46 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[February. 
gets his paper,” as we have had for some time various 
complaints as to a concern in New York city which calls 
itself a “ paper company,” and which has advertised 
Jargely through the country for agents to sell paper 
which can be furnished to consumers at one-third less 
than the usual prices. For 50 cents they propose to 
send applicants a box of samples actually worth $1. 
Some of our correspondents say that they have sent 50 
cents and have received in return only a few sheets of 
paper, with a promise to send more when it was ready. 
Others have received no paper, but a circular stating that 
the stock of boxes of samples was exhausted, but that 
“ the 50 cents already paid for samples will be allowed 
on $10 or $20 orders.” The complaints are so many, 
and the answers look so suspicious, that we adyise this 
paper concern to satisfy the demands of those who have 
sent them money, or we shall be obliged to mention the 
names of the parties concerned. In the meantime we 
repeat our advice, to buy paper, pork, and other goods 
in the regular way_ 
LIGHT FROM UTAH 
has reached us as to the ways of the non-explosive 
powder man. The fellow who by a pinch of his powder 
not only renders dangerous oils non-explosive, but like¬ 
wise prevents the chimney from breaking, and for all we 
know, puts the baby to sleep at the same time, has 
beamed upon the Salt Lakeians. And oven an editor has 
been found green enough to endorse it. We have long 
ago stated on general principles that this was some inert 
substance, but we now take it all back. It is by no 
means a valueless substance, indeed so important is it 
that the world could hardly get along without it, and as 
to its being inert, it is possessed of the most wonderful 
powers. One portion of it is a metal, as brilliant as sil¬ 
ver, and so rare that but few persons have seen it, while 
another portion of it is one of the most powerful and 
corrosive of all things, and will dissolve gold itself, and 
as it can create grand explosions, why should it not pre¬ 
vent them? This remarkable compound is called by 
chemists the sodium chloride, or chloride of sodium , and 
though ordinary people know it as common salt, it is not 
the less useful and wonderful. We have long wished to 
see this much talked of non-exploding compound, or as 
it is now called “ Coal Oil Rectifier,” and are thankful 
to the Utah friend who forwarded a small sample just 
large enough for an analysis, which showed this much 
talked of stuff to bo only common salt colored blue, ap¬ 
parently with ultramarine. The rascality of this pre¬ 
cious humbug does not so much lie in the fact that peo¬ 
ple pay a largo sum for a very cheap article, but that it 
leads to a false notion of security. And by trusting to 
the supposed efficacy of this stuff may be induced to 
bum. unsafe oils. Recollect, that nothing added to a 
dangerous oil can by any possibility make it safe to use. 
THE WALL-STKEET GAMBLEBS 
evidently find persons who have so little use for their 
money as to trust it to them, as they appear to get 
enough with which to pay for their rather extensive ad¬ 
vertising. The “ high-toned ” and “ leading ” newspa¬ 
pers of the city allow these gamblers to spread their nets 
in their columns, but we are not so much surprised at 
that as at the agricultural papers, which of all others, 
should be the farmer’s true friends, and protect him 
from all hidden dangers, which publish the tempting 
offers of these fellows of 200 per cent a month on money 
invested with them. We have mentioned this matter 
several times, but yet friends write to us to know if it is 
safe to send money to these gamblers. Never play any 
game you do not understand... .Tke-trade in 
INDECENT BOOKS AND PICTURES 
is evidently seriously interfered with by the activity of the 
officers of the Post-Office Department, as we know, by 
the fewer complaints that come to us, and the largo 
amounts confiscated by the officials. Still some of these 
scoundrels manage to elude the officers for a while. One 
gentleman sends us a most objectionable affair sent to 
his little girl, whose name has somehow been obtained, 
and the officers inform us that the amount of obscene 
literature that finds its way to the boarding-schools and 
academies for youth of both sexes is perfectly appalling. 
A young man sends us the circular of a firm which wishes 
him to act as their agent, and asks us if they arc reliable 
men to deal with. Young man, don't you know better 
than to come to us for such information? Don't you 
know that there is not a book or picture offered in these 
circulars that you would dare to offer openly? If you 
can understand the meaning of language you should see 
that these works are of the most pernicious kind, and 
that it would be a moral crime for you to bo the “ agent” 
for introducing them anywhere. We are glad to say that 
Mr. A. Comstock, upon whom one of these obscene book 
fellows made a murderous assault, is again out and at¬ 
tending to his duties ; his face bears a fearful scar, but 
it will not prevent him from ferreting out such chaps 
with more than his former energy. The would-be mur¬ 
derer was convicted under the name of Charles Conroy, 
though he had 17 other names under which he operated. 
Through some legal technicality he could be imprisoned 
for only two years and be fined $500... .Another business 
seriously interfered with by the postal regulations is 
COUNTERFEIT MONEY OR QUEER. 
We do not now get more than one-tenth of these schemes 
that we did a few years ago. The method of conducting 
this swindle has been fully given in former articles. 
One new name in this business is L. II. Walker, who 
impudently gives the St. Nicholas Hotel, N. Y., as his 
address. 
IN MEDICAL MATTERS 
we have some letters that arc really pathetic, showing 
how eagerly afflicted persons catch at any hope of relief, 
and how readily those who recklessly promise relief can 
find a hearing. A proper physician will promise noth¬ 
ing, while a quack will not only promise, but assert his 
“no cure no pay ” claim. If a patient can hope for no 
relief in his case, a medical man will tell him so, while 
the quack will delude the poor sufferer with hopes of a 
cure, at least so long as the money lasts. Notwithstand¬ 
ing our often repeated statement that we can not advise 
any one to have anything to do with any advertising 
doctor whatever, we continually get letters from those 
who have been so impressed by the plausible circulars 
of these fellows that they write us asking if they could 
not safely employ this or that one of them. One lady in 
New Jersey has invested a good sum with a New York 
consumption curer, and asks if she shall continue to in¬ 
vest. The good unselfish soul says, not for her own 
sake, but “for the sake of my children.” It seems un¬ 
kind, it is so easy to say yes, for us to answer, good 
madam, any man who will offer to prescribe for you 
from seeing your photograph, is a man to be avoided — 
A gentleman in Pennsylvania is much interested ill a 
deaf friend, of whom the physicians say he has but little 
hope of hearing, “ and he has consulted several of the 
best doctors.” It is likely that there is some organic 
defect that no medicine in the world can touch, but this 
gentleman asks our opinion of a Mrs. Legget, to which 
his friend wishes to apply. Mrs. Lcgget’s circular is 
before us, and it is the same old story, she gives the pre¬ 
scription, but as the druggist may not have the herbs, or 
they may not have them in purity, she, benevolent soul, 
who does not want to make money, she says she don’t, 
will put up the prescription for $5. “ Chec-Ochee, 
Prairie foxhoof, Chee monchons, Seed of Prairie Wort,” 
and other such nonsense enter into the prescriptions of 
this feminine quack... .Perhaps of all forms assumed 
by medical quackery, none are more pernicious than 
those which assume to be 
“universities,” “institutes,” and “associations,” 
for under these respectable disguises the worst charla¬ 
tans gain the ear and confidence (and we may add. the 
money) of those who would never think of employing an 
ordinary quack. A great many intelligent people do not 
know that no respectable physician ever advertises his 
cures, or ever puts out circulars and pamphlets setting 
forth his ability to treat particular diseases, or proposes 
to sell medicines of any kind. Such persons can not 
conceive it possible that an ignorant quack can have the 
effrontery to call himself a “University ” or an “Insti¬ 
tute,” and. if they think at all about it. think that the 
laws would prevent an imposition of this kind. There 
are in New York and other large cities, quack shops 
under these high-sounding names, which issue circulars 
of the vilest kind, which are distributed at the street 
corners and on cars, to young and old ; these are full of 
matters that children should know nothing of, and they 
are often advertisements of treatises even more perni¬ 
cious than the circulars themselves. Some of these so- 
called “ institutes ” are regular black-mailing shops. A 
young man who has, or imagines he has, some private 
trouble, makes a fatal mistake when ho applies to some 
of these “institutes” ; his name, address, and circum¬ 
stances being ascertained, he is laid under contribution 
for a certain sum per week, which he pays under fear 
of a threatened exposure of his case to his parents or 
employers. A gentleman whose statement can lie relied 
upon, informs us that he has seen such a blackmail list 
at one of these places, and that the “doctor ” received a 
handsome weekly income thus extorted through the 
fears of young clerks, students, and others... .On other 
occasions we have referred to some publications of the 
CLINTON MEDICAL INSTITUTE, 
which are of so vile a character that they were excluded 
from the mail by the authorities. As Mr. Anthony Com¬ 
stock, the special agent of the Post-Office Department 
was chiefly instrumental in putting a stop to the circu¬ 
lation of these documents, the “ Institute,” which is one 
James Bryan, calling himself “Doctor,” entered a suit 
against Mr. Comstock in one of the New York courts for 
attempted blackmail. This Bryan claimed that his in¬ 
stitute was an incorporated body, and that there were 
associated with him in its management, 11 four of the 
most celebrated physicians.” The testimony given at 
the trial showed that no other tha* Bryan could be 
found or had anything to do with it. Bryan, on his own 
examination, could give no satisfactory information as 
to his eminent associates who are claimed in the circu¬ 
lars to be in attendance, he could not recollect the name 
of the college at which he received his diploma, and 
made out a very poor story altogether. Judge Donohue 
in his decision in regard to this “ Institute,” said: “ It 
seems to me a fair result to reach from the facts pre¬ 
sented by the proofs, that the so-called Clinton Institute 
is a myth, and that the persons whose names are used 
by it as ‘Doctors’ are also myths.” 
■Will it Pay? —An intelligent man, having 
special experience in some department of work, devotes 
his energies for months, aud even years, to collecting 
information, and after a time he writes out all he can 
collect of hints, suggestions, etc. Some publisher puts 
these in type, and prints them in the form of a book, and 
sells it at a moderate price per copy. Is it likely that 
any person engaged in the occupation of which this 
book treats, can fail of getting useful hints out of its 
pages that will directly or indirectly benefit him many 
times the cost of the book, even in dollars and cents, 
aside from the development of thought it will bring? 
We think there is hardly a book on any practical subject 
so poor that it will not pay to read it. Certainly there is 
no good book that will not pay. The value of an acre 
of land put into a farmer’s library, will help the owner 
to get much more off from the rest of his acres ; and 
every son and daughter who reads books and papers de¬ 
voted to their calling will respect it more, think more, 
and be happier. At this leisure season, let every farmer 
and every mechanic add at least one book to his stock, 
and read it this winter. It will help during the next 
busy season. The advertising columns tell of a great 
variety of books, which the mail will bring to one’s door 
at a mere trifling cost, and nearly all books are sent 
post-paid by publishers. Look at the various announce¬ 
ments, and select at least one source of new thoughts. 
Heavy 'Weagilitss ina Cattle. —Under 
this head the National Live Stock Journal has some re¬ 
marks casting doubt upon the estimated weights of the 
fat cattle raised by Mr. Ayrault, of Poughkeepsie, por¬ 
traits of which appeared in the Agriculturist of Decem¬ 
ber last. The criticism is so clearly erroneous, and the 
imputation of misrepresentation so uncalled for, that it 
is only out of justice to Mr. Ayrault that we notice it. 
The weights of these cattle were only approximately 
given for the reason that there is a standing challenge 
for a sum of $500 that the steer and the heifer are the 
heaviest animals of their kind in the world. On this 
account “it was said ” their weights were not far from 
4,000 and 3,000 pounds respectively. Otherwise their ex¬ 
act weights upon the scales would have been given. 
The authority as to the weight of the Ketton ox is Bell’s 
History of the Improved Short-horn; besides this there 
are others. All of these state the weight of the ox to be 
270 stones (1,780 lbs) or nearly thirty four hundred weight. 
But then a hundred weight in England is 112 lbs. The 
charge of encouraging misrepresentation is unjust. 
S>yspcj»lics, — Starvation Treat¬ 
ment.—The readers of the Agriculturist are aware that 
its columns are very free from medical advice, as we hold 
that more harm than good is done by publishing reme¬ 
dies for this and that disease, and encouraging persons 
to dose themselves. On the other hand we think that 
hints upon the preservation of health may very properly 
come within our scope. There is nothing more common 
than to meet persons who have, or think they have, Dys¬ 
pepsia. It would be strange, when we consider the gen¬ 
eral activity of our people, their over-worked brains and 
under-fed bodies, if dyspepsia were not a common com¬ 
plaint. At all hours of the day many thousands of peo¬ 
ple are moving on the various railroad routes, and all of 
them, if they cat at all, must do it at a railroad speed ; 
the trains make up lost time by taking it out of the all 
too few minutes allowed for refreshments, and travelers 
have to bolt in the ill-prepared food in the most hurried 
manner. But it is not the present purpose to point out 
the various causes of dyspepsia, but to refer to the pop¬ 
ular idea that dyspeptics should not eat this or that, if 
anything at all. True, if the stomach is over-loaded, it 
should be allowed to rest—but the practice of altogether 
abstaining from food by dyspeptics is wrong. Strength 
comes only from food , and a weak stomach needs food to 
make it strong—and this should be good nourishing food, 
and not grits, bran, and such articles alone. A beef¬ 
steak cooked rare and thoroughly chewed, with good 
bread, and baked or mashed potatoes, is better for a dys¬ 
peptic than all the “bitters ” and other medical nostrums 
ever invented. If the teeth arc imperfect, and can not 
thoroughly perform their duty, then the meat should be 
cut-very fine to the better prepare it. The “bitters” may 
produce a more immediate pleasant sensation, but good 
food will tone np and strengthen the stomach for the 
