animal bitten is sufficient to prevent the effect of the poison; the little finger of the left hand is opened by a needle or lancet, and a small quantity of blood being received is drank, sometimes being previously mixed with other things. The country people in Dr. Stockman's neighbourhood, when a dog of theirs is bitten by a rabid animal, cut his tail to make it bleed, and the dog by licking it saves himself from death.

The paper of Dr. Rittmeister is published in the 2d Number of the Hamburgh Medical Repository.

3. Russian Remedy for Hydrophobia.

"Take a good sized root of Alisma plantago and two or three small ones, pound or reduce them all into a very fine powder, which spread on a piece of buttered bread, and give to the patient. Two doses, or three at most, are sufficient to eradicate the virulency of the poison, let it be ever so violent, even if the patient be already in the worst state, so as to be afraid of water. The efficacy of this root cures also animals bitten by mad dogs, and even mad dogs themselves. During the last 25 years this remedy has not once failed, but has uniformly been a sure means of successfully restoring every person to their former health without any bad consequences afterward, even those who from the violence of the poison rushed upon people and bit them; which facts are particularly ascertained in the government of Tsola.

The plant may be gathered during the whole of the summer, but it operates more efficaciously if gathered at the latter end of August, the roots of it being taken up and washed clean from mud or other earthy matter, must be dried." (Translated from the Russian, as communicated in a letter to Sir Walter Farquhar.)

GENERAL LITErature, and MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNI

CATIONS.

1. Ancient Manuscripts.

A Neapolitan Abbé, Janelli, has discovered in the Royal Library at Naples, a manuscript of Dracontius, a poet of the 5th century. It contains ten small poems, hitherto unknown, upon mythological subjects.

2. Ancient Tomb.

In clearing the site for the erection of a new church at Dunfermline, a tomb has been discovered, which is supposed to be that of Robert Bruce, King of Scotland. A trough of polished stone contains the skeleton. The body, which is six feet two inches in length, appears to have been wrapped in fine damask interwoven with gold, of which some fragments remain.

3. Ancient Subterranean Apartments.

About the middle of February, some men in the employment of Sir W. Hicks, Bart., while digging up the roots of an old ash-tree, which they were employed to fell, at Cooper's hill, about four miles from Gloucester, came to a large stone that excited their curiosity. On removing it, they discovered a flight of steps leading to an apartment, in the centre of which was a cistern about a yard square; in clearing the room, the skulls of a buffalo and a bullock, with horns complete, and the remains of a fire-place, with a quantity of wood ashes were likewise found. A fortnight afterward, four more apartments were discovered, in one of which is a curious tesselated pavement (the tessera are cubes of about half an inch,) also the remains of several urns and figured tiles of Roman pottery. The walls of one of the apartments, and also the passages, are painted in fresco, with alternate stripes of purple, yellow, and scarlet, all of which are beautifully shaded and curiously ornamented with scrolls and a border. These inter

esting remains of antiquity have probably existed for upwards of 17 centuries.

4. Site of the Temple of Concord at Rome.

The site of the ancient Temple of Concord at Rome, appears at last to be fixed with a considerable degree of probability. The Abbé Carlofea, in the Diario Romano, supposes it to have existed in the middle of the place which is before the Temple of Jupiter Tonnant, i. e. between the Arch of Septimus Severus and the Capitol. His proofs are besides the occurrence of many sculptured remains, various inscriptions which have been found on the spot relating to the temple; and he still farther supports his opinion, by showing its accordance with the descriptions given of that temple by ancient writers.

5. Ancient Model of Measures.

A model has been discovered at Pompeii, which served to fix the measures both for solids and fluids. It consists of larger and smaller cylinders, with inscriptions. There is an inscription on the outside of the stone which states, that it was made by order of the Decemvirs. M. Romanelli has recognized the measures, mentioned by the Roman authors, under the names of Modius, Semimodius, Trimodius, Amphora, Congius, Hemina, Libra, and Quartarius. This valuable relic is deposited in the Museum at Portici.

6. Ancient Coin.

An ancient gold coin was some little time since found by a labourer in Holland Park. It is in excellent preservation, is considered as a British coin, and supposed to be from the mint of Cassibelan or Cunobelin, a monarch who reigned about 50 years before the Christian era. The impression on it is that of an ear of corn. It is the property of Mr. P. Turner of Easthothly, who a short time since possessed a similar coin, found in the same place.

7. Haches de Pierre.

There have been found in France, at various times, particu- .

larly in the departments of Indre and Loire, and de la Vienne, certain implements formed of stone, which have been called haches de pierre. M. Dutrochet describes their form as being that of an acute isosceles triangle, having the summit removed, and the base being formed into a cutting edge. Their length is from 5 to 8 inches, their width from 2 to 4 inches, and they appear to have been formed by friction on a larger rough stone. The stone of which they are formed is generally siliceous, a white opaque quartz, but some are of basalt, and a very few of jasper; and it is to be observed, that the two latter substances are not found naturally in the department of Indre and Loire, where the implements formed of them are most frequently met with.

From the absence of all asperity or projection on the surface of these haches, it is concluded that they were not furnished with handles, but held immediately in the hand. They are supposed to have been used for domestic purposes as well as in war. Historical information retraces the state of this country as far back as to the foundation of Marseilles, by the Phocéens, in the year 590 B. C. an interval of more than 2400 years from the present time; but as the Gauls are supposed to have been to a certain degree civilized at that time, so much so as to have had a knowledge of the metals, and their applications to the formation of useful instruments, and missile weapons, the age of these ancient stone implements is supposed to be at least 3000 years.

8. Commerce.

The following extraordinary exportation (deduced from a calculation) in two articles only, has taken place at Liverpool, between the 10th of October and the 5th of January last:

The amount of exports for these two months in these articles alone, averaging cottons at one shilling per yard, and stockings at two shillings per pair, is 1,279,791 pounds three shillings.

9. On the Use of Salt in feeding Cattle.

Lord Somerville attributes the health of his flock of 203 Merino sheep, which he purchased in Spain, principally to the use which he has made of salt for the last seven years on his farm: These sheep having been accustomed to the use of salt in their native land, his Lordship considered, that in this damp climate, and in the rich land of Somersetshire, it would be absolutely necessary to supply them with it regularly. A ton of salt is used annually for every 1000 sheep; a handful is put in the morning, on a flat stone or slate, ten of which set a few yards apart are enough for 100 sheep. Twice a week has been usually found sufficient. Of a flock of near 1000, there were not ten old sheep which did not take kindly to it, and not a single lamb which did not consume it greedily. Salt is likewise a preventive of disorders in stock fed with rank green food, as clover or turnips, and it is deemed a specific for the rot.

10. Lithovasa.

The Oolite, or freestone found at Bath, is very soft and porous, is easily penetrated by, and absorbs a considerable quantity of, water. It has of late been formed into wine-coolers and butter-jars in place of the common biscuit ware, and from the facility with which the water passes through it, so as to admit of evaporation at the surface, it succeeds very well. The most ingenious application of this stone is in the formation of circular pyramids, having a number of grooves cut one above the other on its surface; these pyramids are soaked in water, and a small hole made in the centre filled; salad seed is then sprinkled in the grooves, and being supplied with water from the stone, vegetates, and in the course of some days produces a crop of salad ready to be placed on the table. The hole should be filled with water daily, and when one crop is plucked, the seeds are brushed out and another sown. They are sold at 448, Strand.

11. African Expedition.

A letter from Sierra Leone, mentions the return to that place of the scientific expedition for exploring the interior of Africa.