244 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



centrifugal force through fine wire gauze into an inclosed chamber containing 

 chlorine. The apparatus is like a centrifugal sugar pan, surrounded with a 

 lead chamber containing the bleaching gas. A slide is employed to shut 

 off communication (when required) between the revolving pan and the bleach- 

 ing chamber. 



New Preparation of Wool Oil. The following is a claim of a patent recently 

 granted to Thomas Barrows, Esq., of Dedham, Mass., for a new preparation 

 of oil for wool and other purposes : I claim r for the treatment and imbuing 

 of wool, during or previous to its manufacture into yarn or cloth, the applica- 

 tion thereto, of mucilage, possessing an attraction for water, such being found 

 in sea-mosses and allied vegetable productions, or in various seeds, such as 

 flax-seed, it being used either alone or in mixture with an oil, or some other 

 material. I use any of the oils, adapted to oiling wool, in mixture with 

 mucilage, although some mixture, by rest, for a longer or a shorter time, will 

 become separated into oil, which floats, and mucilage which subsides ; but 

 prefer the prepared oleic acid or olein mixture, as it often remains uniform 

 several days. I, however, lay no claim to the application of olein, as 

 described. 



Action of some Animal Fluids on Fats. It is known that M. Bernard 

 attributes to the pancreas the property of emulsionating fatty substances. M. 

 Bloudlot, Professor in the School of Medicine at Nancy, finds that this prop- 

 erty does not belong exclusively to the pancreas, but that the chyme pos- 

 sesses it to an equal degree. M. Longet now announces that the seminal 

 fluid possesses this property in a much higher degree, and that under a tem- 

 perature of 35 to 40 Centigrade, during 14 to 16 hours, fat is decomposed 

 into fatty acids and glycerine. Before subjection to heat, the emulsion has 

 an alkaline reaction, and after this treatment it is acid. Sillimarfs Journal. 



Adulterations in Oils. The detection of oils obtained from the cruciferous 

 vegetables, such as coiza, rape, camelina, mustard, when mixed 'with other 

 oils, has hitherto been a matter of some difficulty. The following test is pro- 

 posed by Miahle: 25 to 35 grams of the oil in question are boiled in a 

 porcelain capsule, with two gram's of pure caustic potash (prepared with 

 alcohol),' dissolved in 20 grammes of distilled water. After boiling for a few 

 minutes, it is thrown upon a filter previously moistened, and the alkaline 

 liquor flowing from it is tested with paper impregnated with acetate of lead 

 or nitrate of silver. A black stain, showing the presence of sulphur, indi- 

 cates that one of the above oils has been added. A still more delicate method 

 is to boil the mixture in a silver capsule, which will be blackened if one of 

 the above oils be present even to the proportion of 1 per cent. Artizan. 



Purification of fixed Oils. The colorless olive oil which is used by watch- 

 makers is exceedingly dear, and yet the simple process of its purification 

 appears to be so simple that any watchmaker may prepare it himself. If com- 

 mon olive oil be mixed with an equal quantity of very strong spirits of wine 

 (sp. gr. 0-853) and allowed to stand for about 14 or 15 days, during which 

 time it must be repeatedly shaken ; already, in the course of a few days, the 

 yellow color of the oil begins to disappear, and then gradually fades, until, at 

 the end of the period mentioned, tho oil becomes colorless. If the mixture 



