cause or one of the causes of sleepless- the entrance of the products of digesness. A well-known French scientist tion into the general circulation, to has shown that certain matters which turn back such as would prove dele-a are formed during sleep are stimulants terious, to alter and elaborate those to the nervous system, and as the tide which in a crude state might be obnoxof their production rises they finally ious, and to regulate the admission of wake the sleeping brain cells, and stim- fit and proper materials; and when ulate them into activity. On the other the function of the liver is not suffihand, the matters formed while the ciently active, or is overtaxed by the individual is active and awake, when excessive duty imposed on it under the sufficiently accumulated in the body, circumstances of over-indulgence in tend to produce sleep. But it is more the pleasures of the table, or a vitiathan probable that inactivity, especially tion of the digestive processes not so muscular disuse, interferes with the immediately under the control of the due production of the soporific matters individual, it follows that the blood bein the blood and tissues, so that in- comes overcharged with matters which somnia often results from the want of are not nutritive as they should be, a fair amount of muscular exercise. but poisonous, so that the body, instead Perhaps the most remarkable advance of being refreshed and invigorated, is in the investigation of the action of or- impoverished and weakened, all the ganic liquids, as means for the cure or organs and functions being upset in modification of disease, is the alleged consequence. Headaches, lassitude, discovery, by a Russian savant, that all nervous irritability, all the thousandthe organic liquids derived from differ-and-one ills of which the so-called nerent sources, and whose use has been advocated by his French colleagues, depend for their efficiency on a constituent which is common to them all; and it is maintained that all the beneficial effects produced by the injection of diverse organic extracts may be equally derived from a much smaller greatly facilitated by the injection of quantity of a solution containing the a ferment which shall so alter their active ingredient which is stated may chemical composition as to render them be found in every tissue of the body, easy of excretion by the organs whose but is more easily isolated from some particular function is to get rid of matthan from others. The theory that ters for which the body has no further functional disorders of the nervous use. That the substance introduced by system depend in great part on errors the Russian scientist is endowed with of digestion and on the accumulation properties which effect certain well of waste products and effete matters recognized chemical changes under acting as poisons on the nerve cells, certain conditions outside the body has which the writer has frequently had been demonstrated. Experience of the reason to believe is abundantly proved remedy in the native country of its to be unquestionably correct, would inventor has led to its employment in appear to be supported by the experi-disorders of the nervous system, bemental evidence afforded by the dis-lieved to be dependent on poisonous coverer of the substance which is conditions of the blood, with alleged asserted to be the active principle and beneficial results. It is on trial in this essential ingredient of the older prep- country, and hopes are expressed that arations. The matters which are formed a good record of utility may follow its in the digestion of food-stuffs escape employment, for it appears to rest the protective function of the liver, upon an intelligible basis. French whose duty it is to mount guard over advocates of these remedies have en vous invalid complains, may be directly traceable to the ingestion of poisonous materials replacing the properly elaborated nutritious matter which shoulde serve to build up the organism. Now, it is suggested that the elimination of these poisonous substances may be A. SYMONS ECCLES. deavored to claim for them some vital | may be used judiciously and temperproperties, and the use of such sugges-ately for the reason that the end justitions has been regarded with eyes fies the means. askance by the majority of practitioners of medicine in this country, who are inclined to place them in the same category with certain remedies of mediæval medicine-mongers savoring of the witches' broth in Macbeth, Eye of newt and toe of frog, From The Globe. BATTAMBONG AND ANGKOR. THE city of Battambong lies at a distance of about three days' march from the northern shores of Lake Foule Sape. It is situated on a small river, navigable for boats, but so narrow that the branches of the trees, on which But the Northern chemist places the stand grinning monkeys, touch the boat use of organic liquid injections outside as it progresses, while now and again a the pale of "A New Phase of Suggestive Therapeutics "" which an Italian critic has insisted is the only virtue to be discovered in the use of these rem edies. If the material prepared in the Muscovite laboratory behaves with the same vigorous chemical action within the human body as it possesses when brought in contact with certain oxidizable substances outside it, considerable results may be anticipated. The elimination of waste products, the chasing away of poisonous matters, in other words, the cleansing of the intoxicated nervous system, is a process in treatment which must result in benefit to the sufferer from the many evils consequent on the toil and trouble, hurry and scurry, of these closing years of the nineteenth century. Be the means what they may, mechanical, chemical, or some other agencies not yet within our grasp, those who are in constant attendance on the sick and sorry, who are sometimes oppressed with the crocodile, disturbed from its slumber, will plunge into its waters. Battambong could offer no adequate resistance to the French troops if, after all, it should be attacked, for its only defence is a fortified earthwork, situated on the high ground overlooking the river, to which the name of "the citadel" has been given. It is now nearly one hundred years since the province of Battambong submitted to the Siamese. have tried several times to rebel, and to Since then, however, its inhabitants become incorporated in the dominions of Annam, the king of which country was the lord of Cambodia until his troops were driven southwards to Penompenh by the Siamese. The major portion of the inhabitants of Battam bong are Cambodians. The present town dates only from the time of the capture of the province by the Siamese. The ancient town was three leagues further eastwards, on the banks of the river, which has been diverted from its course. When this town was seized sense of shortcoming and futility which ordinary methods too by the Siamese its inhabitants were often engender, may be forgiven if in their anxiety to relieve pain, to modify suffering, or to lift the cloud of mental depression, they seek the aid of "fin de siècle medicine" which may not lie strictly within the limits of ancient orthodoxy, but which, if haply the results are curative or even alleviative, 1 Macbeth. Act iv., sc. 1. carried away to Siam and to the Laos provinces. The principal part of the population of the new town was drawn district, and although they have been from Penompenh, and the neighboring under foreign dominion for a century, these people have preserved the cusconsideration in the way of taxation toms and usages of their country. The shown to them by the government of Siam, and the rich character of the present capital of the province, is an country and of the fisheries of the adja- insignificant town, and situated about cent lake, have created a state of con- fifteen miles north-north-east of the siderable prosperity in Battambong. lake. The legendary story of the overThe houses on the borders of the river throw of the empire of Cambodia at are surrounded by fine plantations of Angkor, and the subsequent desolation bananas, or are hidden in groves of of the province, is as follows: The mangoes. Behind the houses stretch king of Cambodia, who was a leper, large fields of rice. The Battambo-built Angkor Wat, the great temple, as nians are passionately fond of horse- a propitiatory offering to the gods, and racing. Ponies of great speed are to with the expectation that they would be found in Battambong. Cock and cure him of his leprosy. Finding that tortoise fighting are also favorite pas- they did not intervene, he thereupon times of the people. The latter is a advertised for a doctor to cure him. most barbarous sport. Two planks are An illustrious Brahmin turned up and fixed in a narrow place at some distance proposed a bath of aqua fortis. This from each other, with cross pieces at the king refused to enter until it had the ends. Two tortoises are placed in been tried by the physician himself. this enclosure, and are then divided The Brahmin undertook to enter it on from each other by another plank, the king promising to pour over him a which is so arranged as to leave a small certain mixture. No sooner, however, opening at the end by which each tor- had the Brahmin entered the bath than toise can get into the enclosure of the the king ordered his slaves to throw the other. Fires are then lighted on their bath and its contents into the river. backs, and the poor reptiles immedi- For this breach of faith the gods interately rush to the opening in order to fered and took away the kingdom from escape, and, meeting one another face him. The Cambodian Lake is a splento face, a fierce encounter takes place did sheet of water, about sixty miles between them. The whole province of long, and covers about a thousand Battambong is filled with ruins of an square miles. Its shores are covered unknown date. Everywhere there are with vegetation and forests of trees, extensive and marvellous remains of a beyond which rise lofty mountains, decayed empire and a vanished civiliza- which seem to touch the sky. In the tion. The ruins of Bassette are sup- middle of the lake towards its northern posed to be the remains of the summer end is a tall mast, the line of demarcapalace of the ancient sovereigns of the tion between the Siamese and Cambocountry. dian dominions. The lake swarms with fish, and the fishing is a source of great revenue. Thousands of webfooted birds of all sizes and colors cover the surface of the lake. Flocks of pelicans stand in its waters literally gorging themselves with fish; clouds of cormorants skim across its waters; while myriads of aigrettes, sitting on the branches of the trees, look like enormous balls of snow among the green. The native legends affirm that before the great catastrophe which brought in the flood of waters forming the lake a smiling city stood there in the midst of a rich and fertile plain. Old Angkor is situated to the northeast of Foule Sape, and gives its name to the province. It stands in the midst of a large and fertile plain, which is surrounded by mountains. Angkor was the ancient capital of Cambodia. This empire was so famous that its sovereign had one hundred and twenty tributary kings, an army of five million soldiers, and a royal treasury which occupied a space of several leagues. Angkor Wat is a celebrated temple, of such huge dimensions and such admirable proportions and adornment that the natives say it was the work of the king of the angels. New Angkor, the For EIGHT DOLLARS remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually for- warded for a year, free of postage. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks, and money-orders should be made |