Volume 13 (1866) (424 pages)

The Bining and Scientific Bross. Mlechanical. ; Effect of Percussion on Iron. Dr. Percy, in his lata work on the metalJurgy of iran and steel, raises aa important point for discussion, with relerence to a supposed deteriaration in the quality of iran from the effucta of percuasion, whicl applies equally well to steel. ‘Tho ideas advanced by Dr. Verey aro quito nt variance with tho papular idea on the subject. Jle suysit hus long been . Amaot paint with engincers, whether, under repented light blows, er rapid vibratian ol machinery in uctiou, iran becomes disintegrated and consequently brittle. ‘This is undoubtedly ! the case with brass, which, when subjeeted to . vibration, in a few weeks becomes as brittle na glass. When the frightful necideat aeenrred on the Versailles Railway, some years since, oceasioned by the breaking af a crank axla, tha best neu of science ond practice in France were culled upon ta-give evidenco upon tha paint; but they were by no means ngreed. The whole subject wns agnin discussed befora the Comnlissianers appointed by the Kuglish Partiameuit in 1849, te inquire into the application of froa to railway structures. Evideaco was given to show that pieces of wrouglit iron exposed to vibratian frequently break after long use, and exhibit a peculiar crystallino fracture and loss of tenacity; whilst ather witnesses majatained that this peculinr structure was the resull of an original fuult in’ the process of manufacture,and that the interual constitution of the metal remained unaffected by vibration, however rapid or long continued. In opposition to the popnlar view as to the brittlencss of iron beiug occusioned by vibratian, Mr. Robert Stephenson pointed to the engiae-heam of a Cornish enginc, which recaived a shock equal to about fifty-five tons eight or ten times a minute, and yet went on warking for twenty years without apparent change. Ile also reterred to the conuecting rod that communicates the power of the locomotive to the wheel, and receives o violent jar eight times in a secoad at ordinary speed, and yet remains unaffected. Ike pointed oat that in a ease of that sort a rad that has borne two hundred miltioas of such jars, wil! be found, 0a examiaatioa, to have retained its fihraus structure. Where iron exhibits a crystalline appearance oa breaking, Dr. Percy rightly poiuts out that time plays a most important part in determinojag the character of tho frastarc. When the metal is brokea with extreme rapidity the fracture will. be crystalline; when brokea slowly, it will be of a fibrous appearance. In the case of the breakage of a craak-axle, we apprehend the cause to be torsion, not vibration. It was stated in evideuce by a tocomotive engineer, nt the jaqniry jiato the causcs of the Bow accident on the Great Hustern line, ‘that the very first turn of a crank-axle begins the process of breakiag; and taat tho fiual fracture—acarly always at the same place—is only a questioa ol time. That THE BRITTLENESS OF YRON IS INCREASED BY FROST, Is also a prevaleat notioa amoag engineers, similar to the popular impression that bones are more brittle ia winter than in suminer. But the railway accideats which occur in frosty weather are more praperly attributable to the circumstaace that at that tinie the road is hard and rigid, and the engines running over it at high speeds aro much more strained, aad coasequently more liable to accideat than they are ia ordinary weathcr, when the road is soft and yielding ; just as in frosty weather we are more liahle to falls, and coasequently to fractured limbs, arising trom the slipperiness of the roads rather than to the iacreased brittleaess of our boaes at that season. To put the matter to a practical test, however, Mr. Ramshottom had a picce of rail takeu up while covercd with sharp frost and placed uader the lurge steam hanimer at Crewe, when it stood the blows necessary to double hoth ends together without slowing the smallest indication of Tracture. Nevertheless, the suggestion of Dr. Percy is well worthy of coasideration, in which he says, ‘ It is most desirable that the eubject should be accuratcly investigated, aad the Jastitution of Civil Hngincers would reader excellent service hy conducting an elaborate iaquiry into it.” Non-Connvctive Steam Packine.—Whea it is necessary to carry steam any considerable distaace, the best non-coaductiug protectioas, . which bave been proven by experience, are to first cover the pipe with hard felt, thea eaclose the pipe in a hox, packiag the same close with Spent tan, sawdust, straw or fiae charcoal. Dereriaration 1x IRdx.—A ttentioa is being called by English engineers to the agserted fact that a great deterivratiou is beiug observed in . the quality of modern-mnde iron over thot produced thirty or farty years aya. It is noted that all tho earlier experimentera with iron fuund greater strength in ordinary qualities made at that time, than is now possessed by tho very best which is mnde. The rails for tnilrands, mnde thirty years ago, aro enid to possess much more darability than thase now being made. Speculations ore advunced as ta tho prohable cause of this deteriorution ; whother it arises from the greater rupidity in the processes of innaufacture employed now, as, for exaniple, tha use of the modern “ squeezers,’ by which the ciuders and sand muy be pressed tvfo the metal, instead of being beaten out, ua by tho old titt-hammer process ; or from the use of the hat blast, by meaus of which itis found that much poarer ores can be reduced than by the cold blast ; or tho spirit of competition, which induces iron mauufacturers to turn out the largest possiblo quantity at the smallest possible cost—whatever may bo the cause, the fact is claimed by English eagineers as patent, that the manufacture of wrought iron in Great Britain hae undergono a serious deteriorntioa during the last half century. The ouly romedy suggested, is the more gencral application of steel for iron, since that metal caa now be mado so much cheaper than formerly. Few persons, eyen among experienced nmicchanics, we apprehend, are fully aware of tho great difference in the character of cast iron ns it comes from the furnaces. Tur Manacement or Jnon ann Sreet.— George Edes, of London, has receatly published a work under tho above title, which is highly spoken of as supplyiug a waat loug felt by mechanics, aad all engaged in the practical manipulation and opplicatioa of iron aad steel. Mr, Hides, ia his prefacc, very property states that if young apprentices were taught to maka theuiselves better acquainted with the aaterials they work upon, aud for wbicb their tools ara made, as well as the proper maangemeat of these materials, the advaacemeat of the sciences would be greatly hastened; as this kaawledge woald iacreasc tbe powers of the head to coatrive,and the haads ta éxecute. The inventioas which become publicly known, are few in comparison with those which spring up in the minds of ingeaious mechanics, and perish with the hour that gave them birtb, through the waat of a better knowledge af the properties of the material, which they are endeavoriag to call inta exercise. Mr. Edes might have added, that a vast amouat of labor aad aioney might also be saved to iaveators, ia their investigatioas, from the possessioa of such kaowledgc, in the judgment which it would give them ia rejcctiag such coatrivaaces as are not suited ta the cnd in view. Mfaay an inventor has speut moaths of toiland study ia bringing out aa iaveution which any person, moderately well versed ia mechaaics, would have coademned at the start. PiatinizeD copper vessels are beiag introduced into Eurape, for purposes where heretofore those made entirely of platiaum, have been employed. ‘The former are said to he fully as safe aad reliable for containing strong acids as the latter, aad are of course very much cheaper. TERRIBLE Boiter Exp.ioston—An nopright stationary hoiler recently exploded at Pinkbead, Glasgow, Scotland. The boiler was of singular constructioa, somewhat resemhliag no huge nautical telescope, 36 feet high, 514 feet diameter, staading upright upon its broadest end, the whole surmounted with twenty feet of large pipe. When the explosioa occurred, tbe entire boiler and pipe was thrown perpendicular upward, a distance of 300 feet, aad with so much precision that it came down with a tremeadous crash directly upoa its bed. Enotisa river stcamers are not generally provided with engine signal bells, as is the case with American steamers ; but the captain or pilot conveys his orders to the engineer by meaagy of a boy, whois stationed at the entraace of the eagine room to repeat the word. ee Scientific Miscellany, Tue Litssuctation or Gases.—lt hy rejeeutly been learued thut, at very high temperutures, conmipouud gases and their compoaents have na action an each other. Cailletet lies fully proven tbis, and the tact is ane deserviag the special ntteation of metallnrgists, innsmucb as it may seriousty alfect resultg in furnnco aperatious in particular, ‘Yhis savant has furnished n record of some cnrious experimeuts in this direction for tho Comptes Rendus, which show that nt very high temperatures componid gase3a become separnted into their elements. nnd that at sach temperatures these gases huve no distinct action on each other. He heated metal ino fire of coal and wood charcoal to such a temperature tbat platinum was easily fusible iu it. The experiment was conducted iu a poreelain tubo, from which the guses wero afterwards collected. The analysis af these by M. Peligot gave tho following result : (ONS ST Be coco coconmggoc once eereeeete 15.24 Hydrogen 1.80 Curbouiu oxyd. 2.16 Curbonic avid., 3.60 DOECOD UN. scr cen ect meres aaiee Ce ccseenene 77.86 100.00 These rosults proved that oxygea has no action upon hydrogen, carbon, or carbonic oayd, ia the atidst of a combustible mass which is maintained at a temperature higher thaa that of tho fusing poiut of platiaum. Tur Connitions uxpea wuicu Iaon Rusts. Few persons really understaad this question or know the cause. Therustiag of iron, which proceeds so rapidly when it is exposed to air, is caused by the attraction which the mctal has for oxygea. It is very remarkable that iroa is unablo to combine with the free oxygea always in the air, but is liable to take it from water, its compouad with hydrogen ; for wo find that in dry air iroa remaijas bright and clean for a loag time, but very rapidly rusts when exposed to the joint actioa af air, carbonic acid gag aud moisture, under which circumstances water is decomposed aad oxyd of iroa is formed. Execrnicity ix Steam Borters.—Dry steam has electrie properties; when in a gaseous state it is a non-coaductor of electricity. ‘The electric discharges which may be obtained from dry steam, are supposed to attead thc process of coadeasation. A small steam boiler, iasulated upoa a glass plate, wss recently exhibited for some coasidcrablo time at the Polytechnic Institution in Paris. Uudera pressure of stcam, coatiauous electric flashes were discharged from the boiler. Fire rrom Fricrion.—'be jungles of India are often set on firehy the larger bamboos, as they are swayed by the wind, emitting fire from their hard, glossy stems throagh the violence of their friction, and thus’ spreadiag destructian through adjacent mountain forests. These arc so extensive that the fire oftea continues to burn for many days together, and is suddenly extinguished by mighty deluges of raia so common in mountainous countries where water pours from clouds rescmbliug small cataracts. Test PAPERS, used hy chemists and others, are made by dippiag nasized paper into a solution of vegetahle matter which will change color when subjected to the action of an acid or alkaline solution. Litmus and tumeric are most commoaly used as a coloring matter— litmus for the detection of acids, aad tumeric tor that of alkalies. Such paper, after being dried, is cut into slips convenient for use. By dipping the appropriato test, papers iato any solutioa, we caa readily ascertain whether it is acid, alkali or neutral. AnimaucuLes.—The polishiag stone ohtaincd in Bohemia, has been computed to coataia 41,000,000,000 skeletons of animaleules ia cach eubic inch ; or 187,000,000 iu each grain of weight of the slate. Oae of these skeletons would therefore weigh about onc 187-millionth part of a grain. Ata white heat all magnetism disappears ; it is still sensible in iroa when heated toa dark red glow. Quisixe ix Human Tissce.—Amang the navelties in organic chemistry, we may nilnde to the discovery af Drs. Bence Janes and Dupre of a substance resembliug quinino in all the tissues of the body—resembling quiniae, that is,in being precipitable by thesame regents, snd it being possessed of the property of fluoresenco. About the chemical compositian of the substanco uothing is ns yet kaown or has . been mnde public. ‘Vhe substance is obtained . by first trenting the nnimal matter with a dilute acid, then eutralizing the acid solution with on alkali,nud subsequently extracting the _ fluorescent substanco with ether. Not haviag as yet obtuiued the substunco in a erystallino form, the discoverers have provisionally named it Animal Quinoidine. Jt deserves ta be mentioned that the experimicuts undertaken in the caurse af this research showed the extreme delicacy of the fluorescence test far quinine itself. ‘Tho author found that a grain of quinine dissolved ia one million eight huadred parts of water shawed the bluo fluoresceneo distiactly in tweaty grains of the solution. Some New Conrousns or SvtrHur anp Oarnon have been obtained by O. Loew. Sesquisulphide of carbon is an amorphous brawn body, which decomposes iuto its constituents when heated ta 210° C, indicating o loose state of combinatioa of the elemeuts. A hydrosesquisalphide of carbon is also a browa amorphous body, having a faiat odor of garlic. When this body is boiled with alkalies it gives oxalic acid and lower sulphides af carbon. By seting oa a chloriae compouad of hydrosesquisulphide of carboa dissolved ia hisulphide of carboa, witb a solutioa of bromine in bisulphide, the author obtained a body which appeared to be moaosulphide of carbon. but foand it impossible to procure the compound perfectly pure. How ro Osrary Cnrysratiizep Carson.— M. Lioanet commuaicated tothe Paris Academy a process for obtaiaing carbon (diamond) in a crystallized state.’ His plan coasists ia taking a long aad thia gold or platinum leaf, rolling upon it a thin piece of tin foil, aad puttiag itiato a bath of sulphoret of csrbon. The liquid is decomposed under the influence of the weak electric current thus excited, the sulphur combiaes with the tia, aad the cnrbon is deposited in crystals at the bottom of tho vessel. The author thiaks dizmoad must be produced by nature ia a similar way. A New Atgatoin.—M. Hesse, in examiaiag tho red poppy for morphia, has discovered a new alkaloid, ia which he has named Rheeadinc, aad which he says is also to be fouad in good opium. It is soluble ia water, alcohol, and ether, crystallizing from the Inst ia white prisms. Ammonia precipitates it ia white erystalliae floculi, bichloride or mercury gives a white amorphous precipitate, aad cbloride of gold a ycllow precipitate. Strong acids decompose it, giving it a purple solutioa. An iageaious mode of gettiag a correct representatioa of an actual battle, laadscape, etc., in a panoramic form, has heen suggested in Paris. The main feature ia the arrangemeat isa revolving cylinder, with a vertical slit in it, through which the images, ete., enter, aad are thrown on a photographic medium properly seasitized. Exvecrricity in Bioon, ere.—By using delicate gold electroscopcs, iudications of statical electricity have been obtained from liviag blood, nerve tissues and muscular fiber. Ir has been ascertained that nitrogen in Jarge quantities is so neccssary to the lile of plaats tbat vigorous vegetation canaot take place if there is no, other supply of nitrogen than the air. In burning carbon to carhonic oxyd, a pouad of oxygen generates only 2,962 uaits of heat ; while, in burniog this carhonic oxyd into carbonic acid, a poaad of oxygen geaerates 4,258 uaits of beat. Tue divisibility of copper is so great that a grain of it dissolved in an alkali will give a seasihle color to 500,000 times its weight in water,

The Bining and Scientific Bross. Mlechanical. ; Effect of Percussion on Iron. Dr. Percy, in his lata work on the metalJurgy of iran and steel, raises aa important point for discussion, with relerence to a supposed deteriaration in the quality of iran from the effucta of percuasion, whicl applies equally well to steel. ‘Tho ideas advanced by Dr. Verey aro quito nt variance with tho papular idea on the subject. Jle suysit hus long been . Amaot paint with engincers, whether, under repented light blows, er rapid vibratian ol machinery in uctiou, iran becomes disintegrated and consequently brittle. ‘This is undoubtedly ! the case with brass, which, when subjeeted to . vibration, in a few weeks becomes as brittle na glass. When the frightful necideat aeenrred on the Versailles Railway, some years since, oceasioned by the breaking af a crank axla, tha best neu of science ond practice in France were culled upon ta-give evidenco upon tha paint; but they were by no means ngreed. The whole subject wns agnin discussed befora the Comnlissianers appointed by the Kuglish Partiameuit in 1849, te inquire into the application of froa to railway structures. Evideaco was given to show that pieces of wrouglit iron exposed to vibratian frequently break after long use, and exhibit a peculiar crystallino fracture and loss of tenacity; whilst ather witnesses majatained that this peculinr structure was the resull of an original fuult in’ the process of manufacture,and that the interual constitution of the metal remained unaffected by vibration, however rapid or long continued. In opposition to the popnlar view as to the brittlencss of iron beiug occusioned by vibratian, Mr. Robert Stephenson pointed to the engiae-heam of a Cornish enginc, which recaived a shock equal to about fifty-five tons eight or ten times a minute, and yet went on warking for twenty years without apparent change. Ile also reterred to the conuecting rod that communicates the power of the locomotive to the wheel, and receives o violent jar eight times in a secoad at ordinary speed, and yet remains unaffected. Ike pointed oat that in a ease of that sort a rad that has borne two hundred miltioas of such jars, wil! be found, 0a examiaatioa, to have retained its fihraus structure. Where iron exhibits a crystalline appearance oa breaking, Dr. Percy rightly poiuts out that time plays a most important part in determinojag the character of tho frastarc. When the metal is brokea with extreme rapidity the fracture will. be crystalline; when brokea slowly, it will be of a fibrous appearance. In the case of the breakage of a craak-axle, we apprehend the cause to be torsion, not vibration. It was stated in evideuce by a tocomotive engineer, nt the jaqniry jiato the causcs of the Bow accident on the Great Hustern line, ‘that the very first turn of a crank-axle begins the process of breakiag; and taat tho fiual fracture—acarly always at the same place—is only a questioa ol time. That THE BRITTLENESS OF YRON IS INCREASED BY FROST, Is also a prevaleat notioa amoag engineers, similar to the popular impression that bones are more brittle ia winter than in suminer. But the railway accideats which occur in frosty weather are more praperly attributable to the circumstaace that at that tinie the road is hard and rigid, and the engines running over it at high speeds aro much more strained, aad coasequently more liable to accideat than they are ia ordinary weathcr, when the road is soft and yielding ; just as in frosty weather we are more liahle to falls, and coasequently to fractured limbs, arising trom the slipperiness of the roads rather than to the iacreased brittleaess of our boaes at that season. To put the matter to a practical test, however, Mr. Ramshottom had a picce of rail takeu up while covercd with sharp frost and placed uader the lurge steam hanimer at Crewe, when it stood the blows necessary to double hoth ends together without slowing the smallest indication of Tracture. Nevertheless, the suggestion of Dr. Percy is well worthy of coasideration, in which he says, ‘ It is most desirable that the eubject should be accuratcly investigated, aad the Jastitution of Civil Hngincers would reader excellent service hy conducting an elaborate iaquiry into it.” Non-Connvctive Steam Packine.—Whea it is necessary to carry steam any considerable distaace, the best non-coaductiug protectioas, . which bave been proven by experience, are to first cover the pipe with hard felt, thea eaclose the pipe in a hox, packiag the same close with Spent tan, sawdust, straw or fiae charcoal. Dereriaration 1x IRdx.—A ttentioa is being called by English engineers to the agserted fact that a great deterivratiou is beiug observed in . the quality of modern-mnde iron over thot produced thirty or farty years aya. It is noted that all tho earlier experimentera with iron fuund greater strength in ordinary qualities made at that time, than is now possessed by tho very best which is mnde. The rails for tnilrands, mnde thirty years ago, aro enid to possess much more darability than thase now being made. Speculations ore advunced as ta tho prohable cause of this deteriorution ; whother it arises from the greater rupidity in the processes of innaufacture employed now, as, for exaniple, tha use of the modern “ squeezers,’ by which the ciuders and sand muy be pressed tvfo the metal, instead of being beaten out, ua by tho old titt-hammer process ; or from the use of the hat blast, by meaus of which itis found that much poarer ores can be reduced than by the cold blast ; or tho spirit of competition, which induces iron mauufacturers to turn out the largest possiblo quantity at the smallest possible cost—whatever may bo the cause, the fact is claimed by English eagineers as patent, that the manufacture of wrought iron in Great Britain hae undergono a serious deteriorntioa during the last half century. The ouly romedy suggested, is the more gencral application of steel for iron, since that metal caa now be mado so much cheaper than formerly. Few persons, eyen among experienced nmicchanics, we apprehend, are fully aware of tho great difference in the character of cast iron ns it comes from the furnaces. Tur Manacement or Jnon ann Sreet.— George Edes, of London, has receatly published a work under tho above title, which is highly spoken of as supplyiug a waat loug felt by mechanics, aad all engaged in the practical manipulation and opplicatioa of iron aad steel. Mr, Hides, ia his prefacc, very property states that if young apprentices were taught to maka theuiselves better acquainted with the aaterials they work upon, aud for wbicb their tools ara made, as well as the proper maangemeat of these materials, the advaacemeat of the sciences would be greatly hastened; as this kaawledge woald iacreasc tbe powers of the head to coatrive,and the haads ta éxecute. The inventioas which become publicly known, are few in comparison with those which spring up in the minds of ingeaious mechanics, and perish with the hour that gave them birtb, through the waat of a better knowledge af the properties of the material, which they are endeavoriag to call inta exercise. Mr. Edes might have added, that a vast amouat of labor aad aioney might also be saved to iaveators, ia their investigatioas, from the possessioa of such kaowledgc, in the judgment which it would give them ia rejcctiag such coatrivaaces as are not suited ta the cnd in view. Mfaay an inventor has speut moaths of toiland study ia bringing out aa iaveution which any person, moderately well versed ia mechaaics, would have coademned at the start. PiatinizeD copper vessels are beiag introduced into Eurape, for purposes where heretofore those made entirely of platiaum, have been employed. ‘The former are said to he fully as safe aad reliable for containing strong acids as the latter, aad are of course very much cheaper. TERRIBLE Boiter Exp.ioston—An nopright stationary hoiler recently exploded at Pinkbead, Glasgow, Scotland. The boiler was of singular constructioa, somewhat resemhliag no huge nautical telescope, 36 feet high, 514 feet diameter, staading upright upon its broadest end, the whole surmounted with twenty feet of large pipe. When the explosioa occurred, tbe entire boiler and pipe was thrown perpendicular upward, a distance of 300 feet, aad with so much precision that it came down with a tremeadous crash directly upoa its bed. Enotisa river stcamers are not generally

provided with engine signal bells, as is the case with American steamers ; but the captain or pilot conveys his orders to the engineer by meaagy of a boy, whois stationed at the entraace of the eagine room to repeat the word. ee Scientific Miscellany, Tue Litssuctation or Gases.—lt hy rejeeutly been learued thut, at very high temperutures, conmipouud gases and their compoaents have na action an each other. Cailletet lies fully proven tbis, and the tact is ane deserviag the special ntteation of metallnrgists, innsmucb as it may seriousty alfect resultg in furnnco aperatious in particular, ‘Yhis savant has furnished n record of some cnrious experimeuts in this direction for tho Comptes Rendus, which show that nt very high temperatures componid gase3a become separnted into their elements. nnd that at sach temperatures these gases huve no distinct action on each other. He heated metal ino fire of coal and wood charcoal to such a temperature tbat platinum was easily fusible iu it. The experiment was conducted iu a poreelain tubo, from which the guses wero afterwards collected. The analysis af these by M. Peligot gave tho following result : (ONS ST Be coco coconmggoc once eereeeete 15.24 Hydrogen 1.80 Curbouiu oxyd. 2.16 Curbonic avid., 3.60 DOECOD UN. scr cen ect meres aaiee Ce ccseenene 77.86 100.00 These rosults proved that oxygea has no action upon hydrogen, carbon, or carbonic oayd, ia the atidst of a combustible mass which is maintained at a temperature higher thaa that of tho fusing poiut of platiaum. Tur Connitions uxpea wuicu Iaon Rusts. Few persons really understaad this question or know the cause. Therustiag of iron, which proceeds so rapidly when it is exposed to air, is caused by the attraction which the mctal has for oxygea. It is very remarkable that iroa is unablo to combine with the free oxygea always in the air, but is liable to take it from water, its compouad with hydrogen ; for wo find that in dry air iroa remaijas bright and clean for a loag time, but very rapidly rusts when exposed to the joint actioa af air, carbonic acid gag aud moisture, under which circumstances water is decomposed aad oxyd of iroa is formed. Execrnicity ix Steam Borters.—Dry steam has electrie properties; when in a gaseous state it is a non-coaductor of electricity. ‘The electric discharges which may be obtained from dry steam, are supposed to attead thc process of coadeasation. A small steam boiler, iasulated upoa a glass plate, wss recently exhibited for some coasidcrablo time at the Polytechnic Institution in Paris. Uudera pressure of stcam, coatiauous electric flashes were discharged from the boiler. Fire rrom Fricrion.—'be jungles of India are often set on firehy the larger bamboos, as they are swayed by the wind, emitting fire from their hard, glossy stems throagh the violence of their friction, and thus’ spreadiag destructian through adjacent mountain forests. These arc so extensive that the fire oftea continues to burn for many days together, and is suddenly extinguished by mighty deluges of raia so common in mountainous countries where water pours from clouds rescmbliug small cataracts. Test PAPERS, used hy chemists and others, are made by dippiag nasized paper into a solution of vegetahle matter which will change color when subjected to the action of an acid or alkaline solution. Litmus and tumeric are most commoaly used as a coloring matter— litmus for the detection of acids, aad tumeric tor that of alkalies. Such paper, after being dried, is cut into slips convenient for use. By dipping the appropriato test, papers iato any solutioa, we caa readily ascertain whether it is acid, alkali or neutral. AnimaucuLes.—The polishiag stone ohtaincd in Bohemia, has been computed to coataia 41,000,000,000 skeletons of animaleules ia cach eubic inch ; or 187,000,000 iu each grain of weight of the slate. Oae of these skeletons would therefore weigh about onc 187-millionth part of a grain. Ata white heat all magnetism disappears ; it is still sensible in iroa when heated toa dark red glow. Quisixe ix Human Tissce.—Amang the navelties in organic chemistry, we may nilnde to the discovery af Drs. Bence Janes and Dupre of a substance resembliug quinino in all the tissues of the body—resembling quiniae, that is,in being precipitable by thesame regents, snd it being possessed of the property of fluoresenco. About the chemical compositian of the substanco uothing is ns yet kaown or has . been mnde public. ‘Vhe substance is obtained . by first trenting the nnimal matter with a dilute acid, then eutralizing the acid solution with on alkali,nud subsequently extracting the _ fluorescent substanco with ether. Not haviag as yet obtuiued the substunco in a erystallino form, the discoverers have provisionally named it Animal Quinoidine. Jt deserves ta be mentioned that the experimicuts undertaken in the caurse af this research showed the extreme delicacy of the fluorescence test far quinine itself. ‘Tho author found that a grain of quinine dissolved ia one million eight huadred parts of water shawed the bluo fluoresceneo distiactly in tweaty grains of the solution. Some New Conrousns or SvtrHur anp Oarnon have been obtained by O. Loew. Sesquisulphide of carbon is an amorphous brawn body, which decomposes iuto its constituents when heated ta 210° C, indicating o loose state of combinatioa of the elemeuts. A hydrosesquisalphide of carbon is also a browa amorphous body, having a faiat odor of garlic. When this body is boiled with alkalies it gives oxalic acid and lower sulphides af carbon. By seting oa a chloriae compouad of hydrosesquisulphide of carboa dissolved ia hisulphide of carboa, witb a solutioa of bromine in bisulphide, the author obtained a body which appeared to be moaosulphide of carbon. but foand it impossible to procure the compound perfectly pure. How ro Osrary Cnrysratiizep Carson.— M. Lioanet commuaicated tothe Paris Academy a process for obtaiaing carbon (diamond) in a crystallized state.’ His plan coasists ia taking a long aad thia gold or platinum leaf, rolling upon it a thin piece of tin foil, aad puttiag itiato a bath of sulphoret of csrbon. The liquid is decomposed under the influence of the weak electric current thus excited, the sulphur combiaes with the tia, aad the cnrbon is deposited in crystals at the bottom of tho vessel. The author thiaks dizmoad must be produced by nature ia a similar way. A New Atgatoin.—M. Hesse, in examiaiag tho red poppy for morphia, has discovered a new alkaloid, ia which he has named Rheeadinc, aad which he says is also to be fouad in good opium. It is soluble ia water, alcohol, and ether, crystallizing from the Inst ia white prisms. Ammonia precipitates it ia white erystalliae floculi, bichloride or mercury gives a white amorphous precipitate, aad cbloride of gold a ycllow precipitate. Strong acids decompose it, giving it a purple solutioa. An iageaious mode of gettiag a correct representatioa of an actual battle, laadscape, etc., in a panoramic form, has heen suggested in Paris. The main feature ia the arrangemeat isa revolving cylinder, with a vertical slit in it, through which the images, ete., enter, aad are thrown on a photographic medium properly seasitized. Exvecrricity in Bioon, ere.—By using delicate gold electroscopcs, iudications of statical electricity have been obtained from liviag blood, nerve tissues and muscular fiber. Ir has been ascertained that nitrogen in Jarge quantities is so neccssary to the lile of plaats tbat vigorous vegetation canaot take place if there is no, other supply of nitrogen than the air. In burning carbon to carhonic oxyd, a pouad of oxygen generates only 2,962 uaits of heat ; while, in burniog this carhonic oxyd into carbonic acid, a poaad of oxygen geaerates 4,258 uaits of beat. Tue divisibility of copper is so great that a grain of it dissolved in an alkali will give a seasihle color to 500,000 times its weight in water,