New Britain herald., 1924-06-07
- THE OBSER VER- Makes Random Observations
 On the City and Its People

hay fever whether he is crying for joy or because he has heard bad news.
 But when he begins to yolley and
 thunder like the guns at Balaklava,
 you can identify him as a hay fever
 victim. Persons thus afflicted are all ways barred from amateur sneezing
 contests, or given a heavy handicap,
 just like they do in golf, because it x figured that hay fever victims know
 more about the game and have an | unfair advantage.
 We could write more about sneez- ing but the office boy is calling for
 copy and we recognize our masters voice when we hear it.
 Judge Benjamin W. Aling let it he
 known in police court recently that
 men who have been in this county for
 20 years or more should be able to
 speak English if their testimony is to
 be welcomed by the court.
 A man was called as a witness, and
 he immediately asked for an inter
 preter. Judge filling asked him how long he had been in this country, and received the answer twenty years" The judge then told him he should try to give his testimony in English The prospective witness expressed an unwillingness even to try, wherenpon Judge filling said, Well, I don't think I want to hear you in any other language then" The man did not testify.
 Two employees of the city in the board of public works department, called to testify In a case, presented the same problem, One of them told the court that he had been fin tue 20 years. Neither one of them could speak English. telling the court "No good speak English" One of the men told the court that he had taken out his first papers, to which Judge filling said You'll never get your second if you don't learn English any faster"
 While the majority Of people can ! wander at will among strange plants without danger, there are some who are susceptible to and seriously poi | soned by certain plants. Such people are usually not poisoned unless they ! have actually handled the leaves or . stalks Of such a plant
 The poison jvy'is perhaps the plant | most frequently encountered by the city visitor 10 the coun- ny, says the Public Health Service. let it may be easily distinguished rom other crespers by its three di- 'ided leaves. The harmless creepers nave five leaves. This one distin- mark if borne in mind will protect the vaeatonist from poison ".
 The part Of these plants 10 be cared is the resinous sap. When ,lant is injured this sticky sap ey- ldes. 1t comes in contact with the kin and sets up an irritation which \ distinguished by its acute eharao- CT. This irritation frequently begins between the fingers.
 The symptoms of ivy poisoning are easy to recognize. A nore or less mild attack may be shered in by burning or itching of l' he skin. Within 24 hours after the kin is exposed to the poison or the { liant, rcd rash appears. This is 1 ollowed by more or less swelling and { ching, then small blisters filled with erum make their appearance. Tho arts of the body affected may swell ( ) enormous proportions.
 At one time it was believed that iany persons who had suffered from ttacks of ivy poisoning would ex- | crience q recurrence of the attack fl ,ey passed through a wood or came q Ito proximity with the plant even l lough the ivy itself was not touched. now appears certain hosever that ontact is necessary in order 10 pro- uce ivy poisoning. q
 Ivy poisoning, may sometimes be yerted even after these plants have c cen handled provided the parts ex- V osed are washed thoroughly with |