to understand causes and effects, and you first explain your reasons to him, then if he does not obey it may sometimes be necessary to slap a hand; for as soon as a child is old enough to understand what you tell him, and the reason why, he must not be allowed to realize that he can disregard the parents' commands. Make as few rules as possible. Never make a rule or give a command unless it is necessary and wise to do so; but when done, then gently but firmly enforce it. On the other hand, give praise and kisses for prompt obedience. Let the child overhear you telling papa that he is just a splendid boy to obey; that you always know when you tell him not to do a thing that he will obey you, and slyly watch the effect. It will please the little one and help it to obey in future. Never rule by "don'ts." Praise the little ones all you can truthfully, and find fault as seldom as possible.

INJURIOUS MIXTURES.

The iodide of potassium is quite a constant ingredient of sarsaparilla mixtures, which are vaunted to be "blood purifiers," tonics, etc. This agent is harmless when rightly used, but it is capable of doing grievous injury. One of its baneful effects is inflammation of the kidneys. If they are weak or deranged, small doses of the iodide are likely to produce the effect stated; and many persons' kidneys are so affected without the fact being known. Hence, preparations of the class mentioned should be held as unsafe for general use. Besides this, they are, as a rule, absolutely worthless, even in the most carefully selected

cases.

GAS POISONING HINTS.

Loosen the clothing at the neck.

Slap the face and chest with the wet end of a towel.

Apply warmth and friction if the body or limbs are cold.

Take the man at once into the fresh air. Don't crowd around him. Keep him on his back. Don't raise his head or turn him on his side. If the breathing is feeble or irregular artificial respiration should be used and kept up until there is no doubt that it can no longer be of use.

Give the ammonia mixture (one part in all, aromatic ammonia, to sixteen parts of water) in small quantities at short intervals, a teaspoonful every two or three minutes.

HOW TO TREAT ONE IN A FAINT.

This is something every person should know. First of all loosen every tight thing from around the neck or abdomen; that is, unfasten the collar from round the neck, and if the patient is a lady cut her stay laces if she wears stays. Allow the person all the fresh air possible, do not crowd around, and if in a crowded place carry the patient out, or to the open window. A fainting person should always be laid flat down on the back, and it greatly aids recovery if the head can be put lower than the body, so that blood goes readily to the brain. The main cause of fainting is that the brain is deprived of blood, and if the head is laid low the brain can get its share again, and so resume its workings. Cold water sprinkled over the face, smelling salts, or burning feathers held to the nose, and fanning the face, all help to restore consciousness. In an ordinary case the person may be allowed to sit up when conscious, and after a little rest resume her way. The custom of giving brandy or other spirits to a person who has fainted is, says Dr. Allinson, a mischievous one; allow the person to come to, then let her slowly drink a cupful of cold water, and no harm is done. But if brandy is given, the person may pass from one fit to another, or become ill from the drink given. Medicines of any kind are not needed after fainting, only care must be taken to take things quietly for the next few hours. Persons subject to these attacks must keep out of close, hot, and unventilated places, either of devotion or of amusement; they should not take Turkish baths, nor even hot baths; in place of the latter they may have a sponge all over with hot water. Tea and coffee must not be drunk by those subject to fainting attacks ; if ladies, they must not wear corsets. Men must not use tobacco in any form, nor drink intoxicants, if subject to these attacks. Heavy and indigestible foods, like pork, veal, ham, etc., must be avoided; as must heavy work.-Weekly Echo.

A VETERAN'S MANNER OF LIFE.

A practical attempt to solve the question how to grow old, has been made recently by the Oesterreicher-Volksbildungs-Verein, which is composed of some of the most brilliant men and best thinkers in Austria, and has its headquarters in Vienna. For the edification of its members and the benefit of the public at large, the society sent a number of circulars to men of distinction who have obtained an advanced

age, containing a series of questions in reference to their habits of life. and the influences to which they attribute their health and vigor. It will cause, probably, little surprise to learn that one of the first replies which reached the club house was that of Count von Moltke. The circular, with his interesting answers to the interrogatories read as follows:

YOUTH.

Question-At what age did you begin to attend school, and how many hours a day did you study?

Answer-In 1808, when eight years old. Four hours a day until 1810; after that year, ten hours daily.

Was your health, as a child, good or poor?

Answer-Fair.

Did you pass your youth in the city or country?

Answer-In the country until ten years old.

How many hours did you spend, as a rule, in the open air?

Answer-Only a few hours, and no certain number.

Did you play athletic games and devote time to gymnastic exercises? Answer-Not as a rule.

How many hours did you sleep?

Answer-Ten hours.

What general remarks do you care to make in regard to your youth? Answer-It was unpleasant and unhappy, without sufficient nourishment, and was passed away from home.

MANHOOD.

Did you prepare yourself for your professiom in the city or in the country?

Answer-In the city.

How many hours did you work each day?

Answer-Different number at different times.

Do you ascribe to any habit, a particular influence upon your health?

Answer-Temperance in all habits of life; exercise in the open air whatever the state of the weather; no day passed entirely within doors. How long did you sleep?

Answer-Between eight and nine hours.

What changes did you make after reaching an advanced age in your habits of life?

Answer-None.

How many hours a day did you work in your fiftieth, sixtieth, seventieth and eightieth years?

Answer-It depended upon the demands of the times, and, therefore, often very many.

What has been your recreation?

Answer-Horseback riding, until I reached the age of eighty-six

years.

How many hours do you now spend in the open air?
Answer-When on my estate in summer, half of the day.
How many hours do you sleep?

Answer-Still eight hours.

What peculiarities have you as to nourishment, etc?
Answer-I eat very little and make use of food extracts.

To what circumstances or conditions do you ascribe, in the main, your hearty old age?

Answer-To the grace of God and temperate habits of life.

COUNT VON MOLTKE, Field Marshal.

FOOD AND CHARACTER.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, in a series of papers, both readable and valuable, which appeared in the columns of the Atlantic, gives his many friends among the lovers of good literature a great deal of sensible advice how they may healthfully and happily attain to a good old age; for what is length of days without health or happiness? Among other good things from the "Autocrat" of eighty years, we quote the following on the effects of diet upon character :

Somebody has been writing to me about "oat-meal and literature," and somebody else wants to know whether I have found character influenced by diet; also whether, in my opinion, oat-meal is preferable to pie as an American national food.

In answer to these questions, I should say that I have my beliefs and prejudices; but if I were pressed hard for my proofs of their correctness, I should make but a poor show in the witness-box. Most assuredly I do believe that body and mind are much influenced by the kind of food habitually depended upon. I am persuaded that a too exclusively porcine diet gives a bristly character to the beard and hair, which is borrowed from the animal whose tissues these stiff-bearded compatriots

of ours have too largely assimilated. I can never stray among the village people of our windy capes, without now and then coming upon a human being who looks as if he had been split, salted, and dried, like the salt fish which has built up his arid organism. If the body is modified by the food which nourishes it, the mind and character very certainly will be modified by it also. We know enough of their close connection to be sure of that without any statistical observations to prove it.

Do you really want to know "whether oat-meal is preferable to pie as an American national food"? I suppose the best answer I can give to your question is to tell you what is my own practice. Oat-meal in the morning, as an architect lays a bed of concrete to form a base for superstructure. Pie when I can get it; that is, of the genuine sort, for I am not patriotic enough to think very highly of the article named after the Father of his Country, who was first in war, first in peacenot first in pies, according to my standard.

MISCELLANEOUS.

TOUGHENING LAMP CHIMNEYS.

A correspondent of a trade journal lately asked, "Has the tendency of hardened glass to break spontaneously yet been overcome ?" The reply to the inquiry states that "this great difficulty with hardened glass has been overcome by Frederick Siemens, by placing the hardened cold plates in boiling water, and allowing them to cool very slowly; and that he has made some very interesting experiments before the Berlin Polytechnic Society, showing the power of resistance of such plates. A plate about 8 in. square and more than an inch thick was supported at its corners and on it was dropped a weight of more than 8 lb., from different heights, up to 6 ft., without its breaking. A second and a third test were made, the third plate breaking under a weight of 1 lb. 6 oz., falling 111⁄2 ft., while the same weight falling 2 ft. broke an ordinary plate of the same dimensions. In applying this principle of toughening the glass to lamp chimneys we should prefer to place them at first in cold, rather than boiling, water. If the water is heated slowly to the boiling point, kept there for some time, and then cooled as above, cheap chimneys can be used for months, or until some accident befalls them. We can testify from experience that the plan is a successful one.

THE first newspaper ever issued in the world was published in Venice, in 1531, eighty-one years after Faust invented printing. It was called The Gazetta. The first newspaper printed in England was The English Mercurie, published July 28, 1588, in London, by Christopher Barker.