May, 1879.
THE WEST SHORE.
141
KAINTNE8S AND IT8 CAUSES.
Kuntnou coniiiU in a temporary failure of
the activity of the heart; the blood, in conse
quence, ia not properly circulated. It doea not
reach the head, and the patient loees clearneat
uf viaion and color, and, if not prevented, falla
to the lloor, where, however, or even before
reaching it, he recovers. There ia no convul
sion, and, though he can scarcely be aaid to be
conscious, he ia not profoundly unconscious, so
as not to be able to be aroused, as happens in
epilepsy.
There are all degrees of faintneas, from merely
feeling faint and looking slightly palo, to the
HUte we have described; ana in aome cases the
state of fainting is hardly reoovorod from well
before it rocurs again and again, for hours and
days together. We need hardly aay that aueh
cases as the latter are altogether lieyoud the
reach of domeatio medicine. . What are the
causes of faintneas ? It is not very dillicult to
deicrilni theae. Some people are so easily
all'ectcd that they faint if they cut their finger,
or even if they ouly see the cut finger of another
person. All one can aay of auoh persons is that
their muacular liber is not strong and that their
nerves are sensitive. The heart, which goes on
for years circulating the blood, ia essentially a
muscle, It ia weak in aome people, atronger in
others. Aa a rule it ia weaker in women and
stronger in men, Ilenoe women faint more
rapidly than men. Whatever weakona the heart
anil the muscles generally acta aa a cause of
famtneas. Close, foul air ia a common cause of
fsiutnuss or of languidneaa. Anything which
greatly aflecta tho nervoua system, such as bad
news or the sight of something horrible or dis
agreeable, will sometimes cause fainting.
Hut of all causes of faintneas, none are ao seri
ous aa the loss of blood. The muscles, in order
to act woll, must be supplied with blood, and
if the blood of the body ia lost - if it esoaies,
either from a vein opened purposely, or from
piles, or from the source from which menstrua
turn proceeds in exceaaivo quantity, then faint
nesa will happen. The degree of it will depend
on the constitution and on tho amount of blood
lost. A loss of blood tliat would ecarcolv bo
felt by one poraon will be eerioua cause of faii.t
noss to another. Sometimes frequent faintiiess
arises from becoming very fat, the muscular
system of the heart Wing impaired by fatty
ilcitoait. CaurWi lloturhoul (Juitlr.
A l:i mi m roK WMWflM Conni. Dr.
larth I Wirnrr Allijnn. ) states that by placing
. gtt ol. terebinth, on a handkerchief, hold
ing it before the face, and taking alniut 40 deep
inspirations, to be repeated thrioe daily, signal
anil marked relief, followed by rapid cure in
cases of laryngeal catarrh, ia the result. In an
infant 13 months old, in the convulsive stage of
whooping oongh, he directed the mother to hold
a 1 Hi, moistened aa above, before it when
awake, and to drop the oil upon its pillow when
asleep. The result waa markedly beneficial.
In 24 honra the frequency and severity of the
attacks were notably diminished, and by pniier
support by aid of stimulants, the improvement
was rapid. Hulatequently pertussis became epi
drmic in bis vicinity, and he repeatedly uaed
the drug in this way. Ht gave it to children of
all ages, and in any stage of fever. The initial
catarrh, the convulsive, and the final catarrhal
stages war ail decidedly benefited, the spaa
modic attacks being in many rases aborted.
Kkathkm IK TlXTlUM. - According to the
I'sris h'ignrn, the shop will soon hare the new
Uitilaa in feathers and wool and cotton on sale.
This is an invention of M. Bourguigimn, of Doo
'hr , who has found how to weave feathers
(deprived of the bony aobsUoos) and inourpor
sts ihriu with woolen and ootton yarns ia pro
rtius varying from 10,'. to 75 '.. Some very
Aoe textiles are thus made, and especially a
". I which for warmth and hghluees is unapproachable.
Consumption or Kubbbh. The consumption
of rubber by our manufacturers, continues ss
large as everi imports amounting to about 12,
000,000 pounds per annum, chiefly from South
America. The price ranges from 20 to AO cents
per pound, the cheaper grades coining from
Africa and the finest from the valley of the
Amazon, where the trues producing it abound
over a vast region, one-half of the entire yield
going to the United Slates. Tho consumption
iu the manufacture of shoes equals the demand
for all other purposes. In the manufacture of
rubber from 'i,' to 10 of sulphur, ami various
metallic oxides chiefly lead and lino are com
bined with it; the quantity of tho latter depend
ing on the degree of elasticity and other pro
perties required in the article to be manufac
tured; ami to judiciously combine these sub
stances with the rubber in suitable proportions
to produce the desired end, aa woll as in priqierly
vulcanising it afterwards, requires great expert
enoe and skill. A certain degree id honesty on
the part of the manufacturer is also essential to
abstain from introducing mere adulterating sub
stances into his ' 'oomiounds, " and thus cheapen
the product at the expense of its quality.
Khkkiii.y I'umi n BoOaflk The impression
that those who inhabit rooms freshly painted
are in danger of load poisoning has Iwcn shown
by Dr. 1 b un nt Middle to lie quite unfounded.
He bases this statement upon the result of the
followiug experiment: Ilu introduced iuto a
cloao box a number of shoots of iaper saturated
with white (lead) paint, and upon tho bottom
of the box placed a shallow dish of pure (dis
tilled) water, previously tested to make sure of
its perfect freedom from impurities, and from
load iu particular. After an cxioeure to the
atmosphere of the box for throe days, the water
dish waa removod, acidulated with nitric acid,
and treated with sulphureted hydrogen, when
not a trace of lead precipitate occurred. Dr.
Itiddlo therefore attributes the colds and other
unpleasant consequences experienced by sleep
ing iu frashlyopainlod apartmoiiU to tho irrita
ting a. 1 mo of tho vapors of turwutine on the
lining membrane of tlio air-passages.
Tun Oihih or Hi'Man Ham. -In l.r I'rayr"
Mnticul, M. (lalippe calls attention to the medico-legal
value of the odor of the human hair.
Ilo asserts that from the simple smell of a lock
of hair he can tell whether the lock has been
cut ti ..in the living aubject or whether it has
b. 01 composed of nair that has fallen out.
Ilair-draeaers hare acquired this art, which is
said never to fail them. Hair which has fallen
out haa a (lull appearance, attributable to ilia
rase, and ia not easily mule up; it haa no peculiar
smell. The hair of the I'hineoo haa a character
istio odor of musk, which is so persistent that
it caunot be concealed by oosmetlos, for it cannot
be destroyed by washing with NUsh. The hsir
of the Chinese has alao a reddish tinge, and is
polyhedral in eeotiou. Hair of hysterical pa
tients haa a peculiar awl distinguishing odor
which is most perceptible at the approach of a
crieie, Certain hair ia electrical, the electricity
bung developed more readily a'ler rubbing.
(il.vi aaiss ix Kimii. Cattllon, a French
physiologist, found that the addition of from
even to eight grains of glycerine to the daily
ration of a Lot ofliuinea pigs increased the effect
of their food so that they gained from one Unth
to on- bltb of their weight in a given time,
while a aeoood lot fed on the same ration, but
without glycerine, gained nothing; when the
doa of glyostine was changed to the second lot
they gained in weight, and the first lot gained
nothing, large doses of glycerine, however,
cause derangsient of the digestive organs.
To Maki a airmail PociTKX-In making
a mustard plaster aae no water, bat mil the
mustard with whits of egg. and the result will
be a plaster which will draw perfectly, bat will
not produce a Ulster, 00 mailer hew long it is
allowed to remain.
USKS KOH HUTTKHMILK.
Hutterniilk t'heeee. - Uppered milk la gwosr.
ally used for this purose, but It ia much belter
and richer made of freeh buttermilk, with only
one-third sour milk. It should be placed In a
large tin pan or thoroughly cleansed hraas kettle,
over a alow Hre, and allowed to remain there
until the ourd haa separated from the whey, If
the Are is to., hot, so that the buttermilk It
scalded, the ourd will lie a disagreeable, stringy
mass Net a tin colander on the top of a pail,
spread a coarse linen towel over it, and into that
dip the curd. I t the curd remain In the oolan
der until the whey only dri from it, then tie
the comers of the towel together and hang up
for aeveral hours, or until the whey ia well
.li .1110 .1 out. Then turn it into a pan, aud with
the hands work in a small quantity of .alt . a
piece of butter, and also a little cream, if the
cheese is to be eaten fresh, aa moat Yankee
wlatea prefer. Hut if to be kepi until strong
ami rancid to both taste and smell, the cream
must lie omitted. Make into nioa, firm balls,
the si,", of a good apple, ami out in aliens for
the table.
Unit ill. Top. Hail one quart of fresh
buttermilk. Heat one egg, a pinch of salt, anil
a heaping teaapnouful of lb. or together, and
tHiur into the boiling milk. Stir briskly and
boil (or two or three minutee, and servo while
warm with sugar, or, still belter, maple syrup.
Although this is an old-fashioned and homely
dish, eaten and relished by our grsndiarents
before com starch, sea-moss farina, daaaloated
coeoanut and other similar delicacies were avast
heard of, it ia perhapa aa nutritious aa any of
them, ami often far more easily obtained.
Its Hygienic I'rnpertiee. -As the butter whioh
is taken from the milk is only the carlmnaonoua
or heat-producing element, there are still lefl In
it all the nourishing properties which maha II
ao valuable as food. Aa a drink for maa at
work in the hot sun, buttermilk Is far preferable
to aider, iiietheglin, ewltchel, or any prepara
tion of I.. . 1 whatever, aa It is not only I
in g and 1 1 1 along, but also strength. giving,
1 n course there are plenty of people who are
constantly dialing themselvsa with blood search
ers, livsr purifiers aud stomach Invigorators,
who would Isugh at the mention of buttermilk
as a medicine, and yet if Ihey could be one
iirraiisdsd to try drinking a glaaa of that fresh
iHivaraga svery day, they would soon Hnd 11
corrective of their poor appelllee and "clogged
up" livers. In a little Look of Plain directions
for the I are of the Nick, written by an intelli
gent physician of Philadelphia, who haa nailer
Ins medical supervision several charitable taeti
tllllolis, we tlnd buttermilk 11. en! n.ur. I aa being
very useful, especially in fevers, ss an article of
diet fur the elan.
A Vabhsii run Itsri.Ariso TtiaruTtai aid
l.masan On. Paints. Vi Thies, of Hisses torf,
prepares a varnish consisting of IU0 parte of
roloiihoniam, 'JO parts of eryetalliasd oarboaala
of sodium, ami Ml parts of water, by healing
these suhslaacea together and mixing them with
a solution of 21 parts of strong liquor of an.
iniioia in SAO parts of water. With the mass
thus obtained, the pigments are letigsted with
out the addition of lineeed nil or tarpeallaei
the paint drtee readily without Ho, aid of a
drwr, and basks very well eeaeially when var
nished. The paint keeps well even seder wa
ter a lid beooenee very bard. The cost is said
li ainouut to a1-. ui ..or third of thai uf ordi
nary oil palate. - IknUtkt UrtU ZtUmny.
fvumnu Oil. Of Cooaao. The beaatifel
greea color ao often met with la the oil of oof
nac, imported froen Karope, is generally derived
from M appreciable quantity af copper, which,
of course, must reader the liquor rude from It
highly injurious To purify the oil heal II to
shoal III K , and shahs with one loath of IU
volume or a anaarased eoleltoa of tartaric aaid.
Set aside fur one-half boar sad filter.