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 deleare 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 vous invalid complains, may be directly advocated by his French colleagues, traceable to the ingestion of poisonous depend for their efficiency on a con- materials replacing the properly elabstituent which is common to them all; orated nutritious matter which should and it is maintained that all the bene- serve to build up the organism. Now, ficial effects produced by the injection it is suggested that the elimination of of diverse organic extracts may be these poisonous substances may be equally derived from a much smaller greatly facilitated by the injection of quantity of a solution containing the active ingredient which is stated may be found in every tissue of the body, but is more easily isolated from some than from others. The theory that functional disorders of the nervous system depend in great part on errors of digestion and on the accumulation of waste products and effete matters acting as poisons on the nerve cells, which the writer has frequently had reason to believe is abundantly proved to be unquestionably correct, would appear to be supported by the experimental evidence afforded by the discoverer of the substance which is asserted to be the active principle and essential ingredient of the older preparations. The matters which are formed 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 a ferment which shall so alter their chemical composition as to render them easy of excretion by the organs whose particular function is to get rid of matters for which the body has no further use. That the substance introduced by the Russian scientist is endowed with properties which effect certain well recognized chemical changes under certain conditions outside the body has been demonstrated. Experience of the remedy in the native country of its inventor has led to its employment in disorders of the nervous system, believed to be dependent on poisonous conditions of the blood, with alleged beneficial results. It is on trial in this country, and hopes are expressed that a good record of utility may follow its 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, But the Northern chemist places the use of organic liquid injections outside 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 sense of shortcoming and futility which ordinary methods too 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. 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 stand grinning monkeys, touch the boat as it progresses, while now and again a will plunge into its waters. Battamcrocodile, disturbed from its slumber, bong 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 BattamThe present bong are Cambodians. 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 by the Siamese its inhabitants were 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, which is so arranged as to leave a small opening at the end by which each tortoise can get into the enclosure of the other. Fires are then lighted on their backs, and the poor reptiles immediately rush to the opening in order to escape, and, meeting one another face to face, a fierce encounter takes place between them. The whole province of Battambong is filled with ruins of an unknown date. Everywhere there are extensive and marvellous remains of a decayed empire and a vanished civilization. The ruins of Bassette are sup-middle of the lake towards its northern posed to be the remains of the summer palace of the ancient sovereigns of the country. the king promising to pour over him a certain mixture. No sooner, however, had the Brahmin entered the bath than the king ordered his slaves to throw the bath and its contents into the river. For this breach of faith the gods interfered and took away the kingdom from him. The Cambodian Lake is a splendid sheet of water, about sixty miles long, and covers about a thousand square miles. Its shores are covered with vegetation and forests of trees, beyond which rise lofty mountains, which seem to touch the sky. In the end is a tall mast, the line of demarcation between the Siamese and CamboIdian dominions. The lake swarms Old Angkor is situated to the north- with fish, and the fishing is a source of east of Foule Sape, and gives its name great revenue. Thousands of webto the province. It stands in the midst footed birds of all sizes and colors of a large and fertile plain, which is cover the surface of the lake. Flocks surrounded by mountains. Angkor of pelicans stand in its waters literally was the ancient capital of Cambodia. gorging themselves with fish h; clouds This empire was so famous that its of cormorants skim across its waters; sovereign had one hundred and twenty while myriads of aigrettes, sitting on tributary kings, an army of five million the branches of the trees, look like soldiers, and a royal treasury which enormous balls of snow among the 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 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. For EIGHT DOLLARS remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks, and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & CO. Single copies of the LIVING AGE, 18 cents. Yet so soft, I scarcely hear it, And so gentle — who could fear it? Like a lullaby that hushes, like a breeze Be quick, be quick! The thrush's voice rings clear, Be quick, O Spring, be quick to come and cheer My weary heart, that for so long has lain Fallow beneath the winter snows and rain; Be quick, be quick! that joys may yield increase, And all my day be filled with thy sweet peace: Be quick, O Spring, to hasten on thy way, And with thy sunshine gladden all my day. II. Blow, winds of Spring! while fast across the sky The white clouds sail like ships on summer sea; The lark pours out his tuneful joy on high, And daisies dapple all the sunny lea: Winds, birds, and flowers, for thee, O Spring, are glad ; Only my heart, poor aching heart, is sad. Blow, winds of Spring, the clouds from my sad heart, When the purple sunset flushes o'er the That joy may blossom, have therein a part. Academy. ARTHUR WRIGHT. |