Miscellanies. 161 



states that he had speedily cured a man who, by falling on some 

 stones, had received a severe contusion of the face, a corner of one 

 of the stones having penetrated and torn the flesh. 



Obstinate scrofulous ulcers have been treated in the same manner, 

 with no less success. 



"I cite these facts, (observes Dr. Peschier,) only to demonstrate 

 that cotton is applicable, indiscriminately, to all kinds of wounds and 

 ulcers, and that far from being, (as it is unjustly regarded,) poison- 

 ous, that is to say, irritating, it furnishes, on the contrary, a mate- 

 rial for dressing wounds, of the softest and most pleasant kind. But, 

 I repeat, it is indispensable to success, ihat the dressings be rare, and 

 that the threads be never pulled or torn from the wound, a practice 

 which cannot fail to increase either its extent or aggravation. The 

 scissors, lightly handled, must be used to separate from the adhering 

 fibres, the mass, which maybe safely detached. 



"I would be the first to admit that there is very little scientific 

 merit in substituting cotton for lint ; but I deem it to be rendering an 

 important service to the wounded, to their connections, and especially 

 to the attendants at civil and military hospitals, to convince them that 

 they need not be uneasy at the difficulty of procuring lint, a substance 

 nor always easy to preserve, — which becomes easily infected with 

 miasmata, and which cannot be kept in large masses without some 

 danger. Carded cotton is found every where ; it is of trifling value, 

 so that the rich will at no time refuse to buy h for the poor, and hos- 

 pitals can be at all times well provided with it. 



"The same remarks apply to cotton cloth. It is of trifling cost, 

 even when of the finest kind ; it has precisely the degree of supple- 

 ness which fits it for bandages and compresses ; it occupies vastly 

 less space in travelling chests than linen or hemp, and it may be any 

 where abundantly obtained." — Bib. Univ. Mars, 1831. 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



1 . To blow eggs for preservation in cabinets. — A ready method 

 of effecting this purpose, is to take a tube either of glass or metal, one 

 end of which is drawn out, or fashioned to a point, (the tube being large 

 enough to hold the contents of the egg,) and having made a pin hole 

 at the side of the egg, large enough to admit the point of the pipe, 

 (one sixth part of an inch) apply the mouth to the large end, and 

 suck as hard as possible. The contents of the egg will immediately 

 rise into the tube. Having blown them out into a basin, suck a little 



Vol. XXL— No. 1. 31 



