The Boston Herald states: "It is said that Turkish tobacco contains prussic acid, and that Havana tobacco has another alkalide called collidine, of which one-twentieth of a drop will kill a frog, with symptoms of paralysis. The half-liquid matter that accumulates in the bowl of a pipe will kill a small animal in three-drop doses. A few drops of nicotine inserted under the conjunctiva of an animal will kill at once. Eight drops will kill a horse, with frightful general convulsions. It has been observed that the living systems quickly become tolerant of tobacco poison—"an animal that is thrown into convulsions by half a drop one day will require twice as much the next day, and so in four or five days four or five times as much."
The following is suggestive: No student who smokes can obtain a scholarship at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H. It is a new rule of the faculty.
As the purchase of the breweries of the United States has been commenced by the capitalists of the eastern continent, I trust they will extend their purchases to the distilleries and tobacco warehouses and plantations on this continent, especially of the United States; its financiers being shrewd will the sooner observe the advancement of intelligent progress in the line of thought, and change their investments from breweries, distilleries, and cigarette and tobacco manufactories, to the sinking of artesian wells and the invention of some improved water-filter.
Tonsillitis, Quinsy, Black Tongue, or Ulcerated Sore Throat.—
PRESCRIPTION.
| Solution chlorate of potash (1 in 16) | 3 ounces |
| Tincture muriate of iron | 2 drachms |
| Tannic acid | 10 grains |
| Tincture of capsicum | 1 drachm |
| Add glycerine to make | 4 ounces |
Shake well before using.
Dilute in equal parts of water, and gargle every half hour in a severe case for the first three hours. After that every two or three hours. The above is invaluable and unfailing in case of quinsy.
Vital Statistics.—Statisticians are bringing out some curious facts with regard to the birth and death-rates of the leading nations of the world. Unfortunately, our tables are not as accurate as those collected in the European States. Abroad there is a careful record of marriages, births, and deaths. These are collected by us without any thoroughness, save only when a census is being taken. In England and Wales it has been found that the birth-rate is 35.4 and the death-rate is 20.5 per 1,000 persons. In Sweden the birth-rate is 30.2, against a death-rate of 18.1. In the German Empire, birth-rate 39.3 and death-rate 26.1. Austria, 39.1 birth-rate, 29.6 death-rate. The official returns state that our annual birth-rate is 36 and death-rate 18, but clearly our birth-rate is much larger, as we are growing in numbers faster than any people on earth. Our increase is fully 10,000,000 since the last census was taken in 1880. Our colored population have a higher birth-rate than have the Southern whites. Among the latter it is 28.71, while for the colored it is 35.08. Although the death-rate of the blacks is quite large, still they are increasing relatively faster than the white. It is also a curious fact that more colored females are born than whites, but taking blacks and whites together the births of the males exceed those of the females.
The report of the California State Board of Health for the month of April, 1889, contains the following: Reports from 75 different localities, with an estimated population of 701,950, give a mortality of 835, which is a percentage of 1.18 per 1,000 in the month, or an annual mortality of 14.16, which is the lowest annual percentage at which we have yet arrived, indicating a remarkably good condition of the public health throughout the State.