MISCELLANEA. 
139 
teaspoonful of the drops to the infant. On discovering her mistake, Dr. Battie was sent 
for, who found the child suffering from the effects of some narcotic. He tried every 
remedy without avail, and the child died on the following day. He felt certain the child 
died from the effects of morphia; the quantity of the mixture given would contain the 
twelfth of a grain of morphia. The morphia was obtained of a very respectable chemist, 
but was not labelled ‘ poison.’ The coroner thought that all poisons should be labelled as 
such. Dr. Battie replied that many ladies objected to take medicines which were 
labelled poison ; besides which, many medicines intended for adults would cause the death 
of children if taken by them, even of six months old. The coroner then suggested that 
a peculiar cork be had seen, cut like spikes, which would slightly prick the fingers of the 
person touching it, might be used for bottles containing poison. The jury returned the 
following verdict, “ That the deceased child died from the morphia administered acci¬ 
dentally for dill-water.” 
“ A Dose of Pills.” —An inquest was held lately by Dr. Lankester, on a man who 
had in three days taken sixty-four of “ Morrison’s pills.” A post-mortem examination 
was made by Dr. Ballard, Avho stated that the deceased had suffered from disease of the 
heart. The jury returned a verdict of “ death from natural causes.” 
Treatment of Darache. —In numerous eases of earache, the vapour of chloro¬ 
form has been used with perfect success. Take a common tobacco-pipe, place a wad 
of cotton in the bowl, then drop eight or ten drops of chloroform upon it, and cover 
with another wad of cotton ; place the stem to the affected ear, then blow into the 
bowl; the chloroform vapour is carried into the ear, and the pain almost instantly 
ceases.— Journal of Materia Medica , and British American Journal. 
Adulteration of German “Sfeast. —Dr. Letheby has examined several samples of 
this yeast imported into London from Schiedam, which he found to contain from one- 
third to half their weight of pipe-clay. Dr. Letheby states, that the presence of the alu¬ 
mina of the pipe-clay might, from its great quantity, lead to the charge against the baker 
for adultering his bread with alum. At the same meeting of the City Commissioners of 
Sewers, a letter was read from Mr. Blackburn, a chemist of Durham, confirmatory of the 
above. Mr. Blackburn had examined some yeast, which he found to contain pipe-clay 
in the proportion of three drachms of the latter in the ounce of yeast. A large quantity 
of Dutch yeast of the same brand has since been seized and condemned by the Sanitary 
Inspector of the Local Board of Health, Hull, which, after examination by Dr. Letheby, 
was found to be adulterated. 
Weights and Measures. —On Tuesday, July 28, Mr. Ewart gave notice that 
early next session he would move for leave to bring in a Bill for legalizing the use of the 
metric system of weights and measures; but, in accordance with w hat he understood to be 
the general wish of the House, he would merely propose that the Bill should be permissive. 
The Wax-Tree of Japan. —“ On this remarkable plant, the Rhus succedanea of 
botanists, the ‘Bulletin de la Societe d’Acclimatation ’ publishes an interesting paper 
by M. Eugene Simon, now at Nagasaki. The vegetable wax of Japan is one of the chief 
articles which that country exports. It is not exactly of the same nature as common 
wax, since it melts in summer at the common temperature; but this inconvenience is 
obviated in Japan by protecting the candles made with this wax by a coating of bees¬ 
wax. It appears that in England a process has been discovered for increasing its con¬ 
sistency, since the demand for the article from that quarter has considerably increased 
of late. The tree itself might be easily acclimatized in the southern parts of France. It 
thrives on mountains and on stony and barren ground, unfit for other agricultural pur¬ 
poses. M. Simon has sent over about twenty kilogrammes of its seed for trial. The 
young trees are planted in Japan along the highways, when they are two years old, 
leaving a distance of about three feet between the stems ; but if planted in squares, 
the distance must be double. The ti’ees are kept low by lopping, and trimmed in the 
shape of pyramids. In the fifth year after planting, each tree yields on an average 41b. 
of seeds ; in the eighth year, 61b.; in the 10th, 181b.; in the 12th, 401b. ; in the 15th, 
601b.; in the 18th year the tree enters upon its decline ; 4001b. of seed yield 1001b. of 
wax. At present 2001b. of this wax are sold in London at the price of £5 ; so that a 
plantation of 10,000 ti’ees in their prime may produce £4000. The seed is gathered 
towai-ds the end of autumn, threshed, and then left to dry fora fortnight, after which 
it is slightly roasted. It is next crushed under a millstone, and the produce exposed 
