135 
MISCELLANEA. 
Death from Chloroform. —On Saturday morning, August 19th, it was announced 
that Mrs. Gregory, the wife of the Rev. Alexander Gregory, the much respected pastor 
of the Free Church, Anstruther, had been found dead in bed, under circumstances of a 
peculiarly distressing nature. The particulars of the melancholy event are as follows 
The unfortunate lady was subject to an acute chronic malady, to alleviate the pain of 
which she was accustomed to make use of chloroform. She had sent her servant for, 
and procured from the laboratory, in the course of Friday, a considerable quantity of 
that remedy, for the purpose, it is said, of rubbing the cheek of some member of the 
family who was suffering from toothache. After partaking of supper she felt somewhat 
indisposed, and retired to her bedroom about eight o clock that evening. The firA intel¬ 
ligence that anything unusual had happened was given about six o’clock next morning, 
by the cries of "her little daughter, who slept in the same room, and who naturally had 
become greatly alarmed at the continued silence of her mother. The fastenings of the 
door which were in the inside, having been removed by the affrighted child, an entrance 
was obtained by the inmates of the house, when the poor lady was found to have been 
dead some hours. Dr. Macarthur was promptly sent for; but the cause of death was 
self-evident, as a handkerchief containing chloroform was found lying over the mouth 
of the deceased lady. It is conjectured, with every degree of probability, that Mrs. 
Gregory, feeling herself unwell, had incautiously taken chloroform to induce sleep. 
Fatal Sxplosion of Spirits.— A lamentable accident occurred at Chaumont, in 
the Haute Marne, on Thursday, June 29th. A servant having approached too near a 
cask of spirits in his master’s cellar with a candle, the spirit ignited. He called loudly 
for help," and several neighbours came to his. assistance. Unfortunately at the same 
moment the cask burst, and the burning liquid ran about the cellar in all diiections. 
The consequences of the accident were terrible. Ten persons, tradesmen in the neig 
bourhood, were burnt to death, and several severely injured. At the first news of the 
accident, the prefect of the department, the mayor of Chaumont, the commander of the 
gendarmerie, the attorney-general, the parish priest, and the Brothers of the Christian 
Schools proceeded to the relief of the sufferers. The following evening, ten coffins were 
borne to the graveyard, followed by the entire population of Chaumont. When the 
remains were lowered into the graves, the prefect addressed the bystanders in a most 
touching manner. A subscription was at once set on foot for the families ot the sut- 
ferers, and about 5000f. were collected in a few minutes.. , 
Preserving 1 Flowers by Glycerine. —Mr. C. R. lichborne states, in the Aitizan, 
that being desirous of preserving a vegetable lusus natures for some time, he submerge 
it in some weak glycerine, considering that that fluid would be less likely to destroy e 
tender organism, and also remembering that it had been found most efficient in Lie pre¬ 
servation of animal tissues. The glycerine answered its purpose, most aainnably, pre¬ 
serving the delicate parts of the plant and preventing decomposition.. He immediate y 
saw that this property of glycerine might be made available for certain pharmaceutical 
purposes, where it was desired to preserve or extract the aroma of vegetable products, 
such as Elder, Orange, or Rose flowers, and also might be substituted forThe oils and 
fats used in the purest process termed enfleurage. The glycerine need not be especially 
pure, but should be devoid of odour. The Elder-flowers should be gathered when the 
corolla was fully expanded, but not too far gone ; they, should then be plucked from e 
stem, and packed firmly in wide-mouthed bottles or jars, without crushing them; and 
the whole should then be covered with glycerine. Mr. Ticliborne states that he has thus 
preserved flowers for two years, and, on distilling them, procured a water the peuume 
of which has equalled the most recent product. For the preservation of the aroma of 
the flowers he considers the employment of glycerine far superior to the system termed 
enfleurage, in which heat is used .—Journal of Horticulture. 
Poison at the Communion.-A Swedish clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Lmdback, has 
been bis trial for poisoning at least three of his parishioners while administering 6 
the Sacrament of the Communion. It appears that when arrested he m the first in¬ 
stance solemnly denied having done anything that could have been the cause o ie 
death of the nersons who are said to have been murdered; but, although, for a time be 
seemed to be"determined to set at defiance all who had come forward as. his accusers, he 
ultimately showed a disposition to make a full confession, endea\ ouring, o\\ever,a 
the same time, to obtain in return the privilege of being left at large for eight days for 
