Queries and Ansivers. 47 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



Malaria. — The Soils and Situations productive of malaria are various. 

 Everj'soil that is continually moist on the surface, whether from the luxuriance 

 of vegetation or other causes, is productive of this pestilential vapour. Marshes 

 everywhere, even salt marshes, rice grounds, reed grounds, osier grounds, 

 moist woods, peat lands liable to putrefy, all lands productive of rushes and 

 other marsh plants ; all lands, in short, requiring draining, and all plantations 

 requiring thinning ; moist ditches, moist dunghills, decaying vegetables ; sheds, 

 hot-houses, conservatories, or hot-beds; dirty streets, diity houses, dirty 

 clothes, and an unwashed person. 



The matter of malaria is connected with fogs, vapour, mist, and a moist 

 atmosphere generally. The east winds of England bring the malaria from 

 Holland. A dry air is seldom a_conductor of miasmata. Evening rambles in 

 the country are dangerous at all seasons, but more especially when the atmo- 

 sphere is moist. It seems that in the damp climate of Holland, a stimulus of 

 a moderate dram of brandy or other ardent spirit, taken in the morning with 

 a crust of bread, when you are compelled to go out early, is a reasonable pre- 

 ventive; and, in general, a generous diet, avoiding excess both in eating and 

 drinking, contributes to maintain health in malaria countries. This is of 

 universal remark in Europe and America. Fires in the rooms in the evenings 

 and mornings, even of summer and autumn, while the dew is on the ground, 

 are of undoubted use. A gauze veil, or conopciim. Dr. M'Culloch has heard 

 of, as a guard against malaria ; and speaks in terms of respect as to its pro- 

 bable use. We also have a good opinion of this preventive, for reasons that 

 have not occurred to him. 



Malaria must be a chemical compound, and, therefore, decomposible. Dr. 

 M'Culloch considers that it is decomposed by fire and smoke, and that it may 

 be excluded, in a great degree, by a gauze veil. Hence the large fires kindled 

 in Rome in the summer evenings, and hence, perhaps, the instinctive pre- 

 valence of smoking tobacco in Holland, and more or less in most countries of 

 the world. Draining all lands whatever, elevating the situation of all dwellings 

 whatever, generous living, good fires, and warm clothing, great personal and 

 household cleanliness, perhaps smoking tobacco, where the other requisites 

 can be but imperfectly obtained, are all that we can do to shield us from this 

 everywhere present evil. — Cond. 



An Asti at Moccas Court, growing on the edge of a dingle, with immensely 

 large roots, which run along the surface down the side of the dingle for up- 

 wards of 50 ft. contains 1003 cubic ft. of timber. The trunk is 30 ft. high, 

 without a branch ; and girts, at 10 ft. from the ground, 20 ft. 6 in. — ./. Webster. 

 Moccas Court, Feb. 1836. 



Mr. Webster informs us that many of the acorns, and also many young 

 plants, have been distributed at different times all over the kingdom. We 

 should like much to receive notices of these, and particularly if any ai-e in 

 the neighbourhood of London, in order to refer to them when treating of the 

 oak in our Arboretum Britannicum. A drawing of a very beautiful weeping 

 oak at Baden was sent to us some time ago by an English nobleman, a mem- 

 ber of whose family had sketched it from nature, but it appears quite different 

 from the one at Moccas Court. — Cond. 



Art. II. (Queries and Answers. 



Ce'reus hcj^tagonus. — I think the cereus mentioned by your correspon- 

 dent, J. Clark, flowered at Apley Castle, Shropshire, in 1833. The plant, 

 when I saw it, was at least 10 ft. high, and had been cut down, so as to give 

 it room to stand in the back of the vinery. — C. M. G. Dulwich, Dec. 1836. 



Effects of Soap Ashes. — Could you, or any of your numerous correspondents, 



