VARIETIES. 
381 
Wax and Stearine Candles. — According to established custom, wax can- 
dles only are held to be orthodox in Roman Catholic cathedrals and chapels. 
Some makers of stearine candles having endeavored to introduce their 
material, an objection was taken against the innovation, and the question 
was referred to the Pope ; who gave his verdict as we are informed, in the 
following terms : 
Pope. Is there not a little stearine in the wax candles ? Answer. Yes. 
Pope. May there not be a little wax in the stearine candles? Answer. 
Yes. — Pope. Then you have wax and stearine — stearine and wax. I see 
very little difference. — Ibid. 
Poisoning with Muriate of Baryta. By Dr.'C. Wolf. — A student of 
medicine, who supposed that he had swallowed three teaspoonsful of sul- 
phate of magnesia, was seized with tormina and vomiting ; the pulse was 
weak and irregular ; the tongue natural. Dr. Wolf at first supposed the 
case to be one of " summer cholera/-' excited by the purgative ; but as in 
half an half an hour more he found his patient with ice-cold extremities ; 
pulse 65, irregular and feeble; hands and feet powerless; paralysis of the 
left eyelid; the voice weak and incessant griping — he analyzed what re- 
mained of the so-called sulphate of magnesia, and found it to be muriate 
of baryta. The patient took only some sulphuric acid and castor oil, by 
which the griping was soon removed, but there came on retention of urine 
requiring the catheter. The muscular powerlessness seon disappeared, and 
in three days the patient was quite well. He had taken altogether three 
drachms of the salt. Dr. AYolf detected the chloride of barium in the 
evacuations by incinerating them. — Ibid, from Casper's Wochenscrift in 
Schmidt's Jahrbucher, No. 1, 1851. 
Poisoning with Prussia Acid. — Mr. William Galium, auctioneer and pro- 
prietor of the Cheapside House Repository at Birmingham, has commit- 
ted suicide under very lamentable circumstances. It appeared at the 
inquest, that Mr. Callum had for some time exhibited symptoms of a mind 
ill at ease, and he drank deeply, as a witness believed, to drive unpleasant 
thoughts from his mind ; he had been straitened for money, and after his 
death no fewer than three writs were found upon him. He was of an ex- 
citable mind and irritable nature. His pecuniary embarrassments drove 
him to engage in bill tranasctions, and the end was a criminal act. A 
check for £1000, purporting to be signed by Sir George Chetwynd, was 
presented by Mr. Galium, or sent by him— the matter is not clearly report- 
ed — to Birmingham bank. Soon afterwards it was discovered to be a for- 
gery. Mr, Suckling, the solicitor of the bank, with Mr. Gloesop, inspector 
of the detective police, went to Mr. Callum's house at Balsall Heath. Mr. 
Suckling informed Mr. Callum of his errand, conversed with him, and an- 
nounced that he must give him into the custody of the inspector. Callum 
