FOREST AND STREAM. 



269 



excite gastric uneasiness, pain, and even vomiting, 

 lie more readily if tliey are administered in warm 

 infusion. Under such circumstances, if not rejected by the 

 mouth, tbey may occasion colic and diarrhoea. It is also well- 

 -known that if their dose is not proportioned to the suscepti- 

 bility of the digestive organs, they may not only cease to pro- 

 duce atonic effect, but absolutely to destroy the appetite and 

 either to diarrhoea or constipation. It is, moreover, 

 : a familiar fact that a febrile state of the system altogether 

 coiitr.i-iudicatcs their use, because they then immediately de- 

 stomach and augment the vascular excitement. 

 This is at least true as regards acute febrile diseases. It is 

 even more important in its relation to the present question to 

 lliear in mind that when these medicines are administered to 

 animals in full heath, they axe very far from augmenting the 

 vigor of the system generally or of the organs of digestion. 

 The)' impair the appetite, derange the functions of the 

 stomach and bowels, coat the tongue, and in fact engender 

 the very condition which under different circumstances they 

 are adapted to cure. 



It is to be observed that medicines of Various kinds impart 

 activity to the digestive functions. Now there is no evidence 

 at all to show that bitter tonics exert any part of their influenc, 

 after absorption ; everything on the contrary tends to prove 

 that their action is limited to the mucous membrane of the 

 Btotnaob and bowels. If such be the case we must look for 

 an explanation of their differences from irritants and from 

 alcohol, which as is well known are often used by man as 

 condiments, and to increase the appetite and promote diges- 

 tion, respectively— chiefly in the peculiarity of the mode and 

 degree of their stimulation. They are evidently gentler than 

 tie one, and both gentler and more permanent than either, 

 and hence would seem to be better fitted than either to re- 

 store (hat natural tone to the digestive organs which they have 

 lost through the protracted operation of debilitating causes. 



If we now endeavor to learn the cause of this peculiarity in 

 the present class of medicines, and turn as we naturally must 

 to their physical qualities for a solution of the question, we 

 are immediately struck by the quality of bitterness which they 

 possess in common, and are disposed to conclude that in it 

 reside their tonic virtues. Although this conclusion is true, 

 it does not embrace the whole truth. Among purely vegetable, 

 tonics the most powerful is quassia, in which the quality of 

 bitterness resides in a most intense degree, yet it is surpassed 

 iu this respect by sulphate of quinia, which, however, is in- 

 ferior to it in purely tonic qualities. A similar remark may 

 he applied to nux vomica and its alkaloid strychnia, which. 

 exceeds all other substances in bitterness, but whose tonic 

 virtues, properly so-called, have not appeared to entitle those 

 medicines to a place in the present class. Aloes and colocynth 

 are also extremely bitter, but are scarcely to be regarded as 

 tonics. These facts, although few in number, are sufficient to 

 prove that the cause of bitterness is not indentical with the 

 tonic quality, although generally associated with it. We 

 must not quit this brief notice of an interesting question with- 

 out deferring to an analogy which probably is not without its 

 significance. The bile has a bitter taste, and the importance 

 to digestion of this secretion is very great. It is true that its 

 influence is generally ascribed to its alkaline qualities, and 

 they are doubtless essential to good digestion ; but we may 

 ii >k the fact that a bitter secretion is provided by 

 nature to which we may without much risk of error ascribe 

 some share in the activity of intestinal digestion, and hence 

 infer that the analagous quality in tonic medicines 

 must exert a similar influence upon the functions of the 

 Stomach. 



In regard to the therapeutical application of tonic medicines, 

 it may be remarked that those called specific have, as their 

 name imparts, an application to special diseases ; iron to de- 

 tieiencj in the red globules of the blood, and Peruvian bark 

 audits associated barks to periodical, and especially malarial 

 paroxysmal diseases. These vegetables tonics may be more 

 or less applied to the same cases as simple bitters and stimu- 

 nies. 



As it has already been intimated, iron enters into the system 

 tajlle assimilated and occupy its place in the blood, muscles, 

 etc., as a constituent, of the body, while bitter tonics operate 

 primarily and perhaps exclusively upon the stomach and in- 

 1 , increasing the appetite, and promoting assimilation 

 of the food. Hence a practical precept arises, of no small im- 

 I" at a nee, when the digestion is feeble and iron is indicated, 

 always to associate with it one of the bitter vegetable tonics. 

 Thus it is that "bark and iron" have long been looked upon 

 OS almost inseperable coadjutors in the tonic regimen. 

 [To be f.'o/Uinued.) 



THE GRAND NATIONAL PHILADEL- 

 PHIA DOG SHOW. 



THE Philadelphia Grand National Dog Show will certainly 

 prove a success. The exhibition is to take place on the 

 211th, 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th of this month. The entry books 

 will be closed on Nov. 20, at 5 p. m. The Continental Hotel 

 lias been selected as headquarters for the exhibitors, and no 

 tor some weeks to come the spacious corridors of this 

 fine house will resound with dog-talk. We notice particularly 

 that this dog show is under the patronage of the best gentle- 

 men in Philadelphia, who, to high social position, have in 

 addition sportsmanlike qualities. The prizes will consist en- 

 tirely of silver ware of beautiful and appropriate design, and 

 Messrs Bailey & Co., the leading silversmiths in Philadel- 

 phia, have certified that the purchases have been made. 



To these handsome awards are to be added numerous special 

 prizes which are coming in every day. 



The Judges are, so far; For pointers and setters of all 

 — William Winsor, John B. Sartori and George Emlen. 

 For spaniels and other water dogs— Frank Furness, Dr. Wm. 

 Lober, U. S. N., and William Winsor. For fox hounds, 

 fox terriers, beagles, dachshunds and greyhounds— Benjamin 

 \Y. Richards, President Sportsmen's Club. For all non-sport- 

 ing dogs— William Wister ami James B. England. 



We sincerely trust that New 7 York gentlemen, owners of 



will be present with their line stock at the Philadelphia 



show. From what we know personally of the class of animals 



owned iu and around Philadelphia, we are sure that the 



si i sond city in America alone could furnish superb material 



nine cxhibilion. 



— . ■ — •»• . 



kammatioal Dog.— Itwas quite a number of years 

 > V e never exhibited him at a bench show ; we felt he would 



not be appreciated. His name was White. He was a drop- 

 per, with a cross of yellow dog in him, and, if worth not 

 much for birds, had, however, developed quite remarkable 

 talents as a grammarian. You might have addressed, that dog 

 as follows : " There ain't no cold beef in that there meat 

 safe," and that dog would not have paid the least attention to 

 you. Evidently the double negative White could not under- 

 stand. Once a lamented friend (dead now) and the principal 

 of a public school, said to him: "This here piece of biled 

 liver is the biggest of the two. Which one will you have !" 

 It was painful to witness poor White's disgust. Certainly ho 

 felt quite keenly, perhaps in a personal way, that the fine dis- 

 tinction between the comparative and superlative had never 

 been fully appreciated. Maybe it was the mispronunciation 

 that hurt his feelings ! Once we took the dog to an English- 

 man, who called him "Vite," and said " 'Ow bar you, dog- 

 gy ?" That poor dog absolutely cowered. We remember quite 

 distinctly to have read to him the concluding speeches at a 

 dog show, and at every slip of grammar the poor animal's suf- 

 ferings were harrowing to witness. It was one continuous 

 howl. We lost poor White. It was this way. The lot contig- 

 uous to my house abounds with geese. They are of the tame 

 variety. The dog, though grammatical, liked to chase geese. 

 It was, we suppose, a relief to him. An old woman who was 

 watching the flock said (unkindly, we thought), " You dratted 

 cur I can't you leave them goose alone ?" Two such wretched 

 errors in a single sentence tended, we are afraid, maddened 

 White, who presently caught a gander and slew it. Just then 

 the old woman's husband fired a load of buckshot into White, 

 remarking, " You cussed hound ! you ain't good for nothing 

 but for to kill a poor man's goose— is yer ? which if I had 

 known his master we would have let him have this t'other bar- 

 rel too." This was evidently too much for poor \Yhite. Cer- 

 tainly it was not the buckshot which killed him, but the inele- 

 gance of the language and the unfortunate construction of the 

 sentence. We have never attempted to raise a grammatical dog 

 since. 



— Among the prizes to be awarded at the Paris dog show 

 held in connection with the International Exhibition, are 

 premiums for blind men's leading dogs, for sleigh dogs from 

 Lapland and Greenland, for edible dogs from China and 

 Polynesia, and for several varieties of wild dogs. 



— Mr. M. C. Fisher, of Robert's Island, near Stockton, Cal., 

 has imported from England some thirty dogs, comprising black 

 retrievers, collies, stag-hounds, bull terriers, Scotch terriers 

 and Dandie Diumonts- The dogs are all of good blood and 

 are a valuable addition to the kennels of ^ the Pacific Slope. 

 > .».^. 



—Mr. M. Von Cul'm, of Delaware City, Del., will exhibit 

 at the Philadelphia dog show his Laverark stud dog Carlo- 

 witz, the field trial setter bitches True and Queen Bess, the 

 red Irish setter Jacques, and the red Irish setter bitches 

 Colleen, Jane, Clytie and Moll III. 



Fine Scotch Deerhound. — Wc have had a vteit from a 

 superb Scotch desrhound, Lulu by name, the property of T. 

 W. Breakbane, Esq., of Chelsea, England. The dog had all 

 the fine points of his race, and we were told could trace his 

 pedigree back through some six generations. The animal 

 was perfectly broken, and was as fine a specimen of this rare 

 dog as we have ever seen. 



■♦»♦ 



Nashville Field Thials. — Our readers will bear in mind 

 the annual field trials to be held under the auspices of the 

 Tennessee S'ate Sportsmen's Association, on the 12th inst., 

 at Nashville. The Puppy Stakes will lead the programme ; 

 the Champion Stakes will be run on the second clay, and on 

 the third the Brace Stakes and the St. Louis Kennel Club 

 Stakes for puppies under twelve months. The entries closed 

 on the 1st inst. The judges are Messrs. D. C. Burgundthal 

 of Indianapolis, C. Jeff Clark of St. Louis, and Dr. Rawlings 

 Young of Corinth, Miss. We have made these i announce- 

 ments already in our columns, but are anxious that these field 

 trials should be a success. Col. F. G. Skinner will represent 

 the Forest and Stream as its regular Southern correspondent. 



im und Mtver 



FISH IN SEASON IN NOVEMBER. 



^laek Bass, Micropterus salinoidet; Weakflsh, Cynoscion regalia, 



X. nigricans. 

 Mascalouge, Esox nobilior. 

 Pike or Pickerel, Bsox lueius. 

 Yellow Pereli, Perca flavesrene. 



Sea Bass, Sa'a'tw^s oretlatits. 

 Striped Bass, Moccus liniteatus. 

 White Perch, Morone avtericana. 



Bluertsh, Pomatomw mltatrix. 

 Spanish Mackerel, Cybium •macula- 

 turn,. 



Cero, C>/bhim regale. 

 Bonito, Sarda pekimys. 

 Kmgfjsh, Menticirrm nebulosue. 



Fish in Market.— With the exception of striped bass all 

 kinds of fish are scarce. Bluefish have entirely left the prox- 

 imity of New York. The fleet have returned and are now fit- 

 ting up to follow the fish to North Carolina. Bass, according 

 to size, 15 to 18 cents a pound; smelts, 25 cents; bluefish, 15 

 cents; salmon, frozen, 30 cents ; mackerel, 15 to 20 cents; 

 green turtle, 15 cents ; terrapin, $ 15 a dozen ; halibut, 18 

 cents; haddock, "cents; kingfish, 30 cents ; codfish, 8 to 10 

 cents; blaekfish, 15 cents; flounders, 6 to 12 cents; lobsters, 

 10 cents; sheepshead, 25 cents ; scallops, per gallon, $1.25; 

 soft clams, 30 nuts per hundred; whitcfisli, wonderfully large 

 and fine, 18 cents; salmon trout, 15 cents ; bard crabs, $3 per 

 '100 ; blue-back Rangeley trout, 75 cents per pound. 



Movements of the Fishing Fleet. — The mackerel sea 

 son is fast drawing to a close. The arrivals from the Bay the 

 past week have been numerous, and the balance of the fleet 

 will soon be along. The fleet report very rough weather for 

 the past eight weeks, and were unable to fish the greater part 

 of the time. The vessels have met with poor success, and the 

 business will prove a losing one to owners and fitters of . 

 vessels, and bring inadequate returns for their labor to the 

 fishermen. Comparatively few of the vessels have secured 

 over 200 bbls. each, and on§ vessel reports a catch of only 70 

 bbls. , while the average will not probably exceed 180 bbls. 

 The number of arrivals reported the past week has been 28 

 and the receipts 5,130 bbls. The shore mackerel fleet are 

 gradually retiring from the business and hauling up 1&r chang- 

 ing their field of operations. The number of arrivals since our 

 last issue has been 33, and the receipts 2,400 bbls. The Bank 

 and Georges fleets continue to meet with indifferent success, 

 and with a light stock on hand the market remains firm. The 

 number of arrivals the past week has been 11 from the Banks 

 and 21 from Georges, and the receipts 175,000" lbs. Bank cod- 

 fish, 250,000 lbs. Georges codfish, and 100,000 lbs. halibut. 

 Total number of fishing arrivals for the week, 93. — Cape Ann 

 Advertiser, Nov. 2. 



« T?iomD&.— Crystal Rider.— Crystal River is about eight 

 miles north of Homossana. Deer and turkeys are quite plen- 

 tiful, and very fine fishing in the river. The village has made 

 arrangements for the accommodation of strangers' this winter. 

 This is a fine game country, and there' is good fishing for black 

 bass, sheepshead, channel bass, cavalli, sea trout, tarpurn, 

 sharks, etc. A. B. D. 



St. Augustine, Nov. 1. — Fishing is excellent. Capt. Pratt 

 and Drs. Anderson and Janeway caught thirty-nine surf bass 

 at Matanzas one day last week. 



The Newfoundland Fisheries a Failure.— Advices from 

 Newfoundland state that the fisheries are a failure, and that 

 the prospects have not been so bad for years. On the western 

 coast there is great destitution, and fears are entertained of 

 much suffering during the coming winter. 



The Magdalen Island Fisheries.— All the vessels have 

 left for the mainland with the products of the season's fishery, 

 which is below the average. Stormy weather caused the fail- 

 ure of the cod fishery. It was impossible to go out on the 

 fishing grounds with success for the past two months. 



Hexagonal Bamboo Rods.— A. correspondent in Leesburg, 

 Va., asks us : " Which is the better of two six-split bamboo 

 rods, the round or the hexagonal ?" He is inclined to prefer the 

 hexagonal, as he thinks it preserves the enamel entire. Now 

 the value of a rod depends upon its mechanical construction, 

 the quality of material and its working power. The hexago- 

 nal rod is the easier made, and therefore about 40 per cent, 

 cheaper. A poor workman cannot make the perfectly round 

 joints, and must therefore make them hexagonal. The most 

 experienced workman can make the round joint entirely of 

 enamel, but it is a long and expensive job. As to quality, it 

 is claimed by those .who like hexagonal rods, that there is 

 more enamel preserved ; but this is only the case when the 

 round joint is improperly made. The claim of extra strength 

 can hold good only as respects the six points or angles. As a 

 rod always breaks at the weak part, it is evident that it is use- 

 less to strengthen one point above another in the same circum- 

 ference. It is this disproportion of strength throughout that 

 renders the hexagonal rod more liable to break than the round. 

 As to the working of the two rods, the hexagonal, owin°- to 

 the angles being stronger and stiffer than the flat sides between 

 them, cannot be made to swing as evenly or to retain its 

 straightnoss. It does not handle as well as the other, and 

 consequently will not deliver a line in as satisfactory a 

 manner. 



lK 



11 On a Steam Fishing Smack off Newport, R. I.— Mr. 



Editor .-—There is not a soupcon of romance in this story. 

 The whole thing is scaly, but true. On the — day of last 

 May, I had an invitation for next morning at 4 o'clock to go 

 a-fishing on the crack little craft, the Gipsy GirL We were 

 on board at the time fixed, and in a few minutes steamed out 

 of the beautiful harbor. We witnessed the waning moon's 

 descent, as the luminous orb of morn ascended. The weather 

 was as Providence makes it only for favored Newport. Breakfast 

 was announced about five, so as to have all in readiness when 

 fish would be sighted. The cook was a genuine downeaster, 

 and I believe he "knew how to keep a hotel," for the repast 

 was excellent, and all hands promptly did their duty. 



Breakfast was hardly finished, when the signal was given, 

 " F ish ahead, to the larboard ! " Then the men went to their sta- 

 tions (no guns). Two large whale boats with their crews and 

 purse nets went for the fish— menhaden. The boats approach- 

 ing the school, separate, let out their nets around, and then 

 come together again, thus catching in the paunch of the seine 

 about 64 barrels in three hauls. But Capt. Wilcox called it 

 poor luck. To me, a landsman, it seemed miraculous. But 

 what I am now about to relate has to do with a better fish 

 than menhadan. 



Presently, the look-out man espied mackerel right ahead 

 Faces flushed and eyes sparkled. "Now for 'em, boys " said 

 the Captain, Away went the two boats as before, performing 

 the same tactics. A splendid haul this time of about 1 500 

 shining bright mackerel were landed on the deck by mean's of 

 a steam monkey engine, scooping them out of the purse I 

 uever bad seen such a sight ! I don't think the fish were 

 more surprised than I was. Such flapping and jumping I 

 never beheld ; the fish were very fine. As I happened to ex 

 press my admiration of them, speaking to the engineer— an 

 intelligent young fellow— I remarked they were the freshest 

 mackerel I had ever met with, and added, " The fresher a 



kle in his eye. Five minutes from that time, the engineer 

 called me into the engine-room, where, on a dish, was one of 



