212 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



It will be some time before the great heat we 

 experienced in England in the earlier part of August 

 is forgotten. On the nth, the thermometer at 

 Greenwich was 94*8 in the shade, and I57'5 in the 

 sun. This is the highest temperature we have 

 experienced for twenty years past. 



Mr. a. Irvixg states that the deleterious effects 

 of nitric acid burns may be quite easily prevented. 

 Mr. Irving severely burnt his face with concentrated 

 nitric acid while making some electrical experiments, 

 and, reasoning that the effect was one of oxidation, 

 concluded that dilute sulphuric acid should alleviate 

 tlie suffering. In a few minutes after the application 

 was made, he says, " The blister was reduced, and 

 the oxidation completely arrested ; the painful 

 irritation disappeared, and the wound was compara- 

 tively cured." 



Dr. Richardson, in the last number of " The 

 Asclepiad," pleads for "Euthanasia for the lower 

 creation," and suggests a lethal chamber for animals 

 which have to be destroyed from disease, old age, 

 injury, or other causes. 



Dr, Richardson also contends for "A sea 

 atmosphere in a sick room." A spray consisting of 

 a solution of peroxide of hydrogen (10 volumes' 

 strength), containing i ]3er cent, of ozonic ether, 

 iodine to saturation, and 2*50 per cent, of sea-water. 



The subject of poisoning by canned meats has 

 been thoroughly discussed before the Medico-Legal 

 Society of New York. It was proved that the so- 

 called fatal cases failed, on endeavouring to trace 

 them to poisoning by muriatic acid or otherwise. Mr. 

 Barrett said 60 million dozen tins were exported 

 annually, so that many more people ought to be 

 killed, if canned provisions are dangerous. 



Mr. CH'ARLES Manby, F.R.S., who was so long 

 associated as Secretary with the Institution of Civil 

 Engineers, has just died at the ripe old age of eighty 

 years. 



The Essex Naturalists' Field Club held a capital 

 field meeting at Colchester on Bank holiday, and 

 went over the recently visited earthquake district, 

 under the leadership of i\Ir. R. Meldola. At Col- 

 chester the party were led by the Rev. C. L. Ackland 

 and Mr. Henry Laver, F.L.S. Mr. H. Slopes. F.G.S., 

 addressed the members on the "Salting Mounds," 

 or "Red Hills." 



A NEW comet has made its appearance. It made 

 its perihelion passage on August 17th, but it will be 

 observable in this country for some time. ]\Ir. 

 Chandler calculates its orbit as follows : 



Visitors to the Health Exhibition continue to 

 flock in at the rate of nearly a quarter of a million 

 persons a week. 



The Marine Biological Association is now an 

 established fact, thanks to the energy of Professor 

 Lankester and Professor Moseley. Plymouth has 

 been selected for the site of a laboratory and experi- 

 mental aquarium. Friends are still required to 

 successfully carry out this truly national project, and 

 we hope many of our readers w ill see their way to 

 helping it, either by donations or otherwise. We 

 should be happy to receive subscriptions for the 

 purpose. 



A committee appointed by the Paris Academy 

 has examined and rejected no fewer than 240 

 "infallible nostrums" for curing and arresting the 

 progress of cholera ! 



Mr. Mares, a French geologist, states that he has 

 discovered in Tunisia a regular superposition of the 

 upper cretaceous, eocene, and miocene formations. 



We are sorry to note the death of Professor Sir 

 Erasmus Wilson. 



New York and the district have recently experi- 

 enced an earthquake shock, very similar to that 

 which occurred in East Anglia last April. No lives 

 were lost, and little property was destroyed, but the 

 incident has been welconiely received by the " Earth- 

 quake prophets." 



12 h. G.M.T. 



R.A. N.P.D. Distance Intensity 



h. ra. ^ from Earth, of Light. 



September 3... 18 27*2 ... 123 ... 8 o-682 ... i'o5 



), 7 .-. 18 44*2 ... 122 ... 6 o"70i ... o"g8 



,, II ••• 19 o"2 ... 120 ... 58 0.722 ... o'gi 



,, 15 ... 19 15-9 ... 119 ... 46 o'747 ... 0*83 



MICROSCOPY. 



Difficulties in Mounting. — If G. S. S. will 

 varnish twice, at intervals of a couple of hours, with 

 a solution of shellac in alcohol, and then finish off 

 with ordinary bitumen, I don't think he will be 

 further annoyed with air-bubbles in glycerine cell- 

 mounting ; at least, that is my experience, and also 

 that of Professor Rothrock, from whom I heard of it. 

 As to balsam mounting, I find that the method 

 which hardens quickest is to keep a stock bottle of 

 balsam, which is quite hard. Cut off a piece as 

 required, and dissolve in chloroform : this hardens 

 up again quickly by merely laying the slides on a 

 tray in a window exposed to the sun, keeping the 

 covers in position either with a clamp or an elongated 

 rifle bullet.—^. Sc, Ply?nonth. 



The Qi'EKETT Club. — The May number of the 

 "Journal of the (^uekett Microscopical Club " con- 

 tains articles "Ou the Floridete, and some newly- 

 found Antheridia," by F. II. Buffliam, and "On 

 Parasitic Vegetable Organisms in the Gabbard and 

 Galloper Sands," by J. G. Waller. 



Cole's MiCROSCoriCAL Studies. — The various 

 numbers of these now widely-known "Studies" 



