216 



KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[Oct. 5, 1883. 



but if given in the early stages of sea-sickness, it is often 

 followed by very bad results, and even increases the nausea. 



Bicarbonate of soda is useful in slight cases, as it relieves 

 nausea, and checks the frequent eructations which often 

 follow attacks of sea-sickness ; but in severe cases it is 

 absolutely useless, and, in fact, it very often prolongs the 

 retching. 



A very good remedy in the earlier stages of sea-sickness 

 is a teaspoonful of Worcester Sauce. How this acts I can- 

 not say ; but it without doubt relieves the symptoms 

 and renders the patient easier. Its action is probably of a 

 stimulant nature. 



Jli/drocyanic acid is of very little service, and most acid 

 mixtures are to be avoided, except that, perhaps, for drink- 

 ing purposes, when it is best to acidulate the water with a 

 small quantity of hydrochloric acid. 



Of all the drugs used, I found the most effectual was 

 bromide of sodiit?n. When bromide of sodium is given in 

 doses of ten grains three times a day, the attacks entirely 

 subside, the appetite improves, and the patient is able to 

 walk about with comfort. 



In all cases of sea-sickness, it is very desirable that the 

 patient should take sufficient food, so that at all times the 

 stomach may be comfortably full, for by this means over- 

 straining during fits of retching is prevented, and the amount 

 of nausea diminished. The practice of taking small pieces 

 of dry biscuit is not of much use ; as, although the biscuit 

 is retained by the stomach, yet the amount taken is never 

 sulEcient to comfortably till the stomach. Soups, milk 

 pi ddings, and sweets are to be avoided, as they increase the 

 desii'e to be sick and are followed by sickening eructations. 

 Fat bacon is easily borne, and does much good, if only the 

 patient can conquer his aversion to it. When taken in 

 moderate quantity, it acts like a charm, and is followed by 

 very good results. 



But of all food, curry is the most useful in sea sickness, 

 and is retained by the stomach when all other food has 

 been rejected. Kext to curry, I would place small sand- 

 wiches of cold beef, as they look nice on the plate, and are 

 usually retained by the stomach. 



In conclusion, I would advise that brandy should be 

 used very sparingly, as in many cases it induces sea sick- 

 ness ; and its chief use is confined to those cases where the 

 prostration is very great, and even then champagne is more 

 effectual. — Scientific American. 



PLEASANT HOUES WITH THE 

 MICROSCOPE. 



By Henry J. Slack, F.G.S., F.R.M.S. 



GOETHE anticipated the mode of studying nature now 

 generally admitted to be right, when he said to 

 Eel ermann, "The utility teachers say that oxen have horns 

 to c'efend themselves, but I ask, why is the sheep without 

 any 'i If, on the other hand, I say the ox defends himself 

 with his horns because he has them, it is quite a different 

 matter." Some shallow thinkers have regarded this mode 

 of reasoning as opposed to a recognition of design in 

 nature, but it is not so. Sciences of observation and ex- 

 periment have to do only with how and what. The 

 iclnj remains for philosophical consideration, and as the 

 old design argument fades away on account of its 

 narrowness and insutBcency a much grander one arises, 

 showing that the adaptation of organisms to their 

 surroundings arises cut of general laws, and cannot 

 be rightly viewed as so many disconnected exhibi- 



tions of creative skill. Let us examine two insects 

 belonging to the great Order Hymenoptera, and notice how 

 importantly their mouth organs help to determine their 

 way of living. If the head of a wasp is looked at with » 

 hand magnifier, immediately below its upper lip two re- 

 markalily powerful mandibles are seen. They work — as 

 insects' jaws generally do — horizontally, and are furnishecJ 

 with strong, pointed teeth. Look in the same way at a 

 honey bee. Its mandibles are much smaller, its face looks 

 more innocent ; quite mild as compared with the tiger-like 

 countenance of the wasp. Its jaws inform us at once by 

 their aspect that the creature will not be engaged, as the 

 wasp will, in hard biting woik. Extending a little beyond 

 the mandibles, the pocket lens will show, in the wasp, a 

 short, squarish, three-cleft organ of gauzy texture, the 

 centre portion being the biggest, with a yellow spot at each 

 tip, and similar spots, one each at the tips of the side 

 divisions. This is a lapping tongue. The bee's tongue is 

 also a lapping one, but constitutes a much larger and more 

 powerful-feeding machine. It lies between two labial 

 palpi and two maxilla;, which all join to form a tubular 

 sort of sheath for it. 



A good way to know something of this remarkable appa- 

 ratus is to catch a bee in a bottle, and see it feed. For 

 this purpose a wide-mouthed bottle, of thin glass and about 

 one inch in diameter, will do ; or, still better, a wide- 

 mouthed test-tube, which can be bought for one penny, and 

 which should be fitted with a cork not tight enough to 

 exclude fresh air. The bee is easily caged while busied 

 with a flower. Let it have a little time to recover from its 

 astonishment and alarm, and then, while it is in the bottom 

 of the tube, withdraw the cork, and put a little syrup of 

 sugar and water upon it before replacing it. Previous 

 to commencing dinner, the bee's tongue and adjacent 

 mouth-organs look like a brown flattened tube of 

 gutta-percha, curved — if one may so speak — under its 

 chin, and towards its breast. As soon as it finds 

 the syrup, the jaws open, the tongue is thrust for- 

 ward between them, and an unexpected piece is shot out 

 beyond the maxilla;. The pocket lens will indicate that 

 this portion is very hairy, especially towards its tip. It 

 may, in fact, be likened to a long-haired flexible broom, 

 and the insect uses it accordingly. The long hairs all 

 point downwards, so that, when the creature bends the end 

 of the tongue backwards, lays it along the cork, and then 

 draws it forwards, it acts exactly as we should do if we 

 were using a flexible brush to wipe up a slop. Every now 

 and then the creature draws the tongue between its hairy 

 fore-legs, as if to clean it, but the action may also bring 

 the fluid down to an orifice through which, I think, it is 

 tucked up. Another curious motion may also be seen, that 

 of thrusting the tip of the tongue backwards towards its 

 body. Is this only another cleaning process] or does the 

 bee propose to carry otl some of the f'Vrup sticking to its 

 hairs 1 Let the reader catch some bees, feed them well, 

 and pay attention to their ways. 



In a former number will be found figures of the mouth 

 organs of the biting breeze flies. Their maxillre are 

 carving-knives, very unpleasant when used upon ourselves. 

 The bees' maxilLT? serve quite another purpose ; they are 

 not cutting implements at all, but combine with the next 

 inner organs, the hairy labial palpi, to cover the tongue, 

 and stroke down the fluid it laps up, when the insect 

 rapidly withdraws the extended pait up into the tube-like 

 sheath which they form. This is the interpretation of 

 their use which watching the feeding process suggests. 



It is evident that the wasp's very different tongue could 

 not do such effective lapping, and its shortness would 

 prevent its gathering the nectir of many tubular flowers, as 



