174 MisceUaneous Intelligence. 



mon scissors is, that in the act of cutting they, to a very con- 

 siderable extent, compress and bruise the parts. This is owing 

 to the edges being set very strong, and on an angle, generally 

 of about degrees, and is sufficient to account for wounds 

 made by scissors, refusing to unite by what surgeons call the 

 first intention. To remedy this defect, it was lately suggested 

 to Mr. Stodart, by Dr. Wollaston, to give to scissors the same 

 kind of eutting edge that a knife has. This has been done, and 

 the success has fully justified the experiment. The operation 

 of hare lip has been repeatedly performed with the knife-edged 

 scissors, both on the infant and on the adult, with complete 

 success. The operation is in this way performed with facility 

 to the operator, and in less time than with the knife ; and, 

 consequently, a less degree of pain to the patient. This im- 

 provement need not be confined to the science of surgery. A 

 variety of delicate fancy-work is performed by scissors, all of 

 which will be much better done by giving them knife edges. 

 There is a little art in setting the edges readily acquired by 

 practice ; this must be done with a view to the kind of work 

 for which the scissors are intended. This improvement may 

 easily be applied to common scissors, by grinding down the 

 outer sides of the blades. 



5. Clocks. — The first clock known in France was erected, in 

 the fifth century, in the cathedral church at Lyons. Gonde- 

 baut, or Gombaut, III., Kin^ of Burgundy, having been in- 

 formed that Theodoric, King of the Goths, who, at that time, 

 resided at Ravenna, had machines which marked the order of 

 time according to the movements of the heavens and stars, 

 wrote to him, requesting to have one. Theodoric gave orders 

 to the celebrated Boccius to make two such , as perfect as pos- 

 sible, and tnen sent them to Gondebaut, with an excellent let- 

 ter, which may be seen in the works of Cassiodorus, secretary 

 of state to Theodoric, who was accustomed, towards the end of 

 his life, after he had retired from public life, to amuse himself 

 with making quadrants, clocks, Sfc.—Zach's Correspondence. 



6. New Musical Instrument, — A new musical keyed instru- 



