The Handy Cyclopedia of Things Worth Knowing Part 76

On motion for orders of the day, "Will the house now proceed to the orders of the day?" This, if carried, supersedes intervening motions.

When an objection is raised to considering questions, "Shall the question be considered?" Objections may be made by any member before debate has commenced, but not subsequently.

LETTER COMBINATIONS.

When King Stanislaus of Poland, then a young man, came back from a journey, the whole Lescinskian House gathered together at Lissa to receive him. The schoolmaster, Jablowsky, prepared a festival in commemoration of the event, and had it end with a ballet performed by thirteen students, dressed as cavaliers. Each had a s.h.i.+eld, upon which one of the letters of the words "Domus Lescinia" (The Lescinskian House) was written in gold. After the first dance, they stood in such a manner that their s.h.i.+elds read "Domus Lescinia"; after the second dance, they changed order, making it read, "Ades incolumnis" (Unharmed art thou here); after the third. "Mane sidus loci" (Continue the star of this place); after the fourth, "Sis coumna Dei" (Be a pillar of G.o.d); and finally, "I! scade solium!" (Go! ascend the throne). Indeed, these two words allow of 1,556,755,200 transpositions; yet that five of them convey independent and appropriate meanings is certainly very curious.

POINTS OF CRIMINAL LAW.

You cannot lawfully condone an offence by receiving back stolen property,

The exemption of females from arrest applies only in civil, not in criminal matters.

Every man is bound to obey the call of a sheriff for a.s.sistance in making an arrest.

The rule "Every man's house is his castle" does not hold good when a man is accused of crime.

Embezzlement can be charged only against a clerk or servant, or the officer or agent of a corporation.

Bigamy cannot be proven in law if one party to a marriage has been absent and not heard from for five years.

Grand larceny is when the value of property stolen exceeds $25.00--When less than that, the offence is pet.i.t larceny.

Arson to be in the first degree must have been committed at night and the buildings fired must have been inhabited.

Drunkenness is not a legal excuse for crime, but delirium tremens is considered by the law as a species of insanity.

In a case of a.s.sault it is only necessary to prove an "offer or attempt at a.s.sault."

Battery presumes physical violence.

Mayhem, although popularly supposed to refer to injury to the face, lip, tongue, eye, or ear, applies to any injury done a limb.

A felony is a crime punishable by imprisonment in a State prison; an "infamous" crime is one punishable with death or State prison.

A police officer is not authorized to make an arrest without a warrant unless he has personal knowledge of the offense for which the arrest is made.

An accident is not a crime, unless criminal carelessness can be proven.

A man shooting at a burglar and killing a member of his family is not a murderer.

Burglary in the first degree can be committed only in the night time.

Twilight, if dark enough to prevent distinguis.h.i.+ng a man's face, is the same as "night" in law.

Murder to be in the first degree must be willful, premeditated and malicious, or committed while the murderer is engaged in a felonious act. The killing of a man in a duel is murder, and it is a misdemeanor to accept or give a challenge.

False swearing is perjury in law only when willfully done, and when the oath has been legally administered. Such qualifying expressions as "to the best of my belief," "as I am informed," may save an averment from being perjured. The law is that the false statement sworn to must be absolute. Subornation of perjury is a felony.

TO TELL PURE WATER.

The color, odor, taste and purity of water can be ascertained as follows: Fill a large bottle made of colorless gla.s.s with water; look through the water at some black object. Pour out some of the water and leave the bottle half full; cork the bottle and place it for a few hours in a warm place; shake up the water, remove the cork, and critically smell the air contained in the bottle. If it has any smell, particularly if the odor is repulsive, the water should not be used for domestic purposes. By heating the water an odor is evolved that would not otherwise appear. Water fresh from the well is usually tasteless, even if it contains a large amount of putrescible organic matter. All water for domestic purposes should be perfectly tasteless, and remain so even after it has been warmed, since warming often develops a taste in water which is tasteless when cold.

HAND GRENADES.

Take chloride of calcium, crude, 20 parts; common salt, 5 parts; and water, 75 parts. Mix and put in thin bottles. In case of fire, a bottle so thrown that it will break in or very near the fire will put it out.

This mixture is better and cheaper than many of the high-priced grenades sold for the purpose of fire protection.

HOW TO GET RID OF RATS.

Get a piece of lead pipe and use it as a funnel to introduce about 1-1/2 ounces of sulphite of pota.s.sium into any outside holes tenanted by rats.

Not to be used in dwellings. To get rid of mice use tartar emetic mingled with any favorite food; they will eat, sicken and take their leave.

FRIENDLY ADVICE ON MANY SUBJECTS.

Tomato in Bright's Disease.

When Thomas Jefferson brought the tomato from France to America, thinking that if it could be induced to grow bountifully it might make good feed for hogs, he little dreamed of the benefit he was conferring upon posterity. A constant diet of raw tomatoes and skim-milk is said to be a certain cure for Bright's disease. Gen. Schenck, who, when Minister to England, became a victim to that complaint, was restored to health by two years of this regimen.

Relief for Asthma.

An old friend of the editor of this book writes: "I have been a sufferer from asthma for twenty-five years, and for more than a dozen years have used the following recipe with great benefit. It is not a cure, but in my case gives almost instant relief. Take equal parts of powdered stramonium leaves and powdered belladonna leaves and mix thoroughly; to each ten ounces of the mixture add one ounce of powdered saltpeter (nitrate of potash); mix all thoroughly. I always keep some of this in a small tin box. When I wish to use it I pour a little of the powder into the cover of the box, light it with a match, cover the whole with a little paper cone with the point cut off. I place the point of the cone in my mouth, and breathe the smoke into my lungs with the air. The first trial is very hard; it almost strangles, but if persevered in will give great relief. This is much better than stramonium alone. The saltpeter makes it burn freely, and also helps to give relief. When my home was in Northern Indiana, I used to buy the leaves in Chicago already powdered.

Now I send to New York. I find it cheaper to do this than to gather and dry the leaves. It is also almost impossible to dry and pulverize the leaves at home. By using a paper cone and breathing through it, little or no smoke is wasted, and the box and paper can be carried in the pocket and used as occasion requires."

For Swollen Feet.

Policemen, mail carriers, and others whose occupation keeps them on their feet a great deal, often are troubled with chafed, sore and blistered feet, especially in extremely hot weather, no matter how comfortably their shoes may lit. A powder is used in the German army for sifting into the shoes and stockings of the foot soldiers, called "Fusstreupulver," and consists of 3 parts salicylic acid, 10 parts starch and 87 parts pulverized soapstone.

Rules for Fat People and for Lean.

To increase the weight: Eat to the extent of satisfying; a natural appet.i.te, of fat meats, b.u.t.ter, cream, milk, cocoa, chocolate, bread, potatoes, peas, parsnips, carrots, beets, farinaceous foods, as Indian corn, rice, tapioca, sago, corn starch, pastry, custards, oatmeal, sugar, sweet wines, and ale. Avoid acids. Exercise as little as possible, and sleep all you can.

To reduce the weight: Eat to the extent of satisfying a natural appet.i.te, of lean meat, poultry, game, eggs, milk moderately, green vegetables, turnips, succulent fruits, tea or coffee. Drink lime juice, lemonade, and acid drinks. Avoid fat, b.u.t.ter, cream, sugar, pastry, rice, sago, tapioca, corn starch, potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, and sweet wines.

When Quinine Will Break Up a Cold.