MISCELLANEA. 
2(\3 
Poisoning'by lifiti'o-glycerine. —The following case is recorded in the ‘Times’ 
of July 31, At Woolwich, a man named Daniel O’Leary, employed by Messrs. Kirk, the 
contractors, was engaged at the proof butt in the Eoyal Arsenal; perceiving, among the 
stores there, a white bottle containing some light-coloured liquid, he applied it to his 
nose to ascertain the nature of its contents, and, exclaiming “ Whisky,” drank off a por¬ 
tion of it. He was instantly seized with great pain, and his body became suffused with 
a dark blue tinge. His companions lost no time in conveying him to the surgery of 
Mr. Allinson, medical officer to the local Board of Health, whose impression, amid the 
imperfect evidence given by the men, was, that it was a case of cholera, and he admi¬ 
nistered the usual remedies for that disease. The men, fearful of injury to themselves, 
had foolishly cast away the remainder of the contents. The bottle on being handed over 
to the chemical department of the Arsenal was recognised as having contained about 
half an ounce of nitro-glycerine used in experimental shell firing. It had been negli¬ 
gently left at the butt after an experiment a few days previously. The unfortunate 
man only survived a few hours. 
Fatal EKplosion of Naphtha. —An explosion of naphtha occurred at Bolton, on 
Wednesday, July 2,5th, which occasioned the death of four persons. Mr. Alfred Lang- 
shaw, chemist and druggist, Deansgate, to prevent accidents had constructed a wooden 
shed in the yard behind his shop, in which he placed naphtha. On Wednesda}' he re¬ 
ceived two casks containing naphtha, and was engaged in removing it to the store in the 
yard, when an explosion took place. Mr. Langshaw had emptied the first barrel by 
running it into a can, and then, by means of a pipe, sending it into a stone cask. For 
some purpose, which cannot now be ascertained, Mr. Langshaw left the naphtha running 
into the can, and went into his shop. A woman who saw the naphtha running over the 
can into the gutter went for Mr. Langshaw, who, when he got into the entry, found the 
naphtha burning. He rushed forward and tried to stop the hole, when the explosion 
took place, which caused his death and set fire to an adjoining cottage, in which an in¬ 
firm old man and his wife perished. The naphtha covered the cottages in the yard, and 
the first one, in which John Spencer and his wife resided, and the door of which was 
open, was instantly in a blaze. A messenger was dispatched for the fire brigade. It 
is supposed that the vapour of the naphtha became ignited by coming in contact with 
the fire in the cottage. When the fire was subdued, the remains of Mr. Langshaw were 
found, but there was nothing to identify him but his watch and a pocket-knife, his 
clothes being completely consumed. John Spencer and his wife were also found in the 
house dead. The woman who went for Mr. Langshaw had her clothes set on fire ; and 
a painter, named William Cress, who attempted to extinguish the flames, was so seriously 
burnt that he died in the night. Several other persons who went to render assistance 
were also much burnt. 
Asbestos. —A correspondent of an Australian paper, the Orange Guardian, writes 
as follows;—“ Some 22 years ago I recognized the asbestos, or amicanthus rock, in this 
district, and since then I have from time to time exposed portions of the stone to atmo¬ 
spheric influence, and the result has always been a perfect change of the stone into 
asbestos, or into a substance closely resembling the finest staple of wool, only something 
stronger, and, if possible, whiter in appearance. I have sometimes obtained it G inches 
in length, have combed it out, and found it as soft and pliant as any silk. This sub¬ 
stance, as no doubt you are aware, is inconsumable by fire. The stone may be brought 
into the state of asbestos in a very short time. I have been employed sinking a well of 
late, and some days I got as much of this mineral as would make a suit of clothes. I 
can show the stone here in all its stages, from stone itself to the asbestos state. Should 
asbestos ever come into general use, it will, in some measure no doubt, from its incom¬ 
bustible nature, supersede the evils of crinoline. Besides this great advantage, it will 
also set aside the vexatious expense and use of soap and w^ater, for all a lady will have 
to do when she unrobes herself will be to pitch her articles of apparel into a glowing 
fire, and when they have become as white as a snowflake she may resume them at her 
pleasure. Perhaps you may deem some parts of the foregoing rather extravagant; but, 
nevertheless, I really believe that by proper appliances the amicanthus may yet become 
a source of revenue, and I therefore recommend the thing to your attention. 
