child under their charge, the smallest article contrary to the directions given by the parents. They that do nothing which needs concealment are always safe, and at ease in their own mind. Above all they may trust in the favour and protection of Almighty God. To be continued.

The Progress of Genius

FROM OBSCURE AND LOW SITUATIONS, TO EMINENCE AND CELEBRITY.

"Genius is that gift of God which learning cannot confer, which no disadvantages of birth or education can wholly obscure."

PETER ANTHONY MICHELI,

AN eminent botanist, was born of mean parentage; and he became errand boy to a bookseller.

Being fond of fishing, and told of a plant which had the quality of stupifying fishes, he had the curiosity to examine it. Some monks of the Abbey of Valombrosa, perceiving his genius, took him under their instruction.

In process of time MICHELI became associate with TILLY in the superintendance of the botanic garden at Pisa, director of that at Florence, and botanist to the grand-duke, and was the author of a number of works.

PHILIP MILLER

The celebrated English botanist, was near fifty years gardener to the Apothecaries' Company, at their physic garden at Chelsea.

He was the author of the "Gardener's Dictionary," and other works, and allowed to be the best writer on gardening in the kingdom. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society and Botanical Academy at Florence. He corresponded with LINNEUS, and before his death was honoured with the acquaintance and correspondence of the connoisseurs in his favourite science, all over Europe and America.

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ECONOMICAL RECEIPTS.

Economy in Medicine, or valuable concise Rules for pre serving Health in Winter.

KEEP the feet from wet, and the head well defended when in bed; avoid too plentiful meals; drink moderately warm and generous, but not inflaming liquors; go not abroad without breakfast. Shun the night air as you would the plague; and let your houses be kept from damps by warm fires. By observing these few and simple rules, better health may be expected than from the use of the most powerful medicines

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Frosted Potatoes.

IN page 331, Vol. I. we inserted a remedy for Frost-bitten Potatoes; the following has lately appeared in some of the newspapers, and may be of consequence for families to know at this time, when so many of those useful esculents have been injured by the late severe frost.-After paring or scraping let them lie in water an hour, and then boil them with a bit of saltpetre, which is said to take the sweetness quite

away.

USEFUL INFORMATION.

ACCIDENTS FROM SUFFOCATION. Suffocation by Strangling.

IN hanging, the external veins of the neck are compressed by the cord, and the return of the blood from the head thereby impeded, from the moment that suspension ́takes place; but as the heart continues to act for a few seconds after the wind-pipe is closed, the blood which is sent to the head during this interval, is necessarily accumulated there. Hence it is, that in hanged persons the face is greatly swollen and of a dark red or purple colour; the eyes are commonly suffused with blood, enlarged, and prominent.

From the great accumulation of blood in the vessels of the head, many have been of opinion, that hanging kills chiefly by inducing apoplexy; but it has, however, been clearly proven, that in hanging, as well as in drowning, the exclu sion of air from the lungs is the immediate cause of death. From which it appears, that the same measures recommended for drowned persons, are also necessary here; with

this addition, that opening the jugular veins, or applying cupping-glasses to the neck, will tend considerably to facilitate the restoration of life, by lessening the quantity of blood contained in the vessels of the head, and thereby taking off the pressure from the brain. Except in persons who are very full of blood, the quantity taken away need seldom exceed an ordinary tea cupful, which will, in general, be sufficient to unload the vessels of the head, without weakening the powers of life.

Smothering from confinement under Bed-Clothes.

FROM inattention, and other causes, young children are frequently smothered in beds and cradles. When this happens, without their having been bruised by overlaying, &c. the functions of life are suspended merely from the want of vital air. The vital organs are found to have sustained no particular injury; the lungs are collapsed, and the right cavity of the heart, and the large vessels belonging to it. are distended with blood..

If the body be hotter than is natural (which is often the case), it should be exposed to a current of air, and sprinkled with cold water. The lungs should be immediately inflated, and the body afterwards treated as in the case of drowned persons.

Suffocation endangered by Substances stopping betwixt the Mouth

and Stomach.

> IF the matter detained within the gullet, is of an alimentary or harmless nature, it may then safely be pushed down by means of a heated and oiled wax-candle, to render it flexible*. .

On the contrary, if the substances swallowed are indigestible, such as pins, needles, pieces of bone, glass, buckles or other pointed bodies, immediate attempts should be made to extract them: When they have not descended too low, the fingers will frequently be sufficient to reach and withdraw them, but if they be deeper within the gullet, other means must be instantly adopted; as delay may prove fatal. For this purpose, the most simple instrument is a crotchet, or a kind of hook, made of smooth and thin iron wire, by bending it into an oblong ring at one end, reflecting the wire to the top, and forming a large handle: thus, no pointed part will injure

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the

Or a piece of whale-bone, wire, or flexible wood, with a bit of sponge at the end of it.

the throat by introducing the hook; and there will be no danger of its slipping from the operator's hand.

As, however, the construction of such a crotchet requires some ingenuity; and as wires may not always be at hand, there is another more simple and expeditious method of procuring relief, (when the substance does not fill up the whole passage) by means of a small piece of dry sponge, or tough meat, which should be fastened to a fine silken or linen tape, so that after swallowing the sponge or meat, it may again be gradually extracted. Thus we have frequently seen pins, or sharp pieces of bone, removed without farther inconvenience. In order to facilitate the operation, a little lukewarm milk or water should be swallowed by the patient, before the string is withdrawn from the throat.

If, however, none of these expedients prove successful, it will be necessary either to administer an emetic, consisting of half a dram of ipecacuanha in powder, to be taken in a draught; or, if the patient be unable to swallow, to excite vomiting by stimulating his throat with a feather dipped in sweet oil; and, if this attempt likewise be ineffectual, a clyster, made by boiling one ounce of tobacco in three quarters of a pint of water, and then straining the decoction, should be given in dangerous cases.

After these remedies have been fairly tried, no other prospect remains of saving the patient's life, than by opening the wind-pipe, an operation which, in the hands of a skilful surgeon, is neither difficult, nor painful to the person threatened with suffocation*.

APOPLEXY, Symptoms and Treatment.

WHEN attacked with this sudden disease, the patient is to all appearance dead, sense and motion are stopped, though in general, the heart and lungs continue to move.The usual forerunners of an apoplexy are, giddiness; pain and swimming of the head; loss of memory; drowsiness; noise in the ears ; the night mare, and laborious respiration. When persons of an apoplectic make observe these symptoms, they have reason to dread the approach of a fit, and should endeavour to prevent it by bleeding, a slender diet, and opening medicines-In cases of apoplexy all that should be done, till medical aid arrives, is as follows:-Every method must be

* In this, as well as in other species of accidents, which may be attended with fatal consequences, a professional gentleman should be always sent for with the least possible delay.

be taken to lessen the force of the circulation towards the head, the patient should be kept perfectly easy and cool, his head to be raised pretty high, and his feet suffered to hang down; his clothes ought to be loosened, and fresh air admitted into his chamber; his garters should be tied pretty tight, by which means the motion of the blood from the lower extremities will be retarded.—All applications of spirits or other strong liquors must be avoided-Volatile salts held to the nose, do mischief. Emetics must not be given.—If inclined to sweat, it may be promoted by pouring into the mouth a small quantity of wine whey.-In some cases, a plentiful sweat, kept up for a considerable time has carried off a serious apoplexy.

PALSY.

Of all the affections called nervous, this is the most suddenly fatal, and is more or less dangerous, according to the importance of the parts affected; it is accompanied with a loss of sense or motion, or of both, in one or more parts of the body. The patient, if young, should be bled, blistered, and have purgative medicines administered, but if advanced in life, a contrary mode must be adopted, which the state of the patient will readily point out to the medical person who attends-In a convalescent state, persons affected with palsy should take as much exercise as their strength will permit; keeping themselves warm with flannels, &c. carefully avoiding every thing chilly or damp.

Convulsions and Epilepsy.

WHATEVER greatly irritates or stimulates the nerves may occasion convulsions; children are particularly liable to them, at the period of teething, small pox, measles, and other eruptive diseases; sometimes also from external causes, such as strait clothes, bandages, &c. When they proceed from any of these, bathing the feet in warm water, and administering a mild clyster, will almost immediately relieve them.-In cases of epilepsy or falling sickness, medical aid should be instantly resorted to, as they differ so materially that it is scarcely possible to give any general rules of conduct. Epileptic patients ought to take considerable exercise, avoid all extremes of heat and cold, all dangerons situations, as standing upon precipices, riding deep waters, and such like, as they frequently bring on the fit.