other local charities and in life insurance matters. He was a man of originally strong physique, much endurance, a strength of purpose and reliance that seemed to destine him to a long and meritorious leadership in every professional and social department which obtain¬ ed his interest and attention. Surgeon M. L. Ruth, of the Navy, died at Brooklyn on the 13th inst., in his forty-seventh year. He was one of the best known of the naval staff, especially from his being the means of saving the

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... of the present Secretary of the Navy, when the home of the latter was destroyed by fire and two members of his family lost their lives. The impairment of Dr. Ruth's health during a year past, led him about three months ago to resort for treatment to the Naval Hospital at Brooklyn, and he there succumbed to compli¬ cations of cardiac and renal disease. SELECTIONS. Fetid FEET.-The cause of this unpleasant ailment is to be found in the unnatural custom of wearing shoes. Nature contemplated a shoeless animal when she made man, and she so arranged the epithelium on the soles of liis feet as to provide for a rapid reproduction of the lay¬ ers worn off in walking. So well suited to man's neces¬ sities was this arrangement, that Parkes, after discuss¬ ing the merits of various foot-gear, concludes that the best shoe for soldiers is no shoe at all. But man had to improve on nature, and the way he has done it is by en¬ casing the foot in an impermeable casing of tanned leather. This prevents the removal of the epithelium from the sole, and also prevents the escape of perspira¬ tion, which, keeping the dead epithelium moist, infalli¬ bly renders it odorous. The reason why washing does not relieve this is, that soap and water alone are insufficient to remove the epithelium. No amount of rubbing will do this; and it is doubtful if anything short of a vigorously wielded scrubbing brush will do so. But the Greeks had some¬ thing better even than this. Some of our readers will re¬ member the description given by Xenophon of the games instituted by Cyrus, before his march to the field of Cunaxa, and that among the prizes given to the victors were "golden-flesh scrapers." Not even a brush equals in efficiency the scraping with some metallic instrument, like a dull paper-cutter. We would recommend, therefore, for fetid feet, that the sufferer should soak the feet in hot water, and scrape them well, every night, until the nuisance is abated; and to keep this up weekly thereafter, with morning ablu¬ tions of cold water with no soap, but followed by vigor¬ ous rubbing with a course towel. This is better than all the salicylated powders or ointment.-Times and Regis¬ ter.