The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-25
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The Oldest and largest camelia known
in Europe is probably that OF the Royal
Garden OF PiIlnitz. SaxOny. This plant.
winch usually does not exceed the d.
menslons Of an ordinary shrub, has IN
tnaL exceptional specimen reached the
dslOnls ming hight of . feet. AT the pres
e en-. moment Z Is IN full bloom, and mere
are according 70 actual count, more
tndn 80 open blossoms upon the tree,
y nile as many more buds are waiting
Tor a chance 10 open up Ii is not every
year thar this camelia has such a wealth
OF flowers, but the extraordinarily warm
weather Of this early spring has bene-
nted the old camelIa this year. II has
oeen standing there for more than 100
years and s. years ago Napoleon I rode
out OF the gates OF the castle with
hover frof this camelia in mis- buttonhole
on the morning Of the famous battle Of
Lei9sic.
As a result of his prolonged study OF
those striking phenomena, the thunder
storms of Madras Prof. Smith informs
the scottish Meteorological Society that
the nrSt remarkable fact observed by him
was that of certain seasons of the year,
when sheet lightning appeared almost
every night, always in a west or south
westerly. direction, and invariably near
the horizon; tt may be, therefore, ne
remarks, that these discharges occur In
the region where the moist and dustleSs
sea winds meet the dry and dusty land
wind, one being, perhaps positively cleo
Tlned and the other negatively. In these
lightning displays, as many as 80 flashes
per minute nave Deen counted. TINS Ia
being Kept up for an hour or an nour
and half Another notable popularity
remarked of this region is that the heav-
lest rains are accompanied by thunder
accompanied by any rain.
"A year ago, says Modern Medicine.
Russian bacteriologist made some expert
ments for the purpose Of determining the
influence of coffee in destroying disease
germs. The conclusion was that coffee IS
degree = a
fectant properties OF coffee depend not
upon the active principle of coffee or
cafein' which il contains, but upon the
substance developed in the roasting of
the coffee. II was found that the various
substitutes for coffee are also germicides
and, ike 1t, develop disinfectant proper
ties during the roasting process. A wa
terry infusion of either coffee or its sub
Sututes was found to be capable of kill
ing the germs of cholera within a few
hours, and of typhoid fever in a some
what longer time The conclusion should
not, however, be drawn from these state
ments that either coffee or its substitutes
are 70 De considered of value on account
OF thelr slight antiseptic properties, as
100 long time is required for the destruc-
ton of germs by them.
The longest after-dinner speech. says
Tit Bits, is one made by the Rev. Henry
Whitehead, who died on March 8 last He
was curate st. Luke's. Berwick street
during the outbreak OF cholera in that par
lSSh IN September, 1853, when 200 people
died within 100 yards of the parish church
IN ten days on the eve of his leaving
London Tor country living to which he
mad been appointed, he was entertained
at dinner by a number of friends. 1t is a
proof of his originality and humor that
in returning thanks for the toast of his
health, he was able TO fix the attention
ana sustain the interest of his hearers
Tor three hours on Twenty Years as a
London Citrate" probably the longest at
Yer dinner speech on record. He left be-
vol frr1aa f.fu
most notable being Sermons on the
SAINTS Days These are. perhaps, the
shortest sermons ever published. and were
probably delivered to the smallest congre-
cation. Mr.. Gladstone, in July, 1887, at
the house of Sir Joseph and Lady Pease
al kensington, delivered an after dinner
speech which occupied more than four col
umns in the Times.
DIR. Braatz has recently established
the fact that infectious diseases. and par
ticularly tuberculosis. are often transmit
ted through our Gagged birds Parrots are
particularly liable to take up the germs
of tuberculosis, and there is much dam
ger OF the spreading of this disease
through this agency. The parrots are us
ually great pets with the children of the
family, and 1t is little realized how dan
gerous II is to let children play with par
rots. OF l54 parrots which have been
treated for various diseases at the Berlin
Clinic for Animals during the last two
years, not less than Sc had been affected
with tuberculosis. This disease shows it,
sell IN two form with these birds, since
II appears both inside and outside. The
outer form of sickness is easily diagnosed
by the hardening of the skin and the for
nation OF hard tumors underneath. DR.
Braatz has for several years made exam
nations of every member of the families
where he found parrots affected with tu-
Derculosls. and in almost every instance
he found one or more members of the fam
ny, usually the children, also infected with
the dread disease. Great care should
therefore, 'be taken not to allow children
TO handle parrots, particularly when the
dangerous sign of the hardening skin be-
comes evident upon the head of the bird.
One of the most novel ideas that have
been advanced in some time is the sugges-
ton made by one John S. Brooks. that on
Jan l, 1900, a new division of the year.
into thirteen months, be instituted. This
IS not SO preposterOuS as most people
would be likely to consider it at the FIRST
thought In a letter which Mr.. Brooks
wrote to the New York Herald he saws
that If such a division were made the
hrst twelve months would have just TWEEN
weight days, or four weeks each, and
the new month twenty-nine, to make 1855
ana thirty in leap years. After few DAYS
there would be no need TO refer to caIen-
dars, as the same day of the week would
nave the same date through the year If
IN the four years to come this change could
be adopted by all countries, and Jan.
were, say, Monday every Monday would
De the LIST, Sth, 10Th, and 22d; every Tues
day the I'd, 9th, 10Th ana 23d, and so on
throughout the year. The changes of the
moon would be on about the same dates
through the year, and many calculations,
like interest, dates Of maturing notes, Eas-
ter Sunday and many other important
dates would be simplifed. Mr.. Brooks
says in conclusion; The present genera
ton would have to figure new dates for
birthdays and all legal holidays, except
New Year, would be on different dates.
Would not the gain be more than the loss,
as that would be permanent, and the OBJ
Jectons imaginary or trihing? l wonder
that this has not been advocated before.
and yet l have not heard of it. l am g.
years old, but can never tell the day in
each month without repeating the usual
verse that We learn in childhood What
excitement we could have over naming the
new month. 1 would call it Lunar.
Year after year, says the London Sat
urday Review, when politics cease from
troubling, there recurs the question as to
the existence of intelligent, sentient life
on the planet Mars. The last outcrop of
speculation grew from the discovery Of
NJ. Javelle of a luminous projection on the
southern edge OF the planet. The light
was peculiar in several respects. and
among other interpretations, it was sug-
geSted that the Inhabitants of Mars were
II las ora= 20 p h,