Januarv I, i886,] THfi TROPICAL AGKICULTURIST. 



505 



ANTIPYRIN IN SUNSTROKE. 

 (Extract from the Gennan-Anierican Phariiiaceutieal 

 Gazette, Vol. \1. No. 10.) 

 Dr. We.stbrook, chief medical oHicer of St. Mary's 

 General Hospital, Brooklyn, publishes iu the \ew 

 I'ork MnUcal Journal a report ou the treatment by 

 antipyrin, and with favourable result.s, of two men 

 suffering from sunstroke. The remedy was injected 

 subcutaueously, iu the form of a 50 per cent solution, 

 in doses of one drachm. In the first case, which 

 was the most .'severe of the kind which the author 

 ever met with, enemas of chloral hydrate and 

 whiskey were administered ; at the same time bleeding 

 and leeches were resorted to, and for some time com- 

 presses of iced water also. In the second case no 

 blood-letting took place, nor were any cold compresses 

 applied except that ice was placed ou the head. The 

 favourable result obtained iu both c.ises is remarkable, 

 the author says, as the cases were characterised by 

 high fever and signs of profound vital disorder. The 

 first case was probably somewhat influenced by the 

 continuous application of the cold water compresses. 

 The successful issue of the secoud case appears to 

 prove that the outward application of cold becomes 

 unuecessary where antipyriu is used. Another inter- 

 esting observation was ' that even after the temp- 

 erature had decreased the mitral symptoms continued, 

 which seems to show that even a short period of 

 intense heat and arterial cxcitemeut may paralyse 

 the. vascular system to such an extent tiiat several 

 hours are required for its recovery. A remedy which 

 rapidly lowers the temperature like autipyrin may 

 therefore prove most valuable. Further observations 

 are requisite, however, but from experience thus far. 

 Dr. AVestbrook considers hall'-a-dracliin sufficient to 

 attain the objr^ct in view. A solution of 50 per 

 cent can be easily made, and causes only slight excite- 

 ment when injected subcutaueously. 



INDIAX FIBROUS PKODUL'TIONS SUITABLE 

 FOK ROPKS. 

 Among the various firms in India who deal ex- 

 tensively iu coir-ropes and cables, those who have 

 made the most out of the fibres which are largely 

 found all over India, seem to be Jlessrs Ahmuty 

 and Co. of Calcutta. We are partly indebted to 

 that firm for the following interestiug particulars 

 in regard to the Indian fibres. Cnir, or the fibre 

 from coconuts, has deservedly earned the foremost 

 place among the Indian fibres. It is very vahmble 

 for its extremely elastic qualities, and u\ cases 

 where "give and take" is required, no nthf^r known 

 rope-fibre, except liair, we know, can e(iiial it. As 

 coconut trees do not thi-ive beyond the intluence of 

 sea-air and salt, good coir is produced only from 

 trees on the coast and in the islands such a.s the 

 Laccadives, etc. Nothing has yet been done wit^h 

 the coir produced from trees cultivated in the inland 

 parts of the country. True to the agencies uuder 

 which tje coconut tree thrives, its coir cannot be 

 preserved for any great length of time without the 

 iufiuence of salt water. Immersion iu fresh water 

 without immediate dryage results in deterioration 

 and ultimate rot, while constant or occasional ini- 

 mer.'iou in salt water will, with fair wear and tear, 

 preserve it for probably three or four times as 

 long as a rope of any other fibre would last under 

 the same conditions. Where a dead stvaiu or heavy 

 lift is required, coir is not rccommeudcil as a safe 

 or reliable rope, the fibre being too short and elastic. 

 In Bengal, coir is very largely used by Marine 

 Department for riding cables and spring.s for the 

 Light Vessels aud for towing-hawsers, warps and 

 running-gear for the Marine Service. The coir trade 

 seems to have declined somewhat on the West Coast. 

 Not many years ago a good deal of coir yarn was 

 shijjped from Calicut, but now the trade seems to be 

 centred at Cochin. There is at present little or 

 nothing done in the coir business in North Malabar, 

 where the coconut husks which contain coir is now 

 largelv u.sed for tueli The coir trade in North Jialabar 

 64 



has therefore still to be developed. But iu South 

 Malabar with the exception of Calicut, the coir trado 

 presents quite a different aspect. The increasing tap 

 which iu some months prooee.ls from both the banks 

 of the I'onnani canal and backwater, aiul which a 

 traveller hears as he skims along in a boat to or 

 from Cochin, is indicative of the brisk trade that 

 is now done in coir yarn with Cochin as the port of 

 preparation and export. To express iu a condensed 

 form the uses of coir, we may say that it serves 

 for various marine uses inclndiug its extensive if 

 n ! sole use in native crafts for light work anil 

 i-ui.iih usage, and for matting. There is yet another 

 iibrous prodi-'tion grown on the JIalabar Coast and 

 known as ; ; Calic-ut-hemp. It is of great strength 

 and fineness, and is especially suited for small ropts 

 and lines. It is very little inferior to the best 

 Kussiau hemp, and is a most reliable rope, second 

 in this country, where Kiissian hemp is not used, 

 only to Manilla-hemp. Considering the valuable 

 properties which experts attach to the Calicut hemp, 

 we see no reason why with proper cultivation, curing 

 and preparation of it, we should not dispense 

 altogether with the Uussian hemp. Cousideriug its 

 value as an article of trade, we are surprised that 

 Calicut hemp is not more largely cultivated in 



j Malabar. Shernad is the only place in the district 

 where vakkti nat; as the Calicut hemp is termed in 



I Malayalani, is grown to any extent. There are ex- 

 tensive tracts of laud in the Kurumbarnad Taluq 



I for example, which are e-xcellently adapted for the 

 Calicut hemp. 



Another species of Indian hemp, which is much 

 coarser than the Calicut hemp, is the Jiihlm/jjorc litmp, 

 which is in general use for heavy cordage. In utilizing 

 this material there is much wastage, but it turns 

 out a very satisfactory and reliable rope, is tough 

 and strong, and will stand much rough usage. Hemp 

 ropes are largely used by the Marine, Ordnance, 

 Commissariat and Public Work Departments. — Malabar 

 'Specta,tor. 



■ ■ ♦ 



MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES. 



( 'omplaints are commonly made by gardeners of 

 ruit trees not coming into bearing so early as 

 they desire. Complaints of that kind are not alto- 

 gether reasonable, for though some varieties are 

 naturally less precocious than others, whoever plant-i 

 them, knowing their natures, should wait with patience 

 till fruit comes in the natural course. But if it is 

 really necessary that fruit of these parlicular varieties 

 should be had, then we maintain that it is the defect 

 of the g;»rdener if l:e does not oljtain it when 

 recjuired, and hot that of the trees, i'or although 

 the most profitable mode of treatment of a fruit 

 tree is to allow it to continne to grow without check 

 till it naturally commences to begr, it may be forced 

 into bearing by artifical mi'ans. It may be taken 

 as an axiom that strong wood-growth is incompatible 

 with fruit-beariTig, so that if we have one wo cannot 

 havo the other. It is, however, generally tho case 

 that a cajwhle gardener can have which of the two 

 l>e chooses ; if he wishes his trees to make wood, 

 he feeds them, and cherlts tlnir fruit-bearing 

 propensities, but if fruit is the desideratum, then 

 he checks production of wooil and tluuxi^y enrour.ages 

 that of fruit, to effect which l;e has a plurality of 

 means at his command. It may be accomplished 

 by meaus of pruning the branches, and more effectu- 

 ally .and rapidly by root-pruning. But whother 

 pruning the branches produces the desired effect 

 or the contrary depends entirely upon the season in 

 which it is performed. Pruning in winter tends to 

 the production of further wood-growth while summer 

 pruning produces an "pjjosite effect. Properly practi*ed 

 sumnier pruning is simply placing fertile power where 

 it will be found next year in a plentifid crop of 

 fruit. 



A tree must have attained a certain stngn of 

 maturity before fruit-bearing commences; the growth, 

 iiutead of being vigoroua aud groi<8, aa'is goncrully 



