The Washburn leader., 1907-05-24

the vehicles wider in proportion to
their length than the ordinary railway
car. and the full sized cars will be
twelve feet wide, but may be two OF
three times az wide. The rail is of
curved top and only requires to be the
same weight as the rails on IN ordi-
nary line, while the sleepers need be
only one-half the usual length, and
bridges are Of the simplest possible
construction. Expenditure of fuel will
be considerably smaller, owing to the
absence Of langed friction on curves
and to the absence Of lateral oscilla-
ton or jolting, and the speed can be
two or three times that Of the present
system. The Indian government has
now voted $25,OOO for the construction
Of full sized vehicle, and the British
war department will construct the
necessary rail upon government land
at Chatham, near the inventors home.
for future experiments.
Hopeless Consumptives Killed.
DR.. 8. A. Knopff, the famous New
York tuberculosis specialist, who was
decorated by Emperor William Of Ger
many for his work in fighting the white
plague and who received prize of
5000 for the best treatise upon that
disease, startled the national tubercu-
losis congress at Washington by ad-
vising that hopeless sufferers from tu-
berculosis be killed quickly and pain
lessly by heavy doses Of morphine.
He said it was his practice to do that,
and he regarded it as sacred duty
that the end might come quickly and
painlessly.
The committee on medication had
made a report condemning the use of
morphine and its compounds in these
cases, and a bitter debate was In prog
ress when DIR. Knopn spoke. sDrs.
Flick and Lands had approved the re-
port, but favored using creosote in ad-
vanced cases. Knopff was opposed to
the use Of creosote, but said he did use
herbin and codein, both Of which con-
tain morphine or cocaine.
One of the plans indorsed by the con-
gress is to organize classes of con-
sumptives among workingmen and
school children for home treatment in
stead Of in hospitals and sanitariums.
DIR. Fulton said the secret of the sue
cess of the home treatment was that
not only the patient, but the entire
family, learned the road to health,
while the man who returns from q san
itarium usually cannot change his fam
ily's mode of life. DIR. Lowman urged
the seclusion of consumptive school
children in special classes, which so far
as possible may be taught in the open
air.
Swallows Fight Boil Weevil.
The biological survey of the depart
ment Of agriculture, while investigat-
ing the boil weevil pest in Texas,
where the cotton crop has been dam
aged many millions Of dollars annual
ly, has discovered that no less than
thirty Eight species Of birds feed upon
the troublesome insect. It is not
claimed that the birds alone can check
the spread Of the weevil, but 1t has
been demonstrated that they are an
important help; hence an appeal Is
made to the northern farmer to aid in
the work on the ground that the insect
enemy of the. farmer Of every district
10 the common enemy Of the country.
Swallows are the foremost Of the allies
against the boil weevil, and they have
been described as ''the light cavalry
OF, the avian army" They have no
rivals in the art Of capturing insects
in midair, and 1t is to this fact that
their peculiar value to the cotton grow
er is due. Other useful birds Of prey
are the orioles. blackbirds, wrens and
flycatchers. As many as four boil
weevils have been found In the stom-
ach of a single clitf swallow. The plan
Of the department is to increase the
number Of swallows both north and
south by forming nesting colonies. The
southern colonies will work during the
summer, while In the fall the northern
bred birds, as they pass southwark.
will keeD b uD the war.