1828.] 
with rapidity, are occasionally, if not ‘at all 
times, extremely unhealthy ; while others, 
where this process is diminished, are, on the 
contrary, much less obnoxious to’ disease : 
debilitated constitutions are invariably found 
to regain the tone and vigour of health, 
much more perfectly and more quickly, in 
places little influenced by radiation, or re- 
moved from the sphere of its effects, than in 
others exposed to the depositions which it 
causes from the air; and in the radiation 
of caloric may be found the cause of the ac- 
tivity of those exhalations with which the 
sun in tropical climates, especially, saturates 
the air: in fine, that in this important pro- 
cess, one of the principal causes of malaria 
will be found. 
Useful Cement.—A useful cement, for 
general purposes, is composed of two parts 
of rosin, melted over a slow fire, into which 
one part of the quantity of plaster of Paris 
is to be introduced, and well mixed by 
stirring them; add two parts of shell lac, 
and the whole being in a fluid state, consti- 
tutes a firm and durable cement. 
Gouty Inflammation cured by Vaccina- 
tion.—The following cure, from the North 
American Medical Journal, deserves to be 
noticed.—A lady of hereditary gouty dia- 
thesis had been inoculated for the small-pox 
some fifty years ago, and had it severely. 
Some time since, Dr. Coxe was requested by 
her to vaccinate her servant girl, which he 
did, and successfully. She was, herself, 
labouring at this time under a severe attack 
of gout in her right wrist, which was 
swollen and extremely painful, her system 
being feverish, &c. He inserted, with her 
permission, a ‘portion of the virus into the 
affected part, with the view of ascertaining 
whether she could take the vaccine disease, 
and if so, what effect it would produce upon 
‘~ the gout. Somewhat to his surprise, and 
_ greatly to his satisfaction, she not only had 
the genuine disease, but the swelling and 
pain immediately left her arm, and long 
efore the scab, which was green, had 
dropped off, she was as well and as comfort- 
able as she had ever been in her life. 
cicatrix remaining is of the genuine porous 
kind. 
Cure for Bugs.—It has been supposed 
that the cimex lectularius, or house-bug, 
_ was unknown in England before the fire of 
London, in 1666, and was introduced in 
‘some foreign timber employed in rebuild- 
ing the city; but we are told by Mouffet, 
that in 1583, Dr. Penny was sent for in 
great haste to Mortlake, in Surrey, to visit 
two noble ladies, who thought themselves 
affected by the plague, but whom he found 
had only been severely bitten by bugs. 
These insects are exceedingly prolific, as 
the female lays numerous eggs in the cavi- 
ties of walls, or wood work; and these are 
hatched in about three weeks. In order to 
-clear a house of bugs, the leading point is 
_ cleanliness in every respect. The first young 
+ begin to burst from the eggs carly in spring, 
a y 
——— 
Varieties. 
The ' 
653 
frequently even in February. At this season 
it is that the greatest attention is required. 
The bed infected by them ought to be 
stripped of all its furniture, which should be 
washed, and, if linen, even boiled, or if stuff, 
hot pressed. The bedstead should be taken 
in pieces and dusted, and washed with spirits 
of wine in all the joints and crevices, for it 
is in these parts principally that the females 
deposit their eggs. This done, all the cavi- 
ties should be well filled with the best soft 
soap mixed up with verdigrease and Scotch 
snuff. On this composition the young will 
immediately feed, after leaving the eggs (if 
any escape the cleaning) and will be de- 
stroyed, as will also such of the old ones as 
happen to be left. But for destroying the 
larve of perfect insects, nothing answers 
better than oil of turpentine impregnated 
with camphor. It is probable that the bulb 
of an onion or garlic, which, cut and applied 
immediately to the place stung, instantly 
removes the pain occasioned by the sting of 
a wasp, would be equally efficacious with 
regard to the bite of bugs. 
Steam Machinery for Stone-cutting.— 
About twenty years since some machinery 
was erected in Dublin for the purpose of 
cutting and polishing stone ; from the want, 
however, of a demand for the article when 
so elaborated, the undertaking failed, and 
the projector, we believe, was made a bank- 
rupt: a patent has recently been obtained 
in this country for the application of a steam- 
mill to the same object, and the machinery 
is now in operation in Westminster. The 
process of cutting up the stone is very much 
expedited, while it is done with greater 
facility and exactness, and the polish is far 
higher and more durable than can be com- 
municated by men’s labour. We have men- 
tioned the existence of this factory, in the 
hope that, as the means of enriching our 
domestic architecture, are thereby considera- 
bly reduced in price; they may become more 
extensively known, and more frequently 
adopted. 
Easy Method of Preserving small Birds. 
—Birds to the size of a pigeon may be pre- 
served from putrefaction by an easy process, 
and by a method which will effectually 
guard them against the attack of insects. 
Carefully remove the abdominal viscera at 
the vent, by means of a wire bent to a hook 
at one end; then introduce a small piece of 
the antiseptic paste, and afterwards as much 
clipped cotton or tow as may be thought 
sufficient, with some of the paste mixed with 
it; remove the eyes, and fill the orbits with 
cotton imbued with the paste; draw out 
the tongue, which remove, and’ pass a wire 
from the mouth into the cavity of the cra- 
nium, merely to give the antiseptic access 
to the brain: bind a piece of thread round 
the rostrum, another piece round the body 
and wings, then hang it up by the legs, and 
pour in at the vent from half’an ounce to 
two ounces, according to the size of the bird, 
of alcohol; let it be hung in an airy situa- 
