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And last the Oak, king of Britannia's woods,
And guardian of her isle! whose sons robust,
The best supporters of incumbent weight,
Their beams and pillars to the builder give,
Of strength immense; or in the bounding deep
The loose foundations lay of floating walls.
See also July 4 of our Calendar.

April 29. St. Peter, M. St. Robert. St. Hugh. St. Fiachna.

Floralia.-Rom. Cal.

Flora was the goddess of flowers and gardens among the Romans, the same as the Chloris of the Greeks. Some suppose that she was originally a common courtesan, who left to the Romans the immense riches which she had acquired by prostitution and lasciviousness; in remembrance of which a yearly festival was instituted in her honour. She was worshipped even among the Sabines long before the foundation of Rome, and likewise among the Phoceans, who built Marseilles long before the existence of the capital of Italy. Tatius was the first who raised her a temple in the city of Rome. It is said that she married Zephyrus, and that she received from him the privilege of presiding over flowers, and of enjoying perpetual youth. She was represented as crowned with flowers, and holding in her hand the horn of plenty. Ovid. Fast. v. 195, &c. Varro de R. R. i. Lactant. i. c. 20.

The fact is, that Flora is an emblematical personification of the power in Nature to produce blossoms; hence it became a common female first name. The imaginary creature of creative Fancy being once personified into a goddess, games were instituted in her honour and for her worship; and the Floralia were games in honour of Flora at Rome. They were instituted about the age of Romulus, but they were not celebrated with regularity and proper attention till the year U. C. 580. They were observed yearly, and exhibited a scene of the most unbounded licentiousness. It is reported that Cato wished once to be present at the celebration, and that when he saw that the deference for his presence interrupted the feast, he retired, not choosing to be the spectator of the prostitution of naked women in a public theatre. This behaviour so captivated the Romans, that the venerable senator was treated with the most uncommon applause as he retired.- Val. Max. ii. c. 10. Varr. de L. L. i. Paterc. c. 1. Plin. c. xvii. 29.

Ovid observes of today :

The goddess Flora decked with flowers appears,
Who a soft scene of jesting freedom bears;
And to the first of May her feast extends :
But as a greater theme my cares demands,
I pass it by till then; for Vesta now
Did a translation to her kindred know;
The senate ordered by a just decree,
Her fire should in Augustus' palace be.

NEPTUNUS.-Sea bathing, swimming, diving, and other aquatic amusements, often beginning about this time, we have subjoined, for the use of persons who may happen to be present at the unhappy accidents which sometimes occur with water, the following

Rules for the Restoration of apparently drowned Persons, from the "Book of Utility,” p. 175.

"Few improvements appear to have been made in the treatment of the drowned since this important branch of medical science was first discussed. We shall briefly state the principal rules of conduct to be observed, with respect to persons in that deplorable situation.

"Symptoms of Apparent Death by Drowning.-Coldness; paleness of the whole body; the lips of a livid hue; the mouth either open or firmly closed; the tongue blue, swelled, and protruded; the eyelids closed, the eyes turned, and their pupils dilated; the face swelled and blue; the lower belly hard and inflated. The first signs of returning animation are, convulsive starting of the muscles of the face or feet; motion of the eyelids; a spasmodic shivering of the body.

"Treatment.-After having been carefully taken out of the water by the arms, so as to prevent the least injury to the head and breast, the body ought to be carried to the nearest house, in a bier if possible, with the head somewhat raised; or, in fine warm weather, the resuscitative process may with more advantage be performed in the open air, especially in sunshine.

"When the subject is deposited, the upper part of the body should be supported half sitting, with the head inclining towards the right side.

"The clothes are to be taken off without delay, but with the greatest precaution, as violent shaking of the body might extinguish the latent spark of life.

"The mouth and nose must be cleansed from the mucus and froth, by means of a feather dipped in oil.

"The whole body should now be gently wiped and dried with warm flannel clothes, then covered with blankets,

feather beds, hay, straw, &c. In cold or moist weather, the patient is to be laid on a mattress or bed, at a proper distance from the fire, or in a room moderately heated; but in the warm days of Summer, a simple couch is sufficient.

"If the patient be very young, or a child, it may be placed in bed between two persons, to promote natural warmth.

"In situations where the bath cannot be conveniently procured, bladders, filled with lukewarm water, should be applied to different parts of the body, particularly to the pit of the stomach; or a warmingpan wrapped in flannel gently moved along the spine; or aromatic fomentations frequently and cautiously repeated.

"As the breathing of many persons in an apartment would render the air mephitic, and thus retard or even prevent the restoration of life, not more than five or six assistants should be suffered to remain in the room where the body is deposited.

"Stimulants generally employed.-Moderate friction with soft warm flannel at the beginning, and gradually increased by means of brushes dipped in oil till pulsations of the heart are perceptible.

"Inflation of the lungs, which may be more conveniently effected by blowing into one of the nostrils than by introducing air into the mouth. For the former purpose, it is necessary to be provided with a wooden pipe, fitted at one extremity for filling the nostril, and at the other for being blown into by a healthy person's mouth, or for receiving the muzzle of a pair of common bellows, by which the operation may be longer continued. At first, however, it will always be more proper to introduce the warm breath from the lungs of a living person, than to commence with cold atmospheric air. During this operation, the other nostril and the mouth should be closed by an assistant, while a third person gently presses the chest with his hands as soon as the lungs are observed to be inflated.

66

Stimulating clysters, consisting of warm water and common salt, or a strong solution of tartar emetic, or decoctions of aromatic herbs, or six ounces of brandy, should be speedily administered. We do not consider injections of the smoke of tobacco, or even clysters of that narcotic plant, in all instances safe or proper.

"Let the body be gently rubbed with common salt, or with flannels dipped in spirits; the pit of the stomach fomented with hot brandy, the temples stimulated with spirit of hartshorn, and the nostrils occasionally tickled with a feather.

"Persons of a very robust frame, and whose skin, after being dried, assumes a rigid and contracted surface, may be put into a subtepid bath, of about 65°, which must be gradually raised to 75° or 80° of Fahrenheit's scale, according to circumstances; or the body carried to a brewhouse, and covered with warm grains for three or four hours; but these expedients generally require medical assistance.

"Sprinkling the naked body of a drowned person with cold water, submitting it to the operation of a shower bath, or the sudden shocks of the electric fluid, as well as whipping it with nettles, administering emetics, and bloodletting, are desperate expedients, which should be resorted to only after more lenient means have been unsuccessfully employed.

"It is, however, a vulgar and dangerous error to suppose that persons apparently dead by immersion under water are irrecoverable, because life does not soon reappear: hence we seriously entreat those who are thus employed in the service of humanity to persevere for three or four hours at least in the application of the most appropriate remedies above described; for there are many instances recorded of patients who recovered after they had been relinquished by all their medical and other assistants.

"Treatment on the Return of Life. As soon as the first symptoms of that happy change become discernible, additional care must be taken to cherish the vital action by the most soothing means. All violent proceedings should, therefore, be immediately abandoned, no farther stimulants applied, nor even the ears of the patient be annoyed by loud speaking, shouting, &c. At that important crisis moderate friction only is requisite; and if the reviving person happen to be in the bath, he may either remain there, provided his sensations be easy and agreeable, or be removed to a comfortable bed, after being expeditiously dried with warm flannels: fomentations of aromatic plants may then be applied to the pit of the stomach; bladders, filled with warm water, placed to the left side; the soles of the feet rubbed with salt; the mouth cleared of froth and mucus, and a little white wine, or a solution of salt in water, dropped on the tongue. But all strong stimulants, such as powerful electric shocks, strong odours of volatile salts, are at this period particularly injurious. Lastly, the patient, after resuscitation, ought to be for a short interval resigned to the efforts of Nature, and left in a composed and quiescent state. As soon as he is able to swallow, without compulsion or persuasion, warm wine or tea, with a few drops of vinegar, instead of milk or gruel, warm beer, and the like, should be given in small quantities frequently repeated."

April 30. St. Catherine of Sienna, V. St. Sophia, V. St. Maximus, M. St. James, &c. M. at Norwich. St. Erkenwald. St. Ajutre.

rises at Iv. 40'. and sets at VII. 20.

CHRONOLOGY.-Lucan the Poet of Cordova was bled to death by order of Nero, anno 66, aged 27.

FLORA.-The Harebell Hyacinthus non scriptus is now in full blow. The sides of fields, sloping banks, and shady places, are often quite blue with the flowers of this plant during April and May. From its drooping stem it is called by some Botanists Scilla nutans.

We shall close this month's Diary with the following poetical Bouquet of Wild Flowers, which cannot fail of being acceptable to our readers. The several flowers are described with a truth that does equal credit to the taste and botanical knowledge of the authoress :

Fair rising from her icy couch,
Wan herald of the floral year,

The Snowdrop marks the Spring's approach,
Ere yet the Primrose groups appear,

Or peers the Aurum* from its spotted veil,

Or odorous Violets scent the cold capricious gale.

Then, thickly strewn in woodland bowers,
Anemonies their stars unfold;

There spring the Sorrel's veined flowers,

And rich in vegetable gold.

From calyx pale the freckled Cowslip born,

Receives in amber cups the fragrant dews of morn.

Lo! the green Thorn her silver buds
Expands to May's enlivening beam;
Hottonia+ blushes on the floods;

And where the slowly trickling stream
Mid grass and spiry rushes stealing glides,

Her lovely fringed flowers fair Menyanthus hides.

In the lone copse, or shadowy dale,

Wild clustered knots of Harebells blow,

And droops the Lily of the Vale.

O'er Vinca's matted leaves below

The Orchis race with varied beauty charm,

And mock the exploring Bee or Fly's aerial form.

Wound in the hedgerow's oaken boughs,

The Woodbine's tassels float in air,

And, blushing, the uncultured Rose

Hangs high her beauteous blossoms there;

Her fillets there the purple Nightshade weaves,

And the Brionia winds her pale and scolloped leaves.

Cuckoo Pint. + Water Violet. ‡ Bogbean. || Periwinkle.

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