Year: 1877


tive, nervous and dyspeptic inyalids, is being
freshly heralded to the public by q St. Louis
paper. A. visit to the suburb Of Butcher.
town." revealed to the reporter that during
the year considerable number of persons,
mainly consumptives, frequent the shambles
to psrtake Of this remedy, and several promi-
nent physicisns Of the city certify their belief
in its beneficial effects. At one time FIVE or
six patients were taking this strange medicine
at one of the larger slaughter.houses, and it is
said that after the first nausea and aversion
we're overcome, their desire for the nourishment
was intense But the initiation is very hard,
the scent to nervous person being shocking
one, which has to be repeated quite. often ere
it becomes familiar. The oxen are dragged
in by windlass, knocked in the head and
then "stuck." As the current Of life foods
from the cash, the cups or vessels are held to
receive, and it is drank instantly, with all the
warmth of healthy vital action upon it. In
this way alone itrenders good, and as may be
readily imagined, it requires some exercise of
nerves to indulge in the operation. The taste
for blood, when once acquired, however, does
entirely away with the nausea which attends
its first use. It is sweet in taste, resembling
fresh milk, and the patient desires it quite as
much as strong, healthy person would q
good meal when hungry. 1t is far from be-
ing unpalatable, and moderate fondness for
it is acquired in q comparatively short time
One physician finds that it is not necessary
to subject his patients to the repulsive sur
roundings of the slaughter-house, but places
the freshly-drawn blood in a steam.warmed
bottle and then in can filed with hot water,
conveying it as quickly as possible to the
drinker. He has effected number of cures
by this means, and is of the opinion that when
consumption is treated in this manner, its
progress can be arrested unless the disease has
made most serious inroads upon the lungs
It has also been found most eficacious in
cases of wasting of nervous fiber, atrophy and
marasmus. Another class of patients gain
strength from inhalation and absorption Of
the peculiar particles which abound in the
atmosphere of the slaughter-house. This pc.
culiar and impalpable process is undoubtedly
the means by which butchers acquire such
exceptional health and wonderful strength.
These patients merely sit in the apartment for
an hour or two at time in the morning and
afternoon.


A POWDER M1LL.-A powder-mill is not
in the least like other mills. Instead of one
great building, it is composed of many rough
looking little sheds, sometimes as many as sew.
enty or eighty. These are long distances
apart, separated by dense woods and great
mounds of earth, so that if one "house" is
blown up the others will escape like fate.
Of some the walls are built very strong, and
the roofs very slight, in the hope that if an
explosion happens, its force will be expended
upward only. Other houses have enormous
roofs of masonry covered with earth the
roofs of others are tanks kept always full of
water.


The constant danger, inseparable from the
work, would be gradually increased were there
not strict rules, always enforced. No cautious
visitor can be more careful than the workmen
themselves, for they know, if an explosion
happens, it will be certain, instant death to
them. So no lights or fires are ever allowed /;
no one lives nearer the mills than can be
helped some of the buildings are carpeted
with skins, and the floors are always kept
flooded with an inch or two of water and in
front of every door is shallow tank of water.
Before entering, every person must put on
rubber shoes and walk through this water, for
the nails in boot heels might strike spark
from bit of sand or gravel, which might
explode single grain of gunpowder, and
cause widespread disaster. So the rubber
shoes worn in the mills are never worn else
where. Then, too, every one is expected to
keep his wits about him there is never any
loud talking or laughter, and no one ever
thinks of shouting. Yet, with all this ex-
treme care, explosions sometimes occur, and
then there is seldom any one left to tell how
it happened.-&. Nicholas Magazine.