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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



noticed of a hydrophobic character. After 

 the fifth day the chloral-hydrate was dis- 

 continued, and the quantity taken altogether 

 amounted to 360 grains. When fit to 

 travel, the patient went into the country, 

 subsequently returning able to attend to 

 business. 



Northern Exploring Expeditions. Ac- 

 cording to a correspondent of the London 

 Daily Ntws, four expeditions are now on 

 their way or about to start from different 

 ports in Europe for the north-pole. The 

 Swedish Government sends out one of these 

 under the control of Prof. Nordenskiold, 

 an experienced arctic explorer, who will 

 attempt to reach the pole from high latitudes, 

 by means of sleighs drawn by reindeer. 

 The expedition takes with it a portable 

 house, which is to be put up on the Seven 

 Islands in latitude 80 30', the most north- 

 ern point at which an expedition has ever 

 wintered in these regions. Fifty reindeer 

 are also to be taken along, together with the 

 necessary fodder, and a number of Lapps to 

 attend them. The scientific mission of the 

 expedition is as follows : During the autumn 

 the expedition will take soundings eastward 

 of Spitzbergen ; the eastern part of Spitz- 

 bergen is to be thoroughly surveyed ; a series 

 of continuous meteorological and magnetic 

 observations for the space of an entire year 

 are to be made ; pendulum observations for 

 determining the oblate form of the earth, 

 refraction observations, besides a series of 

 careful observations of the abundant animal 

 life found in the Polar Ocean in these high 

 regions. The scientific gain, it is expected, 

 will be exceedingly valuable. The chief 

 object will, however, be to attempt in the 

 spring of 1873, after pushing as far as pos- 

 sible northward by vessel, to proceed, by 

 sleighs drawn by reindeer, in the direction 

 of the pole, and if possible to reach that 

 point. 



An Austrian expedition, which has the 

 enthusiastic support of Dr. Petermann, is 

 to set out about the end of June. The ob- 

 ject of this expedition is the further ex- 

 ploration of the ice-free ocean, which they 

 met with last summer, to the east and 

 north, and the exploration of the Arctic 

 Ocean to the north of Siberia. The plan 

 of the voyage is as follows : The expedition 



being provisioned for a period of three 

 years, the first winter is to be spent on Cape 

 Tschelinskin, the most northern promontory 

 of Asia; during the second summer the 

 exploration of the Central Polar Ocean is to 

 be continued, and an effort made to reach 

 the pole ; the second winter will be spent 

 on the new Siberian Island, and the third 

 summer will be employed in reaching Bek- 

 ring's Straits and an Asiatic or American 

 haven. A third expedition, which is to act 

 as a sort of tender to the last mentioned, is 

 being fitted out by a certain Count Wilczek, 

 who has already given largely in aid of 

 northern exploration. 



Two Norwegian fishing-steamers, under 

 the command of able captains, are also, at 

 the end of the fishing-season, intending to 

 proceed in the direction taken by the Aus- 

 trian expedition, and make explorations in 

 the Siberian ice-sea, largely with an eye to 

 future business. 



A French expedition is also reported, 

 which goes out under the direction of Gus- 

 tave Ambert, who likewise proposes to fol- 

 low the track of the Austrian vessel, with 

 a view to " practical " as well as scientific 

 results. Another French explorer, it is said, 

 intends to get at the north-pole by way of 

 balloon ; but, how he is to obtain in that 

 locality the supply of gas necessary to en- 

 able him to return and announce the dis- 

 covery, is not stated. 



Preservation of Wood. Since the tele- 

 graph system of England came into the 

 hands of the Government, active prepara- 

 tions have been going on for the very con- 

 siderable extension of some of the lines 

 An important part of the work is the treat 

 ment of the poles for the purpose of pre- 

 venting decay. Boucherie's process is the 

 one employed. This was invented and 

 largely used in France for the preservation 

 of railroad ties and telegraph-poles, and is 

 said to be both cheap and effective. It is 

 thus applied by the English : The manufac- 

 tory, as it may be termed, is situated in the 

 middle of an extensive field, and consists, in 

 the first place, of a quadrangular structure, 

 four strong poles, some 60 feet in height, 

 forming the angular points Within 6 feet 

 of the top is a platform, on which are two 

 or three vats, each capable of containing 



