Part 6
=Mortality.=--About 15 people out of every thousand of the population of the United States die during each year. The percentage of male deaths is somewhat larger than that of female, due to accidents. The annual death rate per thousand is: 13.7 in Los Angeles, 15 in San Francisco, 17 in Denver, 19 in Washington, D. C., 14.6 in Chicago, 14.3 in Indianapolis, 15.5 in Louisville, 20.2 in New Orleans, 18.7 in Baltimore, 16.8 in Boston, 14.0 in Detroit, 10.7 in Minneapolis, 11.4 in St. Paul, 14.4 in Kansas City, 15.8 in St. Louis, 14.7 in Omaha, 16 in New York, 16.5 in Cincinnati, 12.9 in Cleveland, 16.4 in Philadelphia, 15.8 in Pittsburgh, 20.1 in Memphis.
=Mortgages.=--A mortgage is a bill-of-sale from the owner of property to another competent to hold property. The one giving the mortgage is called the mortgagee, and the one to whom it is made is known as the mortgagor. A mortgage differs from a bill-of-sale in that the mortgagor cannot obtain ownership of the property mortgaged, unless the amount involved is not paid him at the expiration of the mortgage, or the interest is not met. All mortgages must be registered. Mortgaged property cannot be moved, altered, or changed without the consent of the mortgagor. The property, unless it is land, should be insured, and the insurance policy made payable to the mortgagor in case of loss by fire, but the mortgagor can collect only that part of the insurance money which represents the amount of the mortgage. Should the mortgagee fail to pay interest at the period stated in the mortgage, or should he be unable or refuse to liquidate the mortgage at its expiration, the mortgagor cannot seize the property except by act of law. It must be advertised and sold at auction. If the mortgaged property brings a price lower than the face of the mortgage, the mortgagor loses the difference, and has to bear the expense of foreclosure. If more than the face of the mortgage is realized, the mortgagee is entitled to what is received, less the face of the mortgage and the expenses of foreclosure.
=Natural Gas.=--A gas generated underground, and due to chemical action beneath the earth's surface. It is found in various parts of the world, and is used for fuel and illuminating, largely for the former.
=Naturalization.=--Any foreigner or alien, except those of the Mongolian or Brown Race, may become a citizen of the United States, and be entitled to every privilege granted to natural-born citizens, except that he cannot become President or Vice-President of the United States. An alien cannot make application for naturalization or citizenship until he is 18 years of age, and he cannot apply for his Second or Final Paper of Naturalization until he has lived in the United States for at least five years, and he must make his Declaration of Intention two or more years before he applies for his Second or Final Paper. The applicant must be a resident of the State in which he makes petition for naturalization not less than one year, and have lived at least four years additional in the same State, or in some other State. He must make application to the United States District Court in the State in which he lives. The cost of becoming naturalized is less than $5.00. A married woman does not have to be naturalized if her husband has become a citizen of the United States, and the children of the naturalized parents become citizens at 21 years of age without taking out naturalization papers. Full particulars regarding the process of naturalization are very plainly and explicitly stated in a book entitled "How to Obtain Citizenship," by Nathaniel C. Fowler, Jr.
=Newspapers.=--A newspaper is a periodical issued as often as once a week, and contains the news of the day, either local or general, or both. The majority of newspapers are of four or eight pages, but often the number of pages run as high as 24, or even 72, and occasionally 100 pages are issued at a time. In the United States and Canada, there are published over 2,600 daily newspapers, about 75 tri-weekly, a little less than 650 semi-weekly, considerable more than 17,000 weekly. Of other periodicals, about 60 are published every two weeks, somewhat less than 300 semi-monthly, more than 3,000 monthly, about 80 bi-monthly, and less than 250 quarterly. Periodicals published less often than once a week are not considered newspapers, although they may contain news.
=New York Stock Exchange.=--A single seat, carrying with it membership in the New York Stock Exchange, has been sold for as much as $96,000, and the lowest price recorded is $49,500.
=Nicknames of States.=--Alabama, "Cotton State"; Alaska, "Eldorado of the North"; Arkansas, "Bear"; California, "Golden Land"; Colorado, "Centennial State"; Connecticut, "Nutmeg"; Delaware, "Blue Hen" and "Diamond State"; Florida, "Gulf" and "Flowery State"; Georgia, "Cracker State"; Indiana, "Hoosier State"; Iowa, "Hawkeye"; Kansas, "Prairie"; Kentucky, "Blue Grass State"; Louisiana, "Creole State"; Maine, "Pine Tree State"; Maryland, "Old Line State"; Massachusetts, "Old Bay State"; Michigan, "Lake State"; Minnesota, "Gopher State"; Mississippi, "Bayou State"; Missouri, "Bullion State"; Montana, "Mountain State"; Nebraska, "Black Water State"; Nevada, "Silver State"; New Hampshire, "Granite State"; New Jersey, "Red Mud State"; New York, "Empire State"; North Carolina, "Old North State"; North Dakota, "Cyclone State"; Ohio, "Buckeye State"; Oklahoma, "Boomer State"; Oregon, "Beaver State"; Pennsylvania, "Keystone State"; Rhode Island, "Little Rhody"; Tennessee, "Old Franklin State"; South Carolina, "Palmetto State"; South Dakota, "Blizzard State"; Texas, "Lone-Star State"; Utah, "Mormon State"; Vermont, "Green Mountain State"; Virginia, "Old Dominion"; West Virginia, "Panhandle State"; Wisconsin, "Badger State".
=Nitroglycerine.=--Nitroglycerine is made of common glycerine mixed with strong nitric and sulphuric acids, and is extremely explosive and dangerous. It has to be exploded by concussion or shock, and not by fire. It is used for blasting and other purposes, and occasionally is taken in very small doses as a medicine, but never should be used medicinally except by the advice of a physician who should be present when it is taken.
=Notes.=--A note should be signed in ink, but a pencil signature is good in law. A note is not payable on demand unless it so states. A note may be payable to order or to bearer. If payable to order, and transferred, it must be endorsed. The endorser of a note is liable for its payment, if the maker of it does not pay it. Each signer of a joint note is liable for the full amount. Notes do not bear interest unless so stated. "Value received" should be written in every note, but it is not essential.
=Ocean Ownership.=--The ocean is common property, and no one has any legal title to it, except that each country has jurisdiction over the sea within three miles of the shore, but these three miles are usually reckoned from promontories, and not necessarily from the coast-line, so that a nation may have control of a vast area of water and several hundred miles from shore.
=Old Time Ships.=--The glory of the American merchant service, so far as sailing vessels are concerned, has passed into history. Comparatively few sailing vessels, save coasting schooners, ply the seas, as steam has taken the place of sail. The majority of old ship captains are either dead or commanding ocean liners or coastwise steamers. In the old days, sailing clipper ships made the trip from New York to San Francisco in one hundred days, while the voyage of ordinary ships was two or three times as long. The old ship "Lightning" sailed from Boston to Liverpool at a greater speed than that obtained by any steamship of its day, the vessel often logging over 500 miles in 24 hours, and it made the trip in a little less than 14 days. The "James Baines" sailed from Boston to Liverpool in 12 days and 6 hours, and broke the sailing record between these two ports. The same vessel made the trip from Liverpool to Melbourne, Australia, in 63 days and returned in 69 days. The "Red Jacket" sailed from New York to Liverpool in 13 days, 1 hour, and 25 minutes. The "Flying Cloud" and "Andrew Jackson" sailed from New York to San Francisco in 89 days, and the "Sea Witch" made the trip from Canton, China, to New York in 74 days, 14 hours. These early clipper ships were quite small, many of them not being over 200 tons. The first large clipper ship was the "Ann McKim," which was 43 ft. long, and 493 tons burden. Subsequent sailing vessels of enormous size were built, the "John Bertram" having a tonnage of 1080, the "Gamecock" 1,320, the "Staghound" 1,535, the "Flying Cloud" 1,783, the "Staffordshire" 1,817, the "Sovereign of the Seas" 2,421 tons, and the "Great Republic" 4,555 tons.
=Palmistry.=--The study of the lines of the palm, which the ancients believed indicated character and future. Palmistry is to-day practiced by three classes of people: (1) professional palmists, most of whom are charlatans; (2) as a diversion; (3) by superstitious people who believe in it. A scientific study of the subject does not furnish any evidence that the lines of the hand have any special significance, and no scientific person gives them any credence.
=Partnership.=--A partnership is an agreement, usually written, between two or more persons, for the doing of business or for the carrying out of any contract or for the accomplishment of any work. The partners may have equal ownership, or it may be unevenly divided. In the equal partnerships, each partner has the same financial interest and share in the profits, and also the same right of control. In other partnerships, the financial investment or interests are unevenly divided; and the one who holds more than half interest controls the business, unless otherwise provided for in the partnership agreement. Partners may be in name only, and not own any of the property. Active partners are those who give practically all of their time to the conducting of the business. Silent partners are not likely to take any active part in the management of the business, but they may control it, if their financial interest is sufficient. Under common law, no partner has a right to engage in any other business which would injure the partnership, unless permitted to do so by the other partners. The acts of one partner bind all of the rest. If one partner commits fraud in the name of the firm, the others are financially responsible, although they may have had no knowledge of his action. The partnership or business may or may not be liable for the private debts of any one partner. Usually a partner cannot be held for more than his interest in the firm. Partnerships may be dissolved by mutual agreement or by judicial act, and it is usual to publish the dissolution of partnership in one or more of the local newspapers, and to send notices of it to the trade. A limited partnership does not hold any partner or the concern itself liable for more than the amount of the property in the business, but a partnership will not be considered limited unless it is publicly announced.
Patent Medicines
It has been said, and with some degree of truth, that Americans are self-dosers, and that they are prone to attempt to cure themselves, even of serious diseases, without consulting a physician.
The sale of patent medicines is enormous, although I think it is diminishing in volume, due to the exposures which have appeared in many periodicals, and to the better education of the people.
A patent medicine, technically speaking, is a concoction or drug, or combination of drugs, claimed to be a remedy or cure for a specific ill or for all of the ills that the human flesh is heir to. It is manufactured in large quantities, and bottled or put up with attractive labels, with more or less directions given for its use. Many of the patent medicines are either absolutely ineffective or are positively dangerous. Many of them contain a large percentage of alcohol, which acts as a transient tonic, and produces an exhilaration which the sufferer is likely to consider beneficial. The effect of the alcohol soon wears off, and the taker is much worse for having swallowed it.
Other patent medicines contain cocaine and other dangerous drugs, which never should be taken without the advice of a physician. The effect of some patent medicines is likely to be immediate and to appear to be efficacious. Some patent medicines, however, are made of pure drugs, and are really valuable. I am, however, opposed to the use of patent medicines, even of those which are carefully and scientifically compounded.
It is obvious that the layman cannot diagnose his trouble, and the label on the bottle, or the pamphlet accompanying it, is likely to confuse him, and in many cases makes him feel that he is suffering from an ailment or disease which does not exist.
Headache powders, cough medicines, tonics of all kinds, soothing syrup for babies, should be conscientiously avoided, unless prescribed by a physician. They are likely to contain dangerous drugs, and may have no medicinal properties at all.
Because a certain medicine has worked well with one person should not be taken as evidence that another can take it to his advantage. Similar symptoms may exist, and yet the root of the trouble be entirely different.
Even if every patent medicine were pure and scientifically compounded, I would advise against their use, unless recommended by a physician, who is likely to diagnose correctly the trouble and to apply the right remedy.
Physicians are not infallible, but every reputable physician is a graduate of a medical school, a reader of current medical magazines, and is constantly in touch, by experience, with other physicians and with human ailments. Even if he is not an expert, his close proximity to disease makes him far more reliable than the label on the medicine bottle.
I would advise no one to place himself in the hands of any physician who is not a member of one of the great medical associations, maintained by both the allopathic and homeopathic schools.
These associations will not admit into membership any one who has not been properly instructed, and who is not reliable. Any physician of standing, and with a sufficient knowledge of the human body, can obtain membership in these associations, and those who are not members may be looked upon with suspicion, although it is quite likely that some of them are reliable; but as they are outside of the associations, they cannot have the facilities of consultation and experience, which are given to those in regular standing in an association.
It is obvious that one of even ordinary ability, who is educated in the profession, is more reliable than one who doctors by his wits, even though he may appear to be successful. Although there are some charlatans in the profession, who practice in their own interest more than in that of their patients, the average physician represents the highest order of civilization. He knows at the start that his profession is not likely to bring him heavy financial return. He goes into it with his eyes open. He is under the strictest rules and regulations, and cannot maintain his standing in the associations, or with the public, if he does not practice legitimately. He has every facility at his command, and although he is not always successful, he is far better able to produce results than is one who has not been properly educated, and who lacks experience and association with other doctors, and who has not had hospital practice. Every reputable physician has not only graduated from a medical school, but was given opportunity to practice in hospitals and elsewhere before he became a family physician. The so-called specialist began as a family physician, and gives his time somewhat exclusively to one disease or to surgery. The surgeon, while a regular physician, specializes in surgery, and comparatively few family practitioners will handle a serious surgical case, except in emergencies. They refer the patient to the skilled surgeon.
The physician is both a curer and preventor of disease. I would advise every one, no matter how healthy he may be, to consult a reputable physician once a year, and to be overhauled, so to speak. Most troubles can be obviated if taken in time. A symptom seemingly serious to the one having it may be of little consequence, and yet it may be the forerunner of an incurable disease. If a good physician is consulted in time, he may either obviate the trouble or prevent its rapid increase. No one should attempt to diagnose his own condition. Even the physician will not do so for himself, because no one can tell by his feelings exactly what is the matter with him or what would better be done. The physician when sick, consults other physicians, if his trouble is of any seriousness. The expense of an annual examination need not exceed two or three dollars, and some physicians will make it for a dollar. They are likely to locate any trouble, although it may have just appeared and the symptom be slight. They will prescribe a treatment, which cannot fail to be of benefit to those who consult them. Therefore, I say, visit a good physician at least once a year, irrespective of your health.
In every city, and in many of the towns, are practicing alleged physicians or doctors, who claim to be unusually expert and able to cure where others fail, or even to cure what cannot be cured. Some of them are graduates of medical schools, and are really good physicians, but most of them are irresponsible and without real ability. Their method frequently makes the patient feel that he is being cured, and cured rapidly. They use appliances and drugs which have an immediate effect, usually to the patients' injury; or they practice the same as regular physicians do and give the patient false encouragement. It seems to me obvious that no so-called outside practitioner, who is not a member of the associations, can possibly possess any information or know of any method of treatment with which the regular physicians are unfamiliar. These charlatans play upon the feelings of the patient, and it is said that some of them keep him sick for financial reasons. Therefore, I warn the reader against any physician who is not a member of one of the two great associations, and who is not recognized by the profession at large. Even though some of them are skillful, it is safer to employ a physician of standing than to take one who makes a business of practicing, and who is not answerable to the rules and regulations enforced by the associations, and who cannot, because of his removal from them, obtain and enjoy the privilege of consultation with other members of his craft. Do not take chances with your body. Better risk the few mistakes made by physicians than by your own doctor.
=Perpetual Motion.=--Scientists, particularly early ones, made frantic and continuous endeavors to invent what was supposed to be perpetual motion; that is, a machine which will keep perpetually in motion without being replenished or supplied with outside energy. About 60 years ago scientific bodies refused to consider it, as it was proved to be impossible. The "Scientific American," many years ago, likened perpetual motion to an energy which will permit a man to lift himself by his boot-straps.
=Petroleum Industry.=--The annual production is considerably more than 9,000,000,000 gallons a year.
=Philippine Islands.=--The Philippine Islands consist of over 3,000 islands, having an area of about 115,000 square miles. The population exceeds 7,500,000; and the density of population is about 67 to the square mile, as against 26 to the square mile in the United States. The climate is tropical.
=Pianoforte.=--The piano or pianoforte is said to have been invented in Italy and to have appeared in 1714. Germany, however, claims the honor of its invention. It was introduced into England in 1766.
=Plate Glass.=--The sand, out of which glass is made, is melted until it is of about the consistency of molasses. It is then poured into a casting trough or a table mounted on wheels so it can be run close to the mouth of the furnace. The molten glass is poured into the trough through a sluice-way, and before it hardens, heavy rollers pass over it, reducing it to the required thickness. It is rolled to about 9-16 of an inch, and then by further rolling and polishing it is reduced to the required thickness. It further passes through a smelting oven which thoroughly hardens it. Then, it is again polished.
=Playing Cards.=--The origin is unknown, although they appeared in Europe in 1350. It is claimed that the Arabs used playing cards at a much earlier date. It is estimated that over sixteen million packs of playing cards are made annually in the United States.
=Pole Star.=--This is a star of the second magnitude, found at the extremity of the handle of the Little Dipper.
Population and Land Area of the United States
Land area Geographic Division Population, (square and State 1910 miles), 1910
CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES 91,972,266 2,973,890
GEOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS: New England 6,552,681 61,976 Middle Atlantic 19,315,892 100,000 East North Central 18,250,621 245,564 West North Central 11,637,921 510,804 South Atlantic 12,194,895 269,071 East South Central 8,409,901 179,509 West South Central 8,784,534 429,746 Mountain 2,633,517 859,125 Pacific 4,192,304 318,095 ---------- --------