more painful than any of the more ordinary forms of death. It might be long before the relatives of a man who had been killed by poison felt as much disgraced as they would had he been hanged. Moreover, frequent repetition has made this form of death sufficiently familiar to take hold of the popular imagination. Men who are tempted to murder can call up before their mental vision all the circumstances of the gallows; and where the imagination is sluggish, this is in itself a considerable advantage.-Spectator.

"A FAMILY DOCTOR ON SUPPERS.-But as

to suppers: I have always been of the opinion that slops are bad. I have not the slightest doubt that my readers will bear testimony to the truth of what I say from their own personal experience. A fluid supper generates acid, and it is ten times worse if beer is to be partaken with it. Beer and milk food, or soup, would ruin any digestion. No; let the little you do take be solid, and easy of digestion ; an egg that has been pretty well boiled and allowed to get cold, with a slice of cold toast and butter, is a simple supper, but one that agrees. Meat should not be eaten, nor, as a rule, fish. In fact, supper should really be an off-put, if one has dined fairly well. The food we eat during the day—its quantity and its quality -has a very great deal more to do than most people think with the kind of sleep we obtain at night and the amount thereof; and the kind of sleep is of far more importance than its actual amount. Disturbed, restless, or dreamful sleep is not refreshing, no matter how much thereof we obtain. Even pleasant dreams

destroy the good effects of sleep. Now, leaving heart complaints out of the question, I have always observed, then, that species of com

tain powers enabling them to make provision for the purpose of protecting milk from contamination; and persons affected with any contagious disease, or who have recently been in contact with persons so affected, are not allowed by the law to handle milk vessels or engage in the work of a dairy. Outbreaks of diphtheria, enteric fever, and scarlatina have over and over again been traced to the use of milk which had become contaminated with the germs of those diseases, through the agency of persons or things which at the time were infected, or in which some of the specific virus existed. No hesitation can be experienced in admitting the probability of milk, among other things, becoming charged with infective matter, and thus being a contagion carrier. A very serious question has been of late years raised from time to time in connection with the facts above stated, in reference to the possi bility of there being some relation between diseases of the cow and certain contagious diseases of man. In the spring of 1882 the possibility of the existence of some relation between inflammation of the udder of the cow

(garget) and diphtheria in man was discussed. On June 3, 1882, we remarked, in regard to this idea, that outbreaks of diphtheria in a district had been traced to the consumption of milk from a particular dairy; and, as no cases of the disease had been known to occur among any of the persons concerned with the dairy, or employed in the distribution of the milk, under these circumstances it was surmised that there might be some unknown or unrecognized state of the system of the cow, which so changed the character of the milk that it ac

quired the power of inducing diphtheria in per

sons who partook of it. Last winter the idea was revived in a more positive form in connec

with partial congestion of the lining membrane of the digestive organs, whether in whole or in part, is invariably accompanied by restlessness and disturbed sleep. The restlessness by day takes the form of nervousness and excitability; but by night there are often frightful dreams. Well, would not some portions of indigestible food lying about the system be likely to produce the same nocturnal symptoms? I leave my readers to meditate upon the question, and answer it for themselves. — Cassell's Family Magazine.

MILK-SCARLATINA.-There is nothing new in the statement that milk may be a carrier of infective matter. The fact is recognized by the Legislature, and local authorities have cer

let fever in South Marleybone, St. Pancras, St. John's Wood, Hampstead, and Hendon, apparently associated with the milk which was

supplied from a dairy at Hendon. Some of

the particulars appeared at the time in several agricultural papers. An inquiry was commenced by the Local Government Board, and a very interesting and elaborate, not to say startling, report has just been issued, contain

ing the results of the investigation. The facts which were collected during the inquiry are the following. In December last outbreaks of scarlet fever occurred in Hendon, Hampstead, St. Pancras, and South Marley bone. All these districts, and in addition St. John's Wood, had received a supply of milk from a dairy farm at

Hendon. St. John's Wood remained free from fever at the date of the inquiry. All the districts named were also supplied with milk from other places. For example, in South Marleybone, where scarlet fever was severe, the daily supply of Hendon milk was 63 gallons, of other milk 10 gallons. In Hampstead, where fever was not nearly so bad, 18 gallons of Hendon milk were distributed, to 23 gallons of other milk. In St. Pancras, where comparatively few people were attacked, 6 or 7 gallons of Hendon milk were used, to 45 gallons of other milk. In St. John's Wood, which altogether escaped fever up to the date of the inquiry, there were 20 gallons of Hendon milk to 4 gallons of other milk distributed daily. In Hendon, where only two families had fever, I or 2 gallons of Hendon milk, and no other milk, were supplied daily. It may be remarked here that the inquiry was limited to the Hendon farm, and did not extend to the other sources of milk supply. No external source of contamination of milk with the virus of scarlet fever was detected during the inquiry, and from this negative evidence the inquirers originate the astounding hypothesis, "That the cows themselves must have had something or other to do with any scarlatina which had been distributed along with their milk." This was the proposition to be examined, and during further investigation on the dairy farm it was ascertained that certain fresh cows from Derby market (four in number) were brought on to the farm in the middle of November. One of these cows became affected with an eruption on the teats and udder. Dr. Kleine considered this affection to be a constitutional one, probably capable of transmission from cow to cow. Later on a large number of the cows became affected, and in January the disease extended to the cows in the shed from which the milk supply of St. John's Wood was derived, and then scarlatina appeared in that district, ceasing when the milk from Hendon was withheld. Such is the history of the case as it presents itself to us in a condensed form; and the conclusion which has been drawn from the evidence seems to be that an eruptive disease of the udder of the cow (a very common disease, by-the-by) may be associated with some derangement of the constitution, not indicated, it is said, by any ordinary signs of illness, such as loss of appetite and diminished secretion of milk, but nevertheless of a nature so malignant that the milk of the cow which to the experienced eye of the farmer or the cowman is in perfect health, may infect the human

system with a deadly and infectious disease. At present we have no more to say, but it is not likely that stockowners all over the world will consider such a staggering proposition to have been demonstrated.-Field.

out.

TRUQUAGE. Truquage, although a term probably unfamiliar to many of our readers, nevertheless deserves to rank among the finer arts of modern civilization, such is the industry and skill and ingenuity with which it is carried Burns's cotter mother was chiefly admirable for the skill with which she "gar'd auld things look maist as well as new," but the truqueur devotes himself, on the contrary, to the art of making new things look quite as good as old. The connoisseur in furniture of the present day is well aware that, for certain important qualities of soundness, good workmanship, and good taste, that the "old is better," with valid reason also for his opinion. But the crowd, who have neither his leisure, his knowledge, or his experience, naturally fall into the hands of the scientific experts of truquage, an easy prey to the spoiler. M. Eudel, who has written much and wisely upon this subject in the French press, and has become in consequence a terror to the dealers in sham antiquity, has deigned to enlighten the intelligence of would-be buyers as to sundry mysteries of the trade. The stock-in-trade of the French truqueur and his English congener quite as expert as he-need not be large.

Walnut juice-which gives an agreeable mellowness of tone-and nitric acid are neither of them expensive. The latter imitates pretty closely the ravages of ants, and holes bored with a fine auger easily give the worm-eaten appearance which appeals to the lover of the antique in carved furniture. The writer was informed by a workman's wife that her husband was one of those solely employed in the boring or auger business; but in Paris live worms are kept to do the work, and do it even better, and to order, which is more surprising. New oak can be stained by a solution of old iron in hot vinegar, which darkens it to a deeper tone; it is then carefully oiled and polished. The price demanded, however, is such that "bargains" can be boasted of by the inexperienced, while really fine work always commands its value in the open market. The unhappy pieces of furniture which have to date from the sixteenth century are severely beaten with heavy bludgeons, which serves to give them the worn appearance necessary to three centuries of existence. A common de

vice is to paint the panels of cupboards, roughly carved on the premises, with white paint; they are then dried in the sun, and, after keeping some months, are washed in potash, which removes the paint in patches, and the exquisite finish of the carving beneath is apt to be taken for granted by the buyer, who is aware that in the last century much good panelling was thus painted, and preserved to our generation in consequence in all its pristine freshness of cutting and outline. Buhl of a very ordinary description is ornamented by French dealers with brass scroll work, after the designs of Gilot, who succeeded Buhl. Those who can be taken in by these mechanical reproductions must be left to their fate. In porcelain and faïence one can only say caveat emptor, so clever are the tricks by which even the learned are deceived. At Cage's manufactory at Versailles the faïence de Nevers is reproduced to perfection; but here all is fair and open dealing. If the buyer prefers his purchase antique," M. Cage will

bake it for him until the glaze crackles. It is further mellowed in a manure heap, and a slight extra charge is imposed. The special marks of favorite potters are easily imitated and as much pains is taken with the spurious ware, with intent to deceive, as would suffice to give value to real specimens. The character of the early decoration is carefully preserved -the even white of the Moustiers ware; the dead, dull white of the Marseillaise; and the careful finish of the old Delft potters. At Venice the reproduction of the old palatial furniture is a thriving industry, and the same at Florence; but it possesses little or no artistic value. The ebony is black stained wood; the stipi are bone, and not ivory; the shapes and patterns are, however, carefully copied, and the prices are not excessive, and good patterns are a distinct gain in furniture; but the modern production will not have the lasting qualities of the old. Ivory triptychs are manufactured at Versailles. The golden tint is gained by boiling in oil, then plunging into boiling water, and drying before a hot fire, which cracks the ivory to perfection. These require a very skilled eye to detect, as the carving is often meritorious. Even works of the highest art do not escape the truqueur. Clodion, the late eminent French sculptor, discovered that a group bearing his signature had been sold for 4,500 francs. Legal proceedings were instituted accordingly. It was brought to light that the work in question was due to one Lebroc, who had made it his study to imi

tate Clodion. Nevertheless, three eminent judges-Millet, Chapú, and Guillaume-after careful examination, and in spite of the signature, decided that, in their opinion, it was not the handling of Clodion. So the sales were annulled, and damages were not allowed by the courts. Clodion's real name was Michel, and some of his earlier and finest works are thus signed. The arts of truquage extend themselves even to literature. As long ago as the seventeenth century we find the printers of Lyons and Rouen simulating princeps editions of Racine and Molière. The type, the paper, the colophons, all being reproduced with unscrupulous accuracy, and then palmed of as genuine upon the unwary purchaser. The manufacture still prospers, aided with the photogravure processes and the arts of facsimile. So also are old letters and autographs successfully floated, signed by Cardinal de Retz or Colbert, or whom you please, fetching a good price, and almost challenging scrutiny. The history of the Shaphira forgeries of the Pentateuch are fresh in the recollection of our readers. They were offered at the modest price of one million sterling. So also the famous vernis Martin can still be bought at Paris, very like, but still not genuine; and clever painters, whose work is as good as Lancret's, can be found to figure as Watteaus with no mean success. But at present the secret of the real Martin vernis remains as impenetrable as it is exquisite. In buying old oak furniture, the buyer should notice the presence or absence of the "ties," or cross-bars near the floor, which are invariable in the construction of the seventeenth-century joiners. The forger is apt to forget this, and thus himself to brand the work as spurious. Decoration was formerly the proper art of a guild of Florentine artists in the fourteenth century. Painters, jewellers, engravers, and metal workers lived in a happy state of co-operative harmony, so that a coffer or casket might bear the successive impress of many clever hands; as the enamel, the setting, the lock, the jewel work, would each be executed by an artistcraftsman, skilled as Dello, or Cellini, or Ghiberti. It will scarcely do to contrast the revived mode of painting on furniture, as we behold it in the shops, with this delicate and masterly work. Yet many of our young painters might be worse employed than in spending real thought, and putting real good work, on articles of daily use, which we have come to regard as necessarily ugly because utilitarian. -Queen.

I.

TAINE's real name is Hippolyte Adolphe Taine, but he is usually called "Henri Taine," which he himself, in a letter to me, attributes to a whim of the Editor of the Revue des Deux Mondes. He was born on the 21st of April, 1828, at Vouziers, a small town between Champagne and the Ardennes. His family may be counted among the intellectual aristocracy of France; all were well educated and also in fairly prosperous circumstances, though not exactly rich. Some were members of the Chamber of Deputies; his grandfather was Souspréfet. His father, a very learned man, taught Hippolyte Latin; an uncle, who had resided for a long time in America, made him familiar with the English language. All that was English fascinated him from an early period; even as a boy he found delight in reading books NEW SERIES-VOL. XLIV., No. 3

in the language of Shakespeare. While French novels were forbidden fruit to the young people, foreign literature was thrown open to them without any restrictions, and their elders rejoiced when a youth showed a disposition to acquaint himself in this way with the languages of other countries. Our hero devoted himself to the study of English classics, and thus at an early age laid the foundation of the accurate knowledge of English literature to which he afterward owed a large amount of his celebrity.

The promising boy was only thirteen when he lost his father. A year later his mother brought him to Paris, where she at first placed him as boarder in an excellent private school. Not long after he entered the Collège de Bourbon (now Lycée de Condorcet), where he distinguished himself above all his schoolfellows by ripeness of intelligence, by industry and success. At the same time

19

he was the constant object of tender care and unremitting watchfulness on the part of his admirable mother, a woman of warm affections, who did all in her power to bestow a thorough education on her children. In the year 1847 he obtained the first prize for a Latin essay on rhetoric, in 1848 two prizes for philosophical treatises. These achieve ments threw open to him the doors of the so-called Normal School, a kind of seminary in which the pupils were trained for professional chairs in the universities. This higher preparatory course of study is, however, utilized by many only as a stepping-stone to a literary career. Many celebrated writers were Taine's colleagues at the Normal School; Edmond About, Prévost-Paradol, J. J. Weiss, Francisque Sarceythese all were professors only for a short time, and soon embraced definitely the career of literature and journalism.

At the Normal School,* which Taine attended for three years, the soundness of his judgment and solidity of his intelligence met with universal recognition. His companions bowed before his superiority, did not venture to address him otherwise than as "Monsieur Taine,' and called him in as umpire in their quarrels. He had the wonderful gift of being able to study more in a week than others in a month. As the pupils were free to read what they pleased, he devoted the leisure obtained by his rapid work to the study of philosophy, theology, and the Fathers. He went through all the more valuable authors on these topics, and discussed with his colleagues the questions which arose out of them. It was one of his enjoyments to test them, to ascertain their ideas and to penetrate into their minds. The method of instruction pursued in the college was admirably calculated to stimulate the intellectual activity of the students. Ample nourishment was provided for the mental energies of the ardent youths. The debates were carried on with the greatest freedom, every question was submitted to the touchstone of reason, and worked out according to the requirements of logic. Day by day the most varied opinions, political, æsthetic, * For the description of the then life at this school I am principally indebted to Mr. W. Fraser Rae's biographical sketch of Taine.

and philosophical, came into collision in these youthful circles, without any restrictions imposed by the liberal professors, among whom were such men as Jules Simon and Vacherot. On the contrary, they encouraged the utmost freedom of expression in the enunciation of individual views. Their own system of teaching was not so much in the form of lectures as of discussions with the students, who themselves had to deliver orations, followed by a general debate, at the close of which the professors gave a résumé of all that had been said. Thus Taine had once to read a paper on Bossuet's mysticism, About one on his politics. Due attention was also given to physical exercise; there were frequent open-air excursions and occasional dances in the evening in the domestic circle, one of the students acting as musician. It is needless to say that under such circumstances as these the years spent in the Ecole Normale sped on pleasantly and profitably. The advantages of the intellectual gymnastics as practised there were enormous, and far outweighed the slight drawbacks, such as a tendency to hyperbole observable in the élite of those who issued from that fertile, effervescent, genuinely French mode of education. But none of the pupils of the Normal School did it so much honor as Taine, who had the good fortune to be there at precisely the right time, for after his departure in the year 1851 the establishment suffered an organic transformation in the opposite direction. The collegians had imbibed so strong a feeling of intellectual independence that it was not to be wondered at if they were little inclined to bear the yoke of spiritual oppression. Unfortunately, the times upon which they had fallen were not propitious to freedom of thought, for the uncle's nephew' was at the helm. The third Napoleon had attained the goal by the aid of the clergy, and was bound to give them the promised reward. The

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strong hand of the Buonapartist government did its utmost to chicane those whose ideas were not acceptable in high places. Any one who, when put to a certain test, was ready to sign a political and religious confession of faith consonant with the views of the reigning powers, obtained an easy and lucrative