French Narcotization

The Freneh are confronted with the perLexing quustion of national alcoholism, nd are arousing to do what they caa to neet it. The revelations that have lately )eon made of the increasing abuse of aleoïolic liquors iu that country are eertainly ;artling ; but whether tho wisdom to eal with it will equal the confusod exent of the e vil is a matter of grave doubt. t is not only the enormous increase in ie consumption of alcoholic liquors, which rose froin 7,700,000 gallons in 1850 ) 21,500,000 in 1869, but it is themarked ateiioration in the quality of the spirits ed that causes tho greatest alarm. In 850 nine-enths of the alcoholic liquors sed carne from the distilltion of the ro lucts of the vine, while in 1869 the roportion has fallen off thiee-tjnihs, the mrplus coming from the distillation cf jeet-root juices, from the sweefc principie f grain, and other larinaceous sustances. Vorse still, a gallon of alcohol, which ost nino francs in 1850 sells now for two nd a half francs. It is alleged that crimes havo greatly ncreased with this augmentation in the use of spirituous liquors, and that increase of crime is duo to tliis growing alcoholiation as a cause. From 1849 to 18(9 the mnual figure of accidental deaths from. alcoholic oxcess rose from 331 to 587 ; that of suicides, owing to the same cause inreased from 240 to 654 ; and crimes igainst the person of another, committed under tho influenco of intoxication, it is aid, havo augmented in the same projortion. Finally, the increase in the ïumber of cusus of insanity from the use of aloohol has kept pace for twenty years vith tho increasing consumption of spirts, notably tho departraents whioh chiefy consume alcohol from tho graiu aud Doet-root. In most of these departmentnents the numbor of cases of insanity from tho use of alcohol has quiutupled in . twonty years, and has reached the fiightful proportiou of twenty-five to forty in a hundred. It is furtheremore pointed out that a great numbor of disoa&es are ongenderod as a consequenco of tho abuse of these liquors, and that it impresses upon suri:al aiFeotions and internal maladies, otherwise not serious, a character of exceptional gravity. These are truly alarming social íacts, andthe Freneh are beginningsoto regard thein. From tho proininonce of the discussion in tho Froncb. pross since the war, it is not unlikely that the recent oiroumstances of Franco havo led to an increaso in tho general practico of drinking. - " ticientific Miscellany," Galcuyfor Jane. An olderly lady of Norwich, who wa handling a sot of falso teeth in a den tist's office and admiring the fiuency titi which ho described them, asked him, " Can a body oat with them 'f" " My dear madam, mastication can bo performed with a facility soarcoly equalod by naturp herRelf," responded the doctor. " Yes, I know, but can a body eat with them r"