282 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



be suspended a short distance, say half an inch, above the 

 bottom of the bath; that is to say, above the very delicate 

 acid layer which is thrown down by the liquid during the 

 operation. Various articles, such as wood of various kinds, 

 cork, etc., were acted upon in the same manner, under the 

 same circumstances. 8 If, May 30, 1874, 1141. 



CHLORAL AS A PRESERVATIVE. 



The Philadelphia Medical Times contains an article, by Dr. 

 "W. "W. Keen, upon the anatomical, pathological, and surgical 

 uses of chloral, in which he recommends this substance very 

 strongly for the preservation of objects of comparative anat- 

 omy and natural history. It is used by injection into the 

 blood-vessels, or by immersion, and in his opinion it is likely 

 to supersede many of the preparations now in use. Its spe- 

 cial advantage is that the color of the objects is preserved 

 perfectly, and all the parts have a natural consistency, while 

 there is nothing either poisonous or corrosive to affect the 

 general health or to injure instruments. 



For preserving a human subject for dissection, half a pound 

 of chloral will suffice, at a cost of a dollar or less. A solu- 

 tion for preserving specimens of natural history, of ten or 

 twelve grains to the ounce of water, is quite sufficient, is 

 much cheaper than alcohol, and the bottles, instead of being 

 hermetically sealed, are closed by glass stoppers, or even or- 

 dinary corks. Dr. Keen has thus kept pus from various sub- 

 stances, and diseased growths of various kinds off other speci- 

 mens, for months, and found no change whatever in their 

 character. Chloral is extremely antagonistic to fungi and 

 infusoria, a very weak solution of it killing them instantly. 

 The deodorizing, as well as the antiseptic properties, are 

 equal, in Dr. Keen's opinion, to those of any substance now 

 known. 



THE GODEFFROY MUSEUM AT HAMBURG. 



Two of the merchants of Hamburg, the brothers Godeffroy, 

 have for some years been connecting explorations in natural 

 history with their mercantile ventures to the islands of the 

 South Sea, and have established a museum in Hamburg, bear- 

 ing the name of the "Museum Godeffroy," now under the 

 care of Dr. Schultz, which, although confined strictly to Aus- 



