compression produces; but our limits will not now permit the insertion of the article. The following figures which accompany it, show the tremendous extent to which the evil effects of this practice go in distorting the very bones, as well as the external form.

FIG. 1 is an outline of the famous statue of the Venus de Medici, and may be considered as the beau ideal of a fine female figure. FIG. 2 is the skeleton of a similar figure, with the bones in their natural position.

FIG. 3 is an outline of the figure of a modern fashionable after it has been permanently remodelled by stays. FIG. 4 is the skeleton belonging to such a figure as No. 3.

In comparing these figures, it should be borne in mind, that the size of the chest belonging to Figs. 3 and 4 is obviously less than that belonging to Figs. 1 and 2. This is mentioned to remove, if possible, any suspicions of exaggeration that might otherwise arise;

for we are assured that the representation of deformity is substantially correct; and that the evils which result can hardly be exaggerated. They present palpable evidence, however, that while this practice is destructive to health, it is not less ruinous to beauty. It is astonishing that the fashion which adorns the celebrated statues of Venus as the model of the female form, should yet encourage a practice, which thus distorts it. Is not this exhibition enough to stifle the pleas of vanity on its behalf, and to leave conscience at liberty to do its office?

ART. V.. INSANITY FROM EXCESSIVE STUDY.

In our first volume we inserted the remarks of physicians on insanity, from miseducation. The public prints furnish us with a melancholy illustration of the same general principle, in the case of Mr Joseph Frothingham, from Salem, Mass., a student of the Oneida Institute. In April last he was suddenly missed, and strong suspicions were entertained of his murder. Nothing was heard of him, however, until a letter was recently received by his parents, dated 'Atlantic Ocean, 12th May, 1833, 500 miles east of Newfoundland Banks.' The following extract from his letter will show to what account his abduction is to be charged.

'While at the Institute, having nothing else to do, and wishing to get ahead, I applied myself very closely to study, (particularly the Latin Grammar.) leaving off only when absolutely necessary. You recollect I arrived during vacation, before the regular course of labor had commenced, and thinking I should have plenty of it in a few days, contented myself with taking very little exercise. The effects of this close application from sunrise till nine in the evening, I soon perceived, and several times was sensible that my thoughts for a moment or two were rather wandering. Yet I did not feel at all anxious or discouraged, reasoning with myself that so sudden a change of pursuit must necessarily cause me at first to feel rather unwell, and that after a few days my mind would recover its wonted tone. After the 5th or 6th of April, the little momentary aberrations became more frequent, and how I spent much of the time intervening between that date and the 8th, I am wholly unable to say. Some things which I did, I recollect distinctly, and others only as we recall the vagaries of a dream. But after the 8th, everything is wrapt in confusion- shadows, clouds and darkness rest upon it." I have a vague, dim recollection of feeling somewhat as if standing near a mountain, when a volcano bursts from the side. To escape the fiery deluge, I traveled by sea and land; but onward it still seemed to move, and ever to rear itself, a wall of living fire. One only thing I can recollect clearly. Finding my self in a strange street, near a large stone building, I inquired of a soldier the name of the place, and he answered Montreal. For a moment I wondered what could have brought me there, but then came confusion over my mind again, and not an idea or incident can I recollect, until yesterday, about 10 A. M., when I found myself in the steerage of a ship bound from Quebec to Liverpool. I immediately communicated every thing to my fellow passengers, (a young man and wife) and from them, learned the following particulars.'

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It appears that he met them accidentally, and embarked with them, after making most of the necessary preparations, and after passing through various difficulties on his way down the river, reached the ship. In consequence of the small sun of money that Mr. F. had, he was consigned to the steerage, but kindly supplied with necessaries by the captain. It was not until after a week's confinement with sea-sickness, (which perhaps was the very remedy which a kind Providence saw necessary,) that he recovered his recollection, and then, he observes, his mind, in an instant, was as clear and as rational as ever.' The conclusion of his own letter will be more interesting than any abridgment.

The captain remarked that he had sometimes suspected me to be a little deranged, and my fellow passengers thought my appearance very odd at Quebec : but as I was frequently engaged while on board in reading their books, they concluded it was owing to "absence of mind, and a naturally eccentric character."They could hardly believe me, when I first made known to them my utter ignorance of every transaction since the time I met with them on the St Lawrence. They told me I had been uniformly courteous and cheerful, and that when we walked from the shore to a house during the storm, I carried her in my arms about half the way, she being too cold and wearied to walk. They were well wrapped up in blankets, but I had nothing but my cloak, and got two of my fingers frozen. You can better conceive, than I can express, bow strangely I felt when reason first told me that I was in the cabin of a vessel, and when I knew from the pitching and tossing that that vessel was on the ocean. I am in hopes of meeting with some vessel bound homeward, and if I cannot return in her, to send this letter. If we speak no vessel in which I can return, I shall probably take passage immediately after arriving in Liverpool. Till then, I leave all other incidents connected with this almost incredible loss of reason. I do not doubt that study was the cause, and thus are all my hopes of going through college blasted - for I should not dare to make a second attempt. But I think nothing of that. Iam lost in wonder that such a journey could have been performed in safety in such a singular absence of mind-and to think too that I even went through all, without even losing my money, is most strange

My preservation appears indeed miraculous - but I know not what to say. How thankful should I be to the great Being who has guided and directed my wanderings-thankful!' 'tis too tame a word words cannot express my feelings, and I leave all, for the contemplation almost overwhelms me.'

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Mr F. has since returned, and confirms the whole account. Would that his well-meant, but mistaken zeal in study, might be the means of saving many now in danger from a result not less fatal to future plans, and of preserving others from that partial mania — that predominance of the body over the mind which we believe gives rise to not a few of the follies, and errors, and faults of sedentary men. We will only add, as an example of a result more deadly, from a similar imprudence, that one of the most diligent and promising stu dents of an institution, returned to his room after a long tour on foot, in perfect health, and as he imagined, with a stock laid up, on which he might draw. He sat down closely to study. The blood thus accumulated, which rushed to Mr Frothingham's brain, in this case burst forth in a profuse discharge from the lungs; and after years spent in struggling, by the aid of a fine constitution, against the diseases and the effects of study, he fell, in the midst of the brightest prospects of usefulness, a victim to his hasty efforts to be a scholar. Would not a thorough knowledge of Physiology, preserve both sexes from incalculable evil?

ART. VI. PRACTICAL LESSONS.

WE often find that general remarks are misunderstood, and general principles imperfectly or falsely applied, for want of direct, practical illustration. It is on this ground, and to meet a demand, often made, that we have sometimes inserted practical lessons. Although they may be unnecessary and uninteresting to many of our readers, we believe they are useful to others; and will at least prevent our views from being misconceived. At this day, when 'improvement in education,' is synonymous with multiplied branches of instruction, we consider it of high importance not to mistake a knowledge of maps for geography, or the names of surfaces and solids for geometry; and we have endeavored, in the following lesson, to bring this point, among others, into view, and to persuade teachers to make an experiment which will show them that observation, guided by directions, is often a more effectual means of instruction, than the mere gazing at specimens, which represent only an individual of a family.

DIALOGUE ON GEOLOGY.

'What does the word Ge-ol-o-gy mean, father? It sounds a little like Geography.'

'Why, my son, it is a little like it. Ge means earth, in Greek; and logy means knowledge or science. Geography is the science which describes the earth, generally, and its inhabitants. Geology is the science which teaches us about the rocks, and soil, and everything which helps to form the solid parts of the earth.'

'I wish you would teach me Geology father! William Jones learned it, two weeks ago.'

'Indeed! Why, I have studied it a great deal, and have not learned it well yet.'

'Why somebody sent to our school five little pieces of stone that they called specimens, with curious names marked on them in print; and the master told William about them, and he looked at them, and learned all about Geology directly. I wish you would get some specimens, father, and teach me, too.'

'I shall be very glad to teach you, my son, but I cannot promise to teach you so soon. Specimen means a piece or a part of something, to show what it is. So you go, sometimes, to get a sample or pattern, (which is the same thing as a specimen) of sugar, or tea, or cloth, from the store, so that I may see whether it is good, and whether I will buy it. But what do you think of the man who brought a brick, to show as a sample or specimen of the house he wanted to sell?'

'Why, father, do you believe anybody was ever so foolish ?'

'It is not a whit more foolish, my son, than to suppose you understand Geology, which describes the great rocks and mountains of the earth, because you have five small pieces of stone.'

'But, father, can't I learn Geology now?'

You can learn to understand a few minerals, my son. They sometimes call them the Alphabet of Geology. But then, after you have learned the alphabet, you have to go and read books, before you can understand language; and so after you have learned these minerals, you must go and study rocks, and mountains, and soils, a great while, before you can understand Geology.'

'Well, father, teach me the alphabet, then.'

'I have no specimens, here; but I will try to teach you how to find them yourself, and that will be better.

The first letter of the alphabet in Geology, is quartz; a singular name enough, but a very common mineral.'

'A mineral, father! I thought minerals only came from mines.'

'No, my son; men dig mines in order to get minerals; but everything which belongs to the solid part of the earth, even if it is but a grain of sand or dirt, is mineral.'

'But how does quartz look? What color is it?"

'Why, that is almost like asking, of what color cloth or hair is. It has almost every color. It is generally white, but it is very often red, brown, and yellow, and black, and sometimes blue, green, smoke-color, or violet. I have known little boys sadly puzzled, when they began to study minerals, because their specimen of quartz was white, and go out to look for it, and find a great many red, and brown, and other colored stones, and load their pockets with them, never dreaming that one stone would have so many colors; and when they came home, they found they were all quartz! I well remember how I was disappointed.'

'How can I tell then, father?"

'Why, the best mark of quartz is its hardness. It is harder than any other mineral you are likely to find. You cannot scratch it with anything else; and if you try to scratch it with iron or steel, it will leave a mark upon it like metal. It will even scratch glass.

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But there is another way of trying it. If you have a piece large enough, strike it against a piece of steel, and it will strike fire.'

'But, father, we strike fire with flint.'

Yes, my son; but you will not often find flint here. Most of our flints come from France and England. They are found, generally, in beds of chalk, and we have few, if any, beds of real chalk in America. It is, however, very much like flint, and is sometimes called white flint.

'There is another way in which you may know it. Rub two pieces together in the dark, and they will make a bright light, and you will perceive a curious sinell. Quartz is generally milky or thick, so that you cannot see through it.

'You remember that you are to know quartz chiefly by its hardness. The pieces which you will find, generally, have no particular shape; and break, like any other stone. Sometimes it is in regular shaped pieces, which look as if they had been cut and polished. These are called crystals, and generally have six sides. The crystals are sometimes clear and beautiful, and sometimes you will find pieces of quartz which have belonged to crystals. Then it is used to make seals and ornaments, and is called rock crystal.'

'O yes: I have seen beautiful rock crystals, at the watch-makers, as clear as glass, so that I could see through it.'

'You must remember that true crystal will scratch glass. And now, my son, I have described to you the first letter in the Alphabet of Geology. You may go and find some specimens of quartz, and let me see whether you understand this, before I teach you more.'