POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



719 



especially on young people, seems to me 

 quite clear ; but it is curious, in other cases, 

 how difficult it is to find ill effects, even in 

 the young, when the quantity is not exces- 

 sive. As to the eifect on the young even, it is 

 curious in Burmah to see children smoking 

 in their mothers' arms ; and yet when I was 

 serving in Burmah, many years ago, I often 

 saw a woman walking along smoking her 

 cigar of tobacco rolled up in a plantain- 

 leaf, and carrying on her hip her child of 

 two or three years old, who also had his or 

 her little cigar, which was smoked with the 

 greatest gravity. On talking to the Bur- 

 mese (who smoke constantly), they would 

 never allow that even young children were 

 in the least damaged. When I was in Tur- 

 key I tried to make inquiries of some of the 

 intelligent Turkish gentlemen; one or two 

 of them said that they thought the Turks 

 had learned to smoke from the Europeans^ 

 and had been growing apathetic and dull 

 ever since. But others laughed at this, and 

 the rural Turk, who smokes a good deal, 

 is a fine, active, energetic fellow. I have 

 talked to many Germans, who all stand out 

 manfully for tobacco. In conclusion, I con- 

 fess myself quite uncertain. I can find 

 nothing like good evidence in books ; too 

 often a foregone conclusion, without any 

 evidence to back it, is given. I think we 

 must decidedly admit injury from excess; 

 from moderate use I can see no harm, ex- 

 cept it may be in youth. My opinions are, 

 you will see, very indefinite, and I would 

 gladly see some really good evidence col- 

 lected. If at any time you can send me any 

 facts, I shall be very grateful. 



Believe me, very sincerely yours, 



E. A. Paekes. 

 BiTTEENE, Southampton, January 28, 1876. 



latoxicating Properties of the Hemp- 

 Planti — Mohammedans, Hindoos, and others, 

 whose religion forbids them the use of al- 

 cohol, find in this plant a substitute which, 

 though not so pleasant to the taste, is on the 

 whole far less injurious in its habitual use. 

 It is taken in various ways. Mixed with 

 tobacco, it is smoked in the hookah, and, to 

 those unaccustomed to it, smells abomina- 

 bly. It is also taken in decoction, and in a 

 solid form in sweetmeats. In ordinary 

 doses it acts as a gentle and pleasant stimu- 

 lant, exciting none of the brutal coarseness 



produced by alcoholic excess. In larger 

 quantities it appears to banish all sense of 

 fear, and is often taken by the Indian sepoy 

 before entering into action ; and Moham- 

 medan fanatics brave death under its influ- 

 ence. On account of this property, the 

 Afghans are reported to have used it freely 

 in their recent war with the English, many 

 of the fierce onslaughts made by small par- 

 ties of natives on the foreign soldiery being 

 traceable to its effects. When taken in 

 excessive quantities it produces a form of 

 madness, characterized by a reckless pas- 

 sion to destroy every living thing that comes 

 in the maniac's way. It is related of an 

 English ofiicer at Delhi that, desiring to try 

 the effects of hemp on himself, he inadver- 

 tently took an overdose, and bareheaded, on 

 a scorching day in May, rushed down the 

 road, armed with a large knife, and fiercely 

 attacked a bullock, which was the first 

 thing he met. He was quickly secured and 

 disarmed, and, under the care of the doctor, 

 who shaved his head and applied ice, was 

 soon brought to his senses again. 



Ccmmott Sense in Emergendes. — The 



story is told of Brunei, the eminent engi- 

 neer and builder of the Thames Tunnel, that 

 one day, while amusing a child with tricks 

 of sleight-of-hand, he attempted one which 

 resulted in a serious accident to. himself, 

 and at the same time illustrated the danger 

 of playing pranks with the mouth. The 

 trick consisted in adroitly concealing a half 

 sovereign in his mouth and pretending to 

 bring it out at his ear. All at once to his 

 dismay the coin slipped down into his gul- 

 let, and there stuck in spite of every effort, 

 surgical or otherwise, to dislodge it. In this 

 dilemma common sense came to the rescue. 

 Brunei himself devised an apparatus to 

 which he was strapped head downward, 

 keeping his mouth open, when, to his inex- 

 pressible relief, the coin dropped from its 

 dangerous position and rolled out upon the 

 floor. A sword-swallower, who once lost a 

 bayonet in his throat during one of his pub- 

 lic performances, resorted to similar means 

 for recovering it, and was equally successful. 



Passivity of Iron. — It has been observed 

 that iron which has been treated with con- 

 centrated nitric acid assumes a passive state 

 and refuses to be acted upon by the com- 



