it ends, and the exact spot at which every signal along the line may be first sighted.  He must have completely mastered the working of the traffic on both the up and down lines, and, above all, must be ready to act with the utmost promptitude should anything go wrong.  Mr. Michael Reynolds’ publications have done much toward enlightening the public on these points, but we doubt if there are many who really know the amount of toil and danger cheerfully faced by the men on the engine, who hold their lives in their hands day after day for many years.  These thoughts occur to us as we recross the Thames and pull up at the platform after a thoroughly enjoyable run.—­Saturday Review.

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The mucilage on postage stamps may not be unhealthy, but persons having a good many to affix to letter envelopes, circulars, newspapers, or other wrappers every day, will consume considerable gum during a year.  A less objectionable mode of affixing stamps than the one usually employed is to wet the upper right hand corner of the envelope, and press the stamp upon it.  It will be found to adhere quite as well as if the stamp went through the moistening process.

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ERYTHROXYLON.

[Footnote:  From an “Ephemeris of Materia Medica, Pharmacy, Therapeutics, and Collateral Information.”  By Edward E. Squibb, M.D., Edward H. Squibb, S.B., M.D., and Charles F. Squibb, A.B.]

COCA.

The condition of the principal markets of the world for this drug has recently been exceptionally bad.  That is, whether good coca was sought for in the ports of Central and South America, or in London, Hamburg, or New York, the search, even without limitation in price, was almost invariably unsuccessful.  Not that the drug, independent of quality, was scarce, for hundreds of bales were accessible at all times; but the quality was so poor as to be quite unfit for use.  The samples, instead of being green and fragrant, were brown and odorless, or musty and disagreeable, at once condemning the lots they represented, to the most casual observation, and yet the price was high enough to have represented a good article.  The best that could be done by the most careful buyers was to accept occasional parcels, the best of which were of very inferior quality, and therefore unfit for medicinal uses, and these at very high prices.  Coca is well known to be a very sensitive and perishable drug, only fit for its somewhat equivocal uses when fresh and green, and well cared for in packing and transportation.  Very much like tea in this and other respects, it should be packed and transported with the same care and pains, in leaded chests, or in some equivalent package.  It is very well known that tea, if managed, transported, handled, and sold as coca is, would be nearly or quite worthless, and