POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



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to an extent that is essentially disagreeable 

 and that ought not to take place ; and also 

 that typhoid fever follows the use of oysters 

 so cultivated. It may also be alleged, as is 

 done by certain oyster-growers, that sewage is 

 fatal to the oyster itself. In answer to this 

 we can only say that such evidence as we 

 have obtained as to some of our oyster beds 

 is absolutely opposed to this statement ; and 

 not only so, but we know of more tban one 

 instance where the oysters are deliberately 

 brought from the beds to fatten in still near- 

 er proximity to outfall sewers for a week 

 or more preliminary to their sale. In brief, 

 if sewage and noxious micro-organisms can 

 be retained in the beard and other portions 

 of the oyster, or in the ' juice,' which is so 

 much relished, everything seems contrived to 

 secure such retention of filth at some of our 

 oyster fisheries." 



Japanese Bronze Casting. The casting 

 of bronze has been carried on in Japan from 

 very early times, reaching nearly, if not 

 quite, back to the settlement of the country 

 by its present inhabitants, seven or eight 

 centuries before Christ. It appears to have 

 been developed since then with the course 

 of the centuries, each successive period hav- 

 ing its peculiar styles and being distinguished 

 by its more remarkable works. Among the 

 great works of the bronze founders of the 

 early seventeenth century were a colossal 

 figure of the Buddhist divinity Rochana in 

 Kioto, built to replace the wooden image 

 that was destroyed by an earthquake in 

 the previous century, and a huge bell for 

 the temple. The image was nearly sixty 

 feet high, and was cast where it stood, in 

 segments, the mold being built upon the 

 parts already finished. It was completed in 

 1614, but was destroyed forty-eight years 

 afterward by an earthquake. The bell is 

 the largest in Japan, and is about fourteen 

 feet high, nine feet in external diameter at 

 the mouth, and ten and three quarters inches 

 thick at the rim, which is swelled inter- 

 nally so as to constrict the mouth. It is 

 this constriction that causes the gentle ris- 

 ing and falling tones that characterize the 

 boom of all Japanese bells. Two other simi- 

 lar bells were cast during the first half of 

 the seventeenth century. Mr. W. Gowland, 

 late of the Japanese Imperial Mint, says that 



the casting of a large bell in old times in 

 Japan was an important event, and was ac- 

 companied by religious ceremonies and pop- 

 ular rejoicings. On the day appointed for 

 running the metal into the mold a grand fes- 

 tival was held, which people of all ranks 

 came from far and near to attend, with con- 

 tributions, many with offerings of mirrors, 

 hairpins, and metal ornaments, to be added 

 to the bronze. On one occasion the Shogun 

 himself was present and took part in the 

 direction of operations. 



Revival of Ramie Cultivation. The cul- 

 tivation and treatment of the ramie plant as 

 an industrial product are again attracting 

 attention as a field for the profitable employ- 

 ment of capital. It was apprehended at one 

 time that the returns from cultivation had 

 so far fallen short of expectation as to dis- 

 courage further effort with it. The plant 

 has, however, been closely studied in all its 

 phases for three or four years past, and the 

 processes of decorticating and degumming 

 the stalks have been established upon a sci- 

 entific basis. As the ramie gives an exceed- 

 ingly small quantity of raw fiber about 

 three and a half to three per cent of the 

 weight of the green stalks the only way of 

 making it a commercial success has been to 

 treat it in enormous quantities at the lowest 

 possible limit of cost. This necessitated the 

 designing of machines upon the simplest 

 lines. Many of the machines have recently 

 been greatly improved, and their mechanism 

 has been simplified to the apparent limit. 

 Hence the ramie problem seems to have 

 been definitely solved. 



Overhead Wires and Lightning. Con- 

 cerning the influence of overhead electric 

 wires in reference to safety from lightning, 

 it is to be remembered, the Lancet says, that 

 an overhead telephone wire becomes in point 

 of fact a lightning conductor, and in this 

 capacity may act in two ways : by equalizing 

 differences of potential it may prevent the 

 occurrence of the disruptive discharge; or, 

 by receiving a lightning charge, it may carry 

 the current to the earth. There can be lit- 

 tle doubt that overhead conductors if con- 

 nected with the earth play an important part 

 in the distribution of atmospheric electricity. 

 Lord Kelvin, in a recent paper, said that the 



