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1 May, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 413 
enraged, the flow of saliva increases, and should it bite a person when in an 
excited condition, the danger is increased. In all cases of a bite being inflicted 
by any animal, but more especially by the pig, the wound should be at once 
Washed in very dilute carbolie acid (one part acid to 2,000 parts water), for 
if unattended to, there is the greatest danger of blood-poisoning supervening, 
possibly with very grave results. 
PURE WATER AS A POISON. 
Tie American Druggist says that Dr. H. Koeppe has made a very interesting 
communication to a recent number of the Deutsche Medicinische Wochenschrift - 
(1898-624), upon the subject of pure water, and has arrived at the conclusion 
that absolutely pure water is a poison, a sentiment long since adopted in 
Kentucky. 
Tsolated living elements, and single-celled organisms die in distilled water, 
since this deprives the cells by osmosis (the tendency of fluids to mix) of the 
salts which are essential to life. : 
The epithelial cells of the stomach are destroyed by free ingestion of 
distilled water, and are eventually thrown off. This local poisoning is indi- 
cated by the nausea and yomiting which follow the ingestion of distilled 
water. 
In support of this singular view, Dr. Koeppe cites the fact that the very 
pure water which results from the melting of glaciers and of snow upon 
Mountains is very unwholesome. Another link in the chain of evidence is the 
fact that a certain spring, known for hundreds of years as the “ poison spring,” 
yields water which, on chemical analysis, appears to be absolutely pure. 
The above statement of Dr. Koeppe would appear to be further stren athened 
by a late discovery of a method of dissolving gold (hitherto only soluble in a 
mixture of two acids) in distilled water.—Ed. Q.A.J. 
; THE GOURAMI. 
A corresroxpent of the Tropical Agriculturist, Colombo, writes from the 
Seychelles, concerning this fish (which it will be remembered was lately intro- 
duced into this colony by Mr. D. O’Connor, of Oxley) :— 
“A day or two ago a new arrival from Ceylon showed me an article on the 
gourami fish, that appeared in the Tropical Agriculturist for December last. I 
note also that an attempt is being made to introduce this fish into your island. 
«In Seychelles the gourami was formerly very common, Owing probably 
to its excellence, when cooked, nearly all the easily accessible ponds have been 
netted and the fish captured. 
“The B.I. s.s. ‘Lawada” goes direct from here to Colombo: 80 T hoped to 
have been able to have sent a few specimens of the gourami to you by her. A. 
ond, said to contain gourami, has just been drawn blank, and there is now 
ardly time for me to send to other ponds before the steamer’s departure. I 
hope, however, to be more successful shortly, and to send you some good 
specimens before long. 
“1 doubt very much if the gourami will thrive in the hills in Ceylon. Even 
here in Seychelles, where our highest mountains are under 3,000 feet, the 
gourami do far better near the sea-level. 
“There is a kind of docvk-leaf plant always found growing near gourami 
ponds. The owners occasionally throw in a few leaves, which are eagerly 
devoured by'the fish. It is said by some that gourami will not thrive without 
an occasional feed of this leaf. Be that true or not, I take the precaution of 
now sending you by the “ Lawada” a few plants, that they may be ready for 
pe fish when they arrive later on. They ought to be planted out in rather 
amp soil.” ; 
Ve have no information concerning the gourami brought to Queensland. 
If they are living, it might be well to import seeds or roots of the dock plant 
mentioned.—Hd. Q.A.J. * 
