ADULTERATION OF BARK

71

coniques de l’extrémité de sa qaeue, qu’ounomme sonnettes. Le coiquira se nommeparticulièrement serpent d sonnette, á causedes anneaux mobiles, espce de grelots qu’ilporte au bout de sa quene, ct qui aver.tissent de sa dangereuse approche. On letrouve en Amerique."

I have frequently seen the celebratedIndian jugglers, but do not remember everto have observed the rattlesnake in theircollections. It is my impression, that it isseldom, if ever, seen in India; but is gene-rally to be met with in the southern latitudesof America.

J. G. BRIGHTON, Surgeon.

STATISTICS.

POPULATION OF FRANCE.

THE total number of births in Paris, dur-ing the year 1837. was 29,192 ; or, 14,651boys and 14,541 girls. Of the number born,no less than 9,578, or nearly one-third, wereborn out of wedlock. The number of deathsamounted to 28,134. There died-at home,17,127 persons; in hospital, 10,604; in

prison, 99 ; while 304 bodies were depositedattthe Morgue.Hence of every five persons who die in

Paris, only three have the satisfaction ofdying in bed.The number of deaths from small-pox,

out of a population of 774,338, amounted to458 ; in the year 1836, it was only 227.The proportion of males to females born

is as 17 to 16; but of children born out ofwedlock, the proportion is as 24 to 23.As there is one birth for every 32.7 inhabi-

tants, if we suppose the population to re-main nearly stationary, the mean durationof life is expressed by 32.7 years. Beforethe Revolution, it was only 28.75.-FrenchLancet, Sept. 10, 1839.

PRISON MORTALITY IN FRANCE.

From 1815 to 1818, the general mortalityof the prisons in Paris was one death forevery 12.01 prisoners; from 1819 to 1825,the mortality was reduced to one in 15.30.In the other prisons of the kingdom thegeneral mortality was one in 20.9.

In the places where galley slaves are con-fined, the mortality from 1816 to 1827 wasas follows :

French Med. Gazette Sept. 21, 1839.

A GREEK OKEYISM.

WE recommend the following " authenticfacts to the notice of the deluded Showmanin Conduit-street :-

Early in August last two young Greekgirls landed at Marseilles from Smyrna.According to the testimony of credible wit.

nesses they were endowed with electricalproperties of the most wonderful nature.

Immediately on their arrival they were

visited by a crowd of spectators, includingmany learned men and professoi,s, whoassured themselves of the existence of the

following piienomeua. The girls were

placed at either extremity of a large table,but distant from it by one or two feet, ac.cording to the intensity of the electric

power with which they were at the timeimbued. After the lapse of a few minutesa crackling noise was heard, similar to thatproduced by the passage of the electricfluid through the leaves of gilt paper; thetable seemed to receive a sudden shock, andthen gradually moved from the elder towardsthe younger sister. A nail, a key, or any

piece of iron placed upon the table, imme-’ diately arrested its mysterious movement.The experiments were varied in different’ ways, but the facts observed were alwaysconsistent with the laws of electricity.Thus when glass isolators were employed,or when one of the sisters was clothed in

silk, the electrical influence was immediatelyneutralised. A professor who was present

at these experiments declared that on oneoccasion he mounted up on the table, whichcontinued to move (though more slowly) not-

withstanding his weight. - Journal des

’ Debats, Sept. 19, 1839.

ADULTERATION OF BARK.

THE present high price of cinchona barkhas given rise, in France, to an adulterationto which we think right to direct attention,as, from a similar reason, it may probablybe attempted in this country :-The bark employed in the adulteration is

the cinchona ovata, and a considerable quan-tity has been sold to the central depot ofthe Parisian hospitals. On being analysedby M. Bouchardat it was found to containa peculiar crystallisable principle, butneither quinine nor cinchonine. The cin-chona ovata may be recognised by the fol.lowing characters :-It is of a greyishcolour, mixed with pale yellow, the internalsurface of the bark being dark and con-stantly dirty looking ; it is much lighterthan the true barks, and its form is that ofa tube, from two lines to an inch in diameter,without any admixture of flat bark with it.-French Lancet, Sept. 21, 1839.