THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



183 



REMEDY FOR DIPHTHERIA. 



Impkrial Kussian Legation, 1 

 Washington, Nov. 16, 1879, | 



III view of llie increasp of fliphtlicria in 

 several places of the State of New York, I 

 hasten to communicate to you for publicity a 

 very simple remedy, which, having been used 

 in Russia and Germany, may prove edective 

 here. Out of several others, i)r. Letzerich, 

 who made extensive experiments by the appli- 

 cation of this reme<ly, li:is used it in twenty- 

 seven cases, eight of which were of a very 

 serious nature, all of which had a favorable 

 result except in one case, when the child died 

 ■ from a eomplication of diseases. For chil- 

 dren he prescribes the remedy, for internal 

 use eveiy one or two hours, as follows : 



Nath. licii/oic. pur. ."> solv. in aq. di.stillat 

 a(i. nienth. |iipcr. ana 40 Osyr. cort. aur. 10 0. 



For children from one to three years old he 

 prescribed it from seven to eight grammes for 

 mu grammes of distilled water, with same 

 syru]); for children from 3 to 7 years old he 

 prescribed ten to (ifteen grammes, and for 

 grown persons from fifteen to twenty-five 

 grammes for each 100 grammes. 



Besides this he uses also with great success 

 the insufflation on the diphtherial membrane 

 (hroiigh a glass tube in serious cases every 

 three hours, in light ca.ses three times a day 

 of the uatr. benzoic pulver. For grown 

 people ho prescribes for gargling a dilution of 

 ten grammes of this pulver for 200 grammes 

 of water. 



The effect of the remedy is rajjid. Alter 

 twenty-four or thirty-six hours the feverish 

 .symptoms di.sai)pear completely and the tem- 

 I)eraturc and pulse become moral. This 

 lemedy was used also with the same success 

 by l)r. Braham Braum and Professor Klebs, 

 in Prague; Dr. Senator in Cassel, and several 

 other in Russia and Germany. 



Hoping that the publication through your 

 widely spn ad jiaiier will prove beneficial in 

 the United Stales, Irema in, yours very truly, 

 —F. Sliishkin, Minister of Russia to the United 

 States, to 2few York Herald. 



THE BEEFSTEAK FUNGUS. 



The Article as an Edible. 



At the last meeting of the West Chester 

 Microscopical Society, there was exhibited an 

 edible fungus, known to mycologists as Fistu- 

 iina hepatica, or, where it is extensively used 

 as an article of food in Europe, commonly 

 known as " beefsteak fungus. " It is found in 

 our woods and clearings during the latter 

 part of summer and in early autumn, growing 

 on stumps and at the base of trees, particu- 

 larly the chestnut, in some abraded or decay- 

 ing portions of the tree. It grows rapidly in 

 damp weather; and on the authority of 

 Berkcly, has been known to attain to the 

 weight of nearly thirty pounds. 



When fresh it is of "a blood-red color, and 

 advancing in age it bears a striking resem- 

 blance to liver— hence the specific name; and 

 the term "liver steak" is sometimes employed 

 as a designation. When cooked in the ordi- 

 nary way of treating the common mushroom, 

 the taste is very similar to the latter, although 

 toughness (not a very connncndable charac- 

 teristic) might be mentioned as one of its 

 qualities. A transverse section of the plant 

 being shown, exhibited a streaked appearance 

 not unfrequently observable in beefsteak. 



By reference to the fourth volume of Cham- 

 bers's Encyclopedia, under the head of Fistu- 

 lina, this plant is well-figured. The writer 

 observes: "This fungus is much esteemed in 

 some parts of Europe as an esculent; it is 

 wholesome and nutritious, and tlieabuiulance 

 in which il may often be procured UKikes it 

 the more worthy of regard, whilst tlicre is al- 

 most no possibility of confounding it with any 

 dangerous finigus. Its taste resembles that 

 of the common mushroom, but is rather more 

 acid. When grilled it is scarcely to be distin- 

 guished from broiled meat. It furnishes itself 

 with abundance of sauce." 



OATMEAL. 



Its Value as an Article of Food. 

 (Mmeal is a food of great strength and 

 nutrition, having claims to be better known 

 and more widely used than it is at present. 

 Of much service as a brain food, it contains 

 phosphorus enough to keep a man doing an 

 ordinary amount of brain-work in good health 

 and vigor. Ali medical authorities unite in 

 the opinion that, eaten with milk it is a 

 perfect food, and, having all requisites for the 

 development of the system, it is a pre-emi- 

 nently useful food for growing children and 

 the young generally. Oatmeal requires much 

 cooking to effectually burst its starch-shells, 

 but when it is well" cooked it will thicken 

 liquid much more than equal its weight in 

 wheaten flour. The oats of this countl-y are 

 superior to those grown on the Continent and 

 the southern part of England, but certainly 

 inferior to the Scotch, where considerable 

 pains is taken to cultivate them, and it is 

 needless .to point out that the Scotch are an 

 example of a strong and thoroughly robust 

 nation, which result is justly set down as 

 being derived from the plentiful use of oat- 

 meal. IJr. Guthrie has asserted that his 

 countrymen have the largest heads of any 

 nation in the world— not even the English 

 have sucli large heads— which he attributes to 

 the universal use of oatmeal, as universal it 

 is, being found alike on the tables of the rich 

 and on the tables of the poor— in the morning 

 the porridge and in the evening the tradition- 

 al cake. The two principal ways of cooking 

 oatmeal are iiorridge and cake (bannock) 

 which I will describe, and also .some other 

 modes of cooking, in order to afford an agree- 

 able variety of dishes: First, then, we will 

 commence with a recipe for poiTidge. To 

 three pints of boiling water add a level 

 teaspoonf ul of salt and a pint of coarse meal 

 stirring while it is being slowly poured in; 

 continue stirring until the meal is diffused 

 through the water— about eight or ten 

 minutes. Cover it closely then, and place it 

 where it will simmer for kn hour; avoid stir- 

 ring during the whole of that time. Serve hot, 

 with as little messing as possible, accompan- 

 ied with milk, maple syrup or sugar and 

 cream. To make oatmeal cake, place in a 

 bowl a quart of meal, add to it as much cold 

 water as will form it into a soft, liaht dough, 

 cover it with a cloth fifteen minutes to allow 

 it to swell, then dust the paste-board with 

 meal, turn out the dough and give it a vigor- 

 ous kneading. Cover if; with the cloth a few 

 minutes, and proceed at once to roll it out to 

 an eighth of an inch in thickness; cut it in 

 five pieces and partly cook them on a griddle, 

 then finish them by toasting in front of the 

 fire. 



ICE-HOUSES. 



And How to Build Them. 



An ice-hon.se simply to keep ice in for sum- 

 mer use may be a very simple affair. If straw 

 is used for filling, the walls should he at least 

 two feet apart. The interstices .should be 

 packed tightly whatever the material used. 

 Straw is one of the poorest non-conductors, 

 easily obtained, and sawdust one of the best. 

 If tan bark is used, from oen to twelve inch 

 space between the walls are left to be filled. 



Two by four inch scantling are securely 

 fastened by bed pieces in two regular lines, 

 and about two feet apart, and of the required 

 distance asunder required for the filling ma- 

 terial. To these, rough boards are securely 

 nailed. A house twelve feet square and 

 twelve feet liigh will hold plenty of ice for 

 family use, and for an ordinary family dairy. 

 No ventilation is required except at the top, 

 over the ice. The i-oof may be of boards and 

 the gables may be of the same, with a window 

 at each end for ventilation. Doors must be 

 made at one end of the sides or end 

 to allow the ice to be luit in, and afterward be j 

 closed and filled with tan bark. The bottom i 

 must )ye provided with jjerfect drainage to j 

 allow the water from the melting ice to pass [ 



away. The first course of ice may be laid on 

 boards, loosely laid on beams, i)laced closely 

 enough together to prevent sagging. Pack 

 the ice in i)erfcctly square cakes, as closely to- 

 gether as possible, even with the plates. 

 Cover with eighteen inches of slough hay, or 

 twelve inches of fine wood shavings, and the 

 ice should keep i)erfectly. Have no part of 

 the ice-house underground. Any competent 

 carpenter should be able to build it.- If a 

 cooling room is required under the ice, it will 

 be altogether better to apply to an architect, 

 .since it will involve a very strong and sub- 

 stantial building, with scientific ventilation 

 that cannot be well explained in the limits of 

 a newspaper article. In fact, except a rough 

 building such as we have described is to be 

 .built, and such a one will keep ice as well as 

 the best, the work must be undertaken by a 

 professional builder. A roimli ice-house may 

 be built by any one who can lay a foundation 

 S(piare, ))uild vertical sides, saw boards 

 square, and drive nails. For dairying or farm 

 use we do not advise an expensive building, 

 with cooling room underneath. An ample 

 refrigerator, according to the quantity of 

 goods required to be kci>tcool, may be cheaply 

 built, and tem)>eraturc kept down, by the use 

 of ice from the ice-house. In answer to your 

 question as to the proper dejith at which 

 water pipes are to be laid to prevent freezing, 

 three feet will do, but three and a half feet 

 deep will do better. Dig the ditch in which 

 the pipes are to be laid, with vertical sides, 

 and as narrow as possible, and pound the 

 earth firmly, when it is filled up. 



THE DUTY OF OUR FARMERS. 



We have repeatedly directed the attention 

 of farmers to the imperative necessity of ex- 

 ercising extreme caution to prevent the 

 spread of the disease known as pl-uro-pneu- 

 mouia among the cattle of this country. But 

 circum.stances have cojne to our knowledge 

 which impress us still more of the importance 

 of bringing this matter before our farmers. 

 Pleuro-pneumonia is one of the most conta- 

 gious of diseases, and such being the case, 

 the great importance of keeping infected 

 members of a herd completely isolated is too 

 apparent for further argument. Isolation 

 and the killing of such as have reached the 

 incurable stage of the disease have been 

 found to be the only means of safety. This 

 fact has again and again been imjiressed upon 

 the public by Secretary Edge, of the State 

 Board of Agriculture, and it cannot be too 

 often reiterated. 



It has come to our knowledge that, instead 

 of diminishing, this dreaded disease is likely 

 to increase in the lower end of this county. 

 There has been in Colerain township for 

 quite a time an infected herd of cattle 

 belonging to Mr. Jas. F. Turner. The most 

 effectual measures have been adopted by the 

 State authorities to stamp it out on the very 

 farm where it first developed itself, and there 

 was every reason to believe the efforts adopted 

 would prove successful. Some time aa:o, 

 however, two farmers, neiahlxus to the owner 

 of the diseased herd, had the misfortune to 

 have their dairy, of some thirtv cows, get 

 into the meadow where the infected cattle 

 were grazing, and now they have lost the first 

 cow from the disease, and in all probability 

 have an infected herd, which mav crive no 

 little trouble, and cause no little lo.s's before it 

 is finally stamped out. No less than three of 

 Mr. Turner's neighbors now have the disease 

 on their farm.s. This may not be due to care- 

 lessness, but it may be" a want of proper 

 caution. Indeed, there seems to be no other 

 way of accounting for the spread of the dis- 

 ease in Mr. Tumer's neighborhood. In 

 Montgomery county an entire herd has been 

 lost by the introduction of the disease by 

 moans of a cow bought at a Philadelphia 

 stock yard, and which was coughing at the 

 time of purchase. 



' All these facts go to show that nothing but 

 the utmost vigilance can prevent the intro- 

 duction of the disease toother herds, in tha 

 neighborhood . of an infected one. Cattle 



