CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 259 



roll in litharge and white lead, and afterwards lick itself clean; but no evil 

 consequences ever attracted his attention. 



The Cat, on the contrary, is soon killed. This animal dies in convulsions, 

 not only in establishments where litharge and white lead are prepared, but 

 even in those places where minute quantities of lead chance to be present, 

 in the compositor's rooms, and where newly printed books have been stored. 

 New ink, it is well known, always contains a certain quantity of this metal. 



M. Pe'cart-Taschereau tried a very decisive experiment. He hung several 

 caires, in each of which a cat was confined, in his factory, and in a short 

 time, one after another, all died. 



Mice and the lead manufactories are infested by them play in the 

 litharge and white lead without any apparent evil consequences. 



M. Rouart, white lead manufacturer in Clichy, remarks that Rats, which 

 multiply most rapidly in his establishment, are very apt to suffer from paral- 

 ysis of the lower extremities. 



The Horse, exposed to the poisonous atmosphere of lead factories, appears 

 to be liable to a paralysis of the muscles of the larynx. The recurrent iaiyn- 

 gcal nerve (which conveys the motory impulses to the muscles of the larynx) 

 appears unable to perform its proper functions, whilst the remainder of the 

 pncumo-gastric nerve is totally unaffected. The veterinary surgeon, Delanay, 

 has performed, in these cases, tracheotomy, with the result of preserving the 

 valuable animal, notwithstanding the local paralysis. 



Birds soon succumb to the poison. It has been observed that Sheep and 

 Goats that feed near lead factories frequently suffer from haiinaturia, and 

 are also liable to miscarry. It is also asserted that in such neighborhoods 

 women are peculiarly apt to have premature labor. Medical and Surgical 

 Reporter. f 



It is stated by Dr. A. S- Taylor, in his work on "Poisons," a new edition 

 of which has recently been published in London, that lead paralysis may 

 result from articles of food, from snuff, tobacco, etc., sold in what is denom- 

 inated " tinfoil," which is, in truth, almost pure lead. This statement may 

 cause some surprise; but he furnishes another statement that is yet more 

 remarkable, from which it appears that vegetables are capable of taking up 

 lead from the soil, and incorporating it with other materials in their organ- 

 isms. Cattle-poisoning by lead, so alleged, became the subject of a chemical 

 investigation, and the question was, whether the cattle were injured by the 

 fumes from the chirnne} 7 of the lead works, or from the lead in the soil. 

 Earth was brought to London from the field in which the cattle fed. " Mus- 

 tard and cress seeds were sown in these four samples of the Mendip leaden 

 soil, and, for a comparative experiment, in a sample of ordinary garden 

 mould. In about eight days the crops were carefully cut, Avithout interfering 

 with the earth, and submitted by Mr. Brande and myself to chemical exam- 

 ination. We first satisfied ourselves that there was no lead on the outside of 

 the plants, by washing them in pure diluted acetic acid, and testing the 

 washings. The vegetable matter was then dried and burnt, and lead, hi well- 

 marked quantity, was found in the ashes." P. 512. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. 



The following views in relation to the demands of agriculture upon science, 

 were expressed by Professor Vodcker, of the Circnccster College, England, ia 

 a recent address before the Royal Agricultural Society : 



