to growing crops are 40 large that fall
ing Of of national revenue is appre-
hended. The measures taken to check
the insect plague, are, in general, differ
ent from those adopted in this country,
though something of this sort was once
tried by western state governor; they
consist chiefly of prayer and religious
observance.
Mr.. Alexander Buchan, the secretary
of the Scottish meteOro ,ical society, be-
lieves that as a deficient rainfall may be
expected to recur in cycles of eleven
years in Madras--a discovery based upon
the relation of sun spots to rain-iall-the
permanent remedy for famine is to deal
with the rainfall SO as to husband and
equalize the water supply, not merely OF
the individual year, but of the cycle.
lie adds that the old native system OF
great embarked lakes or reservoirs un.
consciously hit the true solution of the
hydraulic engineering difficulty which
the meteorology of India presents.
The general rules which were adopted
by the juries of our international cxhi.
bitiOn have been prescribed with little
change for the coming one at Paris. The
system of uniform award has not, how
ever, been copied and probably it never
will be, since it nullitied the object of
the gift by making no distinction in
merit. The following statement will
give general notion of the French
system: For agricultural and industrial
products, collectively, there will be
given 100 grand prizes, 1000 gold
medals, 1000 silver, bronz', and 5000
honorable mentions" The sum de.
voted to defray the expense of awards is
$500, 900.
The diseases arising from compression
of the chest and body in early life are
not exclusively restricted to the female
sex. SchoolbOys and youths constantly
practice the habit Of binding up their
clothes around their bodies by means of
q belt tightened firmly above the hips,
instead of wearing the braces over the
shoulder. Some boys and youths ar
also taught the plan of putting Oh al
extra belt for holding in the br,atl
before they run or leap. In the ut-u t
of certain active business, in VIII ch
weights have to be carried, this same
system of wearing tight belt is adopted
and practiced by workingmen, until the
artificial and ingenious support, as it is
assumed to be, becomes, like the corset OF
a woman, a veritable necessity. To the
belt the same objection applies as 10 the
tigh band and corset. 1t impedes the
free action of the abdominal organs; it
impedes the freedom of the respiration
it interferes with the circulation in the
young athletes who wear it while they
are running, rowing, climbing or wrest
ling it tends to bring on hernia-rupture