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^o - [ ' ^ THE LfE AX> En, No. 235,Satur...
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M'CORMAC ON CONSUMPTION. On the Nature, ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Minnesota And The Fae West. Minnesota An...
ftttteadof enacting , in aBrahininfcal spirit , statutes craftily ? devised to separate class from class , simply methodise the suggestions of experience , and leave th & eommunityto take its own way , to fortune . ' Sir / Oliphant penetrated to this farthest of the Far West across Lake Superior . Though land was on no side visible , lie -was there , steaming over whatseemed a sea , 'fifteen hundred ' miles from the ocean , and bound on a voyage of four hundred more . Upon the shore at Masquette iron mines were recently discovered . Immediately private enterprise fixed upon the spot , works were opened , and a trade began to circulate through the district . At the western extremity of the lake—Pond du Lac—the River St . liduis debouches , with the City of Superior near its mouth . At this point iMr . Olipharit began to note the aspects of a country perfectly new to
culture and colonization . Solid masses of forest overspread the neighbouring land ; in the " City , " the hotel was a barn , and many of the habitations were mere tents ; yet an acre in this region doubles its value in a , year . " Superior stands at the head of the Lake Navigation of North America . It " wdllbe the entrepot of the states beyond . There is no rival harbour within ninety miles . The tine river St . Louis is a road prepared to bring down the produce of the western territories . Up this stream Mr . Oliphant proceeded in a canoe , and his narrative which has previously led us through XJanada , becomes here romantic and pictorial . On both banks the vegetation 'drooped over the water in tropical brightness and profusion ; the landscapes were varied and green ; the glimpses of rude life were such as amazed 4 he earliest explorers of America . Among the peculiarities of the region Mr . Oliphant describes the following : —
As nearly as possible in the centre of the continent of North America , and at an elevation of about 1800 feet above the level of the sea , extends a tract of pine-covered table-land about 100 miles square , and which probably contains a greater number of small la * ies than any other district of the same size in the world . It is called Les Hauteurs des TerreB , and is , in fact , the transverse -watershed between the Hudson ' s Bay and the St . Lawrence waters , and those which run into the Gulf of Mexico . In one of its tiny lakes ( Itasca ) the Mississippi takes its rise , and flows due south . In another close to it the Red River finds its source , and runs north to Lake Winnipeg ; while there are others , not many miles distant in a southerly direction , whose waters have an easterly outlet , and , after a short but rapid course , lose themselves in Lake Superior . He had not reached this place in his canoe ; from the St . Louis the frail vessel was carried by the Indians , through immense and dreary woods , to Sandy Lake . The Indian race exists here , as it does not exist in many parts of America , and justifies the poetical description of Fennimore Cooper . Mr . Olipliant shall take the portrait of a forest chief : —
He-was the most perfect specimen of a Chippeway " brave '' that I had yet seen : a magnificent fellow , standing proudly erect under his plume of hawk ' s feathers , that betokened a warrior who had taken in his day many a Sioux scalp . His red blanket , worked with many devices , was thrown gracefully over his shoulder ; his belt was garnished with tomahawk and scalping-knife , and in his hand he held a handsomely mounted rifle . His feet were encased in richly embroidered moccasins , with fringed leggings reaching to the thigh . Altogether , his costume exhibited a combination of ribbons , feathers , beads , and paint , which was wonderfully becoming . Near him , in a respectful attitude , stood his attendant , likewise armed to the teeth , and carrying a formidable and curiously-shaped war-club , such as 1 had never seen before , and a redearth pipe , with a long flat stem , ornamented with coloured hair . The Winnebagoes preserve their antique customs—not as theatrical exhibitions to justify extortion from the stranger , but in their integrity : —
In the centre of the village stood the medicine-pole , decorated as usual with skins and streamers , and near it a long oval bower , which from its position , was probably the medicine-tent , in which are performed those singular rites which Free Masons affirm connect the Winnebagoes to ttieir fra ' ernity . It is certain that there is a society in the tribe , the secret of which is kept most sacred , and one object of which is to relieve the poor . The members of this society , or medicine-men , ' are held in very high estimation by the tribe . They enjoy this distinction by virtue of possessing the medicine-stone , which , they are supposed to carry in their stomachs . When new members are to be initiated , this stone is vomited up and placed in the medicine-bag , and the candidates for admission are struck with it upon the breast , and , from all accounts , are thus thrown into a sort of mesmeric sleep , during which they are supposed to learn the mysteries of the society , and on awaking from which they become medicine-men , with the stone in Ita proper locality . In addition to these curious ceremonies , they nlso religiously krep up the scalp and war dances of their forefathers , and retain their barbarous habits in spite of the attempts of missionaries and others to civilize and educate them .
Why should the missionaries endeavour so sedulously to wean the Indian from his wandering habits and fix him to the soil ? For him the life of the hunter is the wisest , until a civilized people clear the ground , and leave him no arena . In " Minnesota " this process is fast developing itself . On the banks of the Elk river , Mr . Oliphant was surprised to find numerous farm-houses , and fields encroaching on the old hunting grounds of the Sioux : — Great numbers of the settlers are who Germnns , como penniless to Minnesota , settle ^ i porn apiece of land , which they improve to the value of fifty dollars a-year , at the « atne time corning a livelihood for themselves by obtuming employment in the neigh-^ iwufhood . When at the end of five yOurB they have thus expended two hundred and fifty dollars on their land , thu Government presents thorn with sixty acres , and t ) uy thenceforward sei up as small farmers on their own account . The territory is thus > fee « o ; ning rapidly populated by an industrious and entoipminK olnsa , wlio npprociate the good polioy which haa devised euoh liberal and advantageous terms to the emigrant .
A good illustration of the rapidity with which these far West settlementR grow is supplied by the city of St . Paul . Its first dwelling-house was erected in the autumn of 1847 . There arc now , clustering round this youthful patriarch house , manufactories , shops , newspaper offices , numerous churches , and an university , which was opened in 1851 , and contains a hundred pupils : — * Indeed , Minnesota acorns determined to bo In ndvanco of the ngo , for two sections in tswey township have been appropriated for the support of common schools , no other 'State having previously obtainod moro thnn ono 'section in each township for such n ¦ itywpoao . ' _ 3 Pig ' s Eye was the original name of this locality , but as it grew in extent , •* the people increased in pr ide , and their " little skew dungular lots , about as
large as a stingy card of gingerbread ^ b roke in two diagonally , ? ' were known , collectively as St . Paul . The first paper proposed was the Epistle of St . Paul ; but the inhabitants objected and insisted on having the Minnesota Pioneer . The editor , in an early number , related that on a raw , cloudy day in April , 1849 , he found himself at the bottom of the cliff— the town being an XJndercliff , — with his press , types , and printing apparatus , his ideas and topics , but not a shed for shelter , and not an acquaintance in the neighbourhood . However he put up in a room , " as open as a corn-rick , " and issued a first number . After that he got a lot in what he supposed would be the middle of the town , having " calculated that the two erds would probably unite there , " and building a dwellinghouse , lived in it through the next year , without having it lathed or plastered . Such was the origin of St . Paul , and such the commencement of the Pioneer , which , in . the language of the editor , has " advocated Minnesota , morality , and religion , from the beginning . ' '
In this far west town , not more than five years old , there are four daily four weekly , and two tri-weekly journals , all advocating " Minnesota , morality and religion , " and outstripping in number Manchester and Liverpool together . There are four hotels , at least twelve handsome churches , a population of about eight thousand , souls , and " an academy of the highest grade for young ladies . ' Of course , this spirited city is praised by the citizens as" The prettiest country lying wild that the world can boast of , got up with the greatest care and effort by old dame Nature ten thousand years or more ago , and which she has been improving ever since . " Thence and you may ride , says Mr . Bond of Minnesota , — " Acrcss rolling prairies of rich luxuriance , sloping away in the wide blue dreamylooking basin of the Minnesota , the loveliest view of broad fair voluptuous Nature , in all her unconcealed beauty , that ever , flashed upon mortal vision , to Henderson . " Colonel Brown , who " looked like a full cross "between a gridiron and a steel-trap , " gave Mr . Oliphant a lecture . What have we to say to it ?
Wai , you Britishers air ' cute—you go on the high moral ticket . You call annexation robbery and territorial aggression ; but there ain ' t a power in creation that's swallowed more of other people ' s country without choking than you have when nobody was looking perticler . And now you're a-going to fight civilization , by protecting the most barbarous power in Europe , and for liberty , by allying youTself with a French despot and a Mahommetan tyrant ; but chaw me , if liberty ain ' t a long sight better off in the hands of that old ' possum Nicholas than such mealy-mouthed hypocrites . You understand stabbing great principles in the dark—you do ! Liberty ' s all bunkum with you . If it ain't , what do you go cringing and scraping to all the despots in Europe for , when you could raise the hull continent in the cause of freedom if you had a mind to ? Why don ' t you choke off your privileged classes , and sot your oppressed white niggers free , and give back the black niggers in the Indies the country you ' ve robbed ' em of , instead of screeching at us , and comimg over here with your long faces , and almighty jaw , and unremittin lies , about slavery and Cuba ? There ' s no sin . in creation your no-souled , canting , bellows-winded Parliament won ' t commit , if they can make a darned cent by it . There is a great mass of valuable information in Mr . Oliphant ' s book , set forth in a most varied and entertaining style .
^O - [ ' ^ The Lfe Ax> En, No. 235,Satur...
^ o - [ ' ^ THE LfE AX > En , No . 235 , Saturday ,
M'Cormac On Consumption. On The Nature, ...
M'CORMAC ON CONSUMPTION . On the Nature , Treatment , and Prevention of Pulmonary Consumption , and incidentally of Scrofula , with a demonstration of the cause of the disease . By Henry M'Cormac , M . D . Longman and Co . Reviewers are supposed to be omniscient ; but we assure the reader th ' such a supposition is not correct . Reviewers are mortal man , mortallT ignorant . Authoritative "We" often wants a basis for authority ; tie " ablest editors " are frequently condemned to speak of matters about which they really have not a very profound knowledge : to judge strategical movements , having never seen a battle-field ; to decide upon diplomatic schemes , having never seen a protocol ; and to review books of travels , having never travelled beyond Bow-bells . This reflection is forced upon us many times during the season , and arisei orce more at the sight of Dr . M'Connac ' s Treatise on Consumption . Toe book is too interesting to be pushed aside ; yet if we review it , we pretend to knowledge—we who never saw a tubercle , and never wrote a prescription ! A confession of ignorance may derogate from our dignity , but it will explain
why our review will be a report , and not a criticism . ] 3 r . M'Cornmc believes that he has discovered the true cause of consumption , and that it is not , as usually believed , an hereditary diathesis ( or taint ) but arises from a vice in the respiratory process . The reader ¦ will , doubtless , stare at this statement of consumption not being hereditary . Let him hear Dr M'Cormac : — ; Louis states that he could only ascertain that ono in ten was born of parents , either father or mother , -who died of phthisis . If wo consider , however , the very great irequoncy of phthisis , it will not appear that these ratios , even tho first , are very st riking . It by no means . "ollows because a parent dies of phrhisls , that his or her oflspring must necessarily contract it . Neither does it necessarily follow when tho offspring ot a phu * sical individual aro attached with phthisis , that even here tho phthisical tendency w heeditary . At this vury moment , I am acquainted with several individuals in tho apparent , and I believe real , enjoyment of absolute health , whoio parent « on both aid ^ died of phthiais ! And we all know how there uro who die of iihtliinia none
many , whoso parents over laboured under it . Tubercle is vory seldom indeed discovered in tu now-born , bo rarely indeed , that although tubercles liftvo been , by diflbruiit observers , discovc : <> d in the footus , tho occurrence may bo prnctlc . illy regarded n » non-exiswn Andrul has supposod that there may bo an hereditary tendency , that tlit ) tviljerculo cachexy may bo inherited , but unless tho name cau . io which produced phthi » 18 . piirort also bo at -work in the olftpring-, so neither will tho lixitcr evince tho tlls 0 T ' Cm teria pnribus , it might seem reasonable to conclude that , tho children of colisu " ! j ! or scrofulous parents » houli bo oftonor nu ' ected with phtluBin than others . . . . J however , na a general rule , arc not born tuberculous , anil although iiiMtancuo oi 1 IlC ' ! congenital tuboivlo have been pointed out by LnngatnfF , Iiiiuson , Dupuy , l ' "P ttV 0 ' ltufz , nnu others , I will distinctly undertuko to asfwt , that unless in tho very rfl * ° stance of bc ' ng born tuberculous , and oven here tho rosult i « auto partum not pos * p turn , children will not become so unless through tho operation of some cXC , | 1 , ciuso , and very especially tho immediate ofllcicwt cause , which must , v > out exception , in every instance concur , if it bo not , na I bolicvo it to l >
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 17, 1855, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17111855/page/18/
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