The morning call., 1893-09-27

Some restrictions are being placed on
the opportunities 10 earn premiums for
excess Of requirements in the construction
of vessels oil war. One of these is in the
direction of safety. Contractors have been
in the habit of forcing steam up to a
dangerous pressure, and they are not al
lowed to 60 beyond per cent alb We the
sta Ddard. 1t IS not good policy, however,
TO hold out no incentives to superior work
manship. One Of the principal reasons
why so many of the English warships,
and particularly those built in the national
dOckyardS, fall so far behind in the esti-
mates of performance and develop so many
faults Is that much of the workmanship is
scamped or committed TO inferior work
men. FiFst-cass wOIkmen find 1t more
profitable to engage in the service of pri-
vate firms. Contractors would often in
cline to defective workmanship if they
could make neither more nor less money,
whatever they do. but when they can
earn more by good achievement through
out and by improvements, they will strug-
gle for recognition.
Sir James Crichton Browne, a physician
who has had much experience of the in
sane, has examined the brains of 1900 sub
jects. He comes to the conclusion that
nature makes Dalpable differences be-
tween male and female brains. First,
there IS a difference in weight, the m le
being heavier. possibly by one ounce, rela-
tive 10 weight OF body; second, while the
frontal l0Des are equal in the sexes the
parletal are larger in the male and the
occlpltal in the female, who, consequently
has quicker perceptions; third, the female
brain is less cOnv0luted in the gray matter
ana has less surface; fourth, the blood
supply is more cOpious in the anteriOr
lODeS IN the male and the posteriOr has d
larger supply in the female, and these
parts have different activities. The blood
OF the female is also poorer in cOrpuscles
there being half a million less in cubic
millimeter. Sir James fears that the ten
dency OF too much education or intellect
ual development in women is to make
them lose beauty. BE instances the FARO
women Of India. They are supreme.
They WOO the men, control the affairs of
the home aud nation, transmit property
and leave man nothing 10 do. The result
IS that they are the ugliest women on
earth. Sir James, however. is a lunacy
doctor.
Without question abuses may easily
creep into system of examining lunatics
when dependent upon fees, and they are
not absent when the remuneration is by
salary. Tie misfortune is that lunacy
doctor Is apt TO conclude that everybody
IS insane. Possibly everybody is, but the
lowed 10 use the broad world as an aSy-
lum and only few need comp pulsory re-
Stralnt. Mad-d0ctOrs incline to the error
OF sending everybody to an institution
NOtorlously DR.. Forbes Wnslow, author
OF Obscure Diseases Of the Brain"
showed his bias the older he got from "a
sincere conviction that cere Dral alteration
is the common lot A test case might be
made OF the Commissioners sanity by sub
mlttlDg Tor tnelr examination a few saga
clous disciples of Conte, Herbert Spencer
or the leading metallic theorists, and elicit
ing their views on the crooked aspects of
Society's regeneration. The nationality of
many public officials might also be studied
incog., and probably commitments would
De made out and the fees collected.
The Government Ordnance Department
has got hold Of a useful lid steel projectile,
when it can be sent unharmed through
seven teen inches of steel plate and TWO
inches Of iron backing. This was attained
from guns which gave a velocity of only
1900 feet per second. A much higher ini-
tial velocity can be produced with some
kinds of smokeless powder. This cast
steel is an experiment in econ omy. other
missiles OF high quality offered by pat
entees being expensive. A rain of such
Drojectiles from quick firing guns would
soon riddle most of III e modern war yes
sells; but they are not easily hit at an ad-
vantage when iG motion.
A Bluebeard of the Deeming type seems
to have been unearthed in Amsterdam. Al
ready a few wife-murders are charged
against him. but it is suspected he has had
many other nuptial and lethal ceremonies
in Holland and England. There is no &C.