MISCELLANY. 



763 



1852 was looked for with great interest, and 

 it was then seen that its two fragments had 

 not only remained apart, during the inter- 

 val, but that the distance between them had 

 increased. In 1859 no observation could 

 be taken, and in 1866, though the circum- 

 stances were eminently favorable, no comet 

 was seen. The same thing occurred again 

 in September, 1872. But, when the earth's 

 orbit, on November 29th, intersected that 

 of the comet a few weeks later, after the 

 passage of the latter, it was expected that 

 we should have a view of the meteors form- 

 ing its dispersed train. And such was the 

 fact, as the records of astronomical obser- 

 vation all over the world show. " As the 

 meteors of this cluster," concludes Prof. 

 Kirkwood, "are doubtless the debris of 

 Biela's comet, if we find the epoch at which 

 the original body would have crossed the 

 earth's orbit near the 29th of November, 

 we may regard the collision of our planet 

 with some of the large fragments and 

 hence a grand meteoric display as highly 

 probable at the same period. An easy cal- 

 culation, which need not here be repeated, 

 gives the last of November, 1892, as such 

 an epoch." 



Temperature in Discasee In health the 

 temperature of the human body is but 

 slightly variable, rarely oscillating beyond 

 one or two degrees on either side of 99 

 Fahr. In disease, however, the variations 

 are greater, and in the disorders of young 

 children wider even than in those of the 

 adult. The temperature in grown persons 

 has been observed to fall to 95 Fahr., and 

 to rise as high as 107 Fahr., giving a range 

 of 12 ; and these are regarded as the ex- 

 treme limits of variation in the ailments of 

 adult age. In the sickness of children, ac- 

 cording to M. Roger, the temperature some- 

 times falls to 74.3 Fahr., and may rise to 

 108.5 Fahr., which is equivalent to a range 

 of 33.2. In the typhoid fever of infants, 

 the temperature in the majority of cases at- 

 tains or passes 104 Fahr. Of the eruptive 

 fevers, it rises highest in scarlatina, some- 

 times reaching 105.8 Fahr., next highest 

 in small-pox, and in measles the least of all. 



Among the diseases characterized by a 

 fall of temperature below the normal stand- 

 ard, Roger observed in six cases that the 



mercury sank to 78.8 ; in other cases the 

 depression reached respectively 77, 73.4, 

 72.5, and in one instance to 71.6, or 27.4 

 below the temperature of health. 



Hansen's Writing-Ball. Under the title 

 of "A New Writing-Machine," we alluded 

 in a former number to the character of this 

 invention, which during the past season has 

 elicited a great deal of admiration both in 

 the Copenhagen Exhibition and in London. 

 Since first introduced to the public, it has 

 been very materially improved, and now not 

 only furnishes superior facilities for writing, 

 but is admirably adapted to the purposes 

 of copying as well. In the improved ma- 

 chine, the paper rests on a level surface, so 

 that the operator is at all times able to see 

 what he writes, and less time is lost in ad- 

 justing and removing the sheet. By inter- 

 posing carbonized paper between the sheets, 

 and making all move together, several cop- 

 ies may be written or printed off at a single 

 operation. It will thus perform the duty 

 of several copying-clerks, and has also been 

 found admirably suited to the work of writ- 

 ing out telegraphic dispatches. 



Mental Labor and Health. The Lancet 

 reverts to the question of mental labor and 

 longevity, in order to correct some misap- 

 prehensions of its recent articles on that 

 topic. "Intellectual activity," persists the 

 Lancet, "is a preserver rather than a de- 

 stroyer of nervous health : but this holds 

 true only when the conditions of ordinary 

 hygiene are not outrageously violated." If, 

 coupled with the intellectual strain, we have 

 harassing anxiety, sleeplessness will result, 

 and this is fatal. But suppose there is na 

 such anxiety, but merely ardor for work, 

 then a man might easily transgress the 

 plainest laws of health. . The minimum of 

 sleep required by the adult male in twenty- 

 four hours, according to the Lancet, is six 

 hours, and by the adult female, seven. As 

 for night-work, the Lancet does not think it 

 injurious per se. The light should be very 

 white, powerful, and steady, otherwise there 

 will be brain-irritation. The intellectual 

 worker must obey implicitly the reversed 

 scriptural law : " If a man will not eat, nei- 

 ther shall he work." He must take abun- 

 dant nutriment, at proper times, together 



