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ing of sanitarians and see whether they deprive themselves of any of the good things of the table. Far from it; we believe that each man should be a law unto himself, but we hold that he should take a little trouble to familiarize himself with the special laws that may govern his special humanity. In this manner of eating, we believe that a person should eat just exactly what he pleases, with the single, simple proviso that he should avoid that which his experience teaches him will disagree with his special organism. Do not let us unnecessarily surround the practice of hygienic teachings with an austere and disagreeable enclosure that does not belong to it.

Nutritive Value of Certain Foods..

Speaking roughly, a quart of oysters contains, on the average, about the same quantity of active nutritive substance as a quart of milk, or a pound of very lean beef, or a pound and a-half of fresh codfish, or two-thirds of a pound of bread. But while the weight of actual nutriment in the different quantities of food material named is very nearly the same, the quality is widely different. That of very lean meat or codfish consists mostly of what are called in chemical language, protein compounds or "flesh formers "-the substance which makes blood, muscle, tendon, bone, brain, and other nitrogenous tissues. That of bread contains but little of these, and consists chiefly of starch, with a little fat and other compounds, which serve the body as fuel, and supply it with heat and muscular power. The nutritive substance of oysters contains considerable of both the flesh-forming and the more especially heat and force-giving ingredients. Oysters come nearer to milk than almost any other common food, their values for supplying the body with material to build up its parts, repair its wastes and furnish it with heat and energy would be pretty nearly the same.The Century.

Country Life.

There are two points to which we would like to invite especial attention in the admirable paper by Dr. Samuel Wolfe, which we publish elsewhere in this issue; first the statement that he who lives in the country, doing business in the city and going to and fro leads an ideal life. We have always thought that variety was not only a sauce that gives spice and piquancy to life, but that it is a great factor in the promotion of health and longevity, hence we have always held that one should make his home in the country, visiting the city, daily, if business requires, or, at intervals, for pleasure, recreation and variety, such as the country does not afford. Secondly, we would emphasize Dr. Wolfe's condemnation of the loss of their identity by country people. To our way of thinking, this erroneous idea is one of the greatest arguments in favor of the artificiality that now rules humanity. The oldest, most respectable, and most independent pursuit in the world is that of farming, yet by a strange perversity the farmer seems to consider himself inferior to the city man, because the latter wears better clothes. Dr. Wolfe's paper is a thoughtful presentation of a most important subject and is well worthy of careful perusal.

Building a City Underground.

How the Model Paris System Compares with the Philadelphia-A Practical Illustration of the Reason of Our Bad Highway System.

As early as 1853 Paris inaugurated the present system of intercepting sewers which to-day accommodates the water mains, telephone, telegraph and electric light wires, as illustrated in the cut. With variations in shape and size the city continues the construction on the broad and comprehensive plan of the

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originator, Belgrand, which for years to come will furnish ample room, without disturbing the roadbed of the streets, for the several plants requiring sub-surface location. With the exception of gas mains one excavation suffices for all. Under the present system of municipal government, the engineer reports

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his projects to the prefect. If he approves the work, he applies to the Municipal Council for the necessary appropriations. If it is a matter in which the State is also concerned, he represents the city in convention with ministers of all the State departments interested, before whom men recognized for high scientific standing are requested to give opinions, unbiased by a retainer from either

side, as the government pays for the service, regardless of which side of the question their testimony supports. And on the report of this convention the government acts.

In contrast, observe the entire absence of systematic work in the sectional view of a Philadelphia street. Individuals, corporations and several city deparments trench the streets one after another for their varied interests, and often two and three times at short intervals the streets are opened either to increase the plant or to repair shoddy work. Under these conditions, the end of which is not yet in sight, it is obviously impossible to maintain good pavement, even if originally suitable and well laid. No matter how industrious or wisely directed the paving department may be, it is bound to suffer and finally be overthrown by unfavorable criticism, which it is powerless to disarm. uniform grade and uneven pavement defeat the best efforts of the street department, which in turn suffers for what it cannot prevent. Mud and water accumulate beyond reasonable possibility of removal, and the health department is held up for reprobation by the public, which can only judge by results of the capacity of the management.

Absence of

The only distinction a man can gain under Philadelphia's present methods of conducting public work is in the degree of failure he is sure to make. Economy can only be secured by the co-operation of all interests under concentrated management.

Antique Meat.

The river Viloui, in North Siberia, is frozen a greater part of the year. In the cold season the natives follow its course to the South, and as Spring comes on they return. It was during one of these migrations that an entire rhinoceros was discovered. The river, swollen by the melting snow and ice, had overflowed its banks and undermined the frozen ground, until finally, with a crash, a huge mass of mingled earth and ice broke away and came thundering down. Some of the more daring natives ventured near, and were rewarded by a sight wonderful in the extreme. A broad section of icy earth had been exposed, and hanging from a layer of ice and gravel was a creature so weird that at first they would not approach it. It hung partly free, and had evidently been uncovered by the landslide. From the head extended a long horn, as tall as some of the children, while behind it was another smaller one. But the strangest feature of this curious monster was that it was covered with hair.

At first the astounded discoverers thought the creature was alive, and that it had pushed aside the earth, and was coming out. But the great rhinoceros was dead, and had probably been entombed thousands of years. The body was frozen as hard as stone, and the hair-covered hide seemed like frozen leather, and did not hang in folds, as does the skin of living species. Several months passed before the animal was entirely uncovered, and so perfectly had nature preserved it that it was then cut up and the flesh given to the dogs.

Buried Alive.

The belief that people are ever nowadays buried alive, or ever have been, except for criminal or judicial purposes, is one that is widespread, but also one that has very little foundation in actual fact. We venture to say that there are not in history any authentic records of cases of burial alive, where the deceased has been carefully examined by physicians, or even by intelligent friends. Of recent evidence of burial alive, there is certainly nothing of value. The Medical Press and Circular, of May 13th, 1874, reported the premature burial of a woman six hours after supposed death. But no evidence that the woman was not dead is given. The British Medical Journal of January 21st, 1871, cites the case of an infant that was nearly buried alive, but was heard to cry in its coffin. Here, too, the evidence as to the validity of the facts is wanting, while in effect the child was not buried alive. Another recent case occurred at Naples, in 1871. A woman in a state of trance is said to have been buried alive. The court sentenced both the doctor who signed the certificate, and the mayor who permitted the interment, to three months' imprisonment for " involuntary manslaughter." If these and other cases are analyzed, it will be found either that there was no proof of the premature burial, or else there was gross carelessness and criminal haste on the part of attendants. The belief in burial alive should disappear with the belief in ghosts and other bugaboos. It is, of course, possible that persons may be buried alive through some criminal conspiracy, or through some manifestation of monumental incapacity on the part of friends; but such contingencies can be easily avoided in modern life.-Medical Record.

Unhappy Childhood.

Sir John Lubbock, in "The Pleasures of Life" gives expression to the thought that the common phrase "Happy Childhood" is an erroneous one. Reflecting upon his assertion and his reasoning thereon, we are inclined to agree with him that it is a mistake to suppose that childhood is necessarily the happiest period of human existence. As it is to-day, a child is not a reasoning animal; he is guided solely by impulse; hence anything that would oppose his impulses is to him a real and grevious unhappiness, while to the thinking, reasoning adult, such would not be the case unless his reasoning would convince him that there was really cause for unhappiness. The point that we would make is that the reasoning powers of children should be much more cultivated than is now the case. He who is governed by impulse (whether he be man or child) is one who is either abnormally happy or despondingly miserable; there is no happy medium in the impulsive person, one extreme or the other always prevails. Let one however cultivate his reason or will power so that his impulses are subject thereto, and such a person will be a happy and healthy individual. If this education of the reason can be brought about at twenty, why can it not at ten years of age. Let us try, and when we have taught our children to reason with their impulses, then can we truly speak of happy childhood.

Cleaning-up Time.

It would seem that it was almost needless to suggest that the months of May and June are the time when preparation should be made to meet or avert the dangers to health which are incidental to the decomposition of organic and putrescible filth during the hot Summer days. It "goes without saying" that all intelligent persons have a knowledge of that fact. Nevertheless, there are few who are not benefited by being reminded from time to time of those duties which so largely conserve their best interests, and especially is this true of those duties which so largely concern the preservation and promotion of health. Very few individuals do as well as they know how. The good housekeeper, during the Spring months, makes a point of going through the inside of the house with a thorough turning out and overhauling the contents of every nook and corner, giving everything an airing, a dusting and a brushing, and all woodwork and floors a thorough washing and cleansing. No less is it necessary to have the outdoor premises cleaned up and put in order.

All heaps and piles, large or small, of decomposable material in or around the door-yard or premises near the house or work-rooms should be cleaned up and carried away to be spread upon the grass plots, if not too coarse and dry, or added to other fertilizers in the gardens and fields, where they may add to the luxuriance of forthcoming crops. Or if such disposal be quite inconvenient or not at all available, then let them be destroyed by the action of fire.

But to return to the indoor premises, it should not be forgotten that the cellar is often a source of unexplainable disease. When vegetables are allowed to decay and bits of animal substances, butter, cheese or lard, etc., are allowed to follow the same course, gases of decomposition will be set free and, carried with currents of the air or rising by their own lightness, will find their way into the living rooms above to poison slowly and insensibly the unsuspecting occupants. Closet shelves and corners, sink cupboards and cubby holes may furnish equally deleterious material if allowed to remain too long without a turning over and a turning out and a thorough cleansing. Clean up often and clean up thoroughly.-Monthly Bulletin.

What is Liquor!

A most estimable old gentleman, 86 years of age, some time before his death, said, in a letter to the editor of this journal that he had never tasted alcohol in his life. But a few days subsequently, dining at this gentleman's house, we were informed by him that a little bottle standing on the table was a tonic ordered by his physician because of the failing powers of his stomach, due to age. Upon inquiry we found that the tonic was the "compound tincture. of cinchona." Feeling at liberty to do so, we propounded the query "What is the difference between your tonic and whiskey," and answered it by telling our venerable friend that while the latter was an alcoholic extract of rye or corn, the former was an alcoholic extract of cinchona. Now then, this good man had

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